Just as we expected, HTC has unveiled their new Windows Phone 9 Mango lineup. The HTC Titan and HTC Radar (previously known as the HTC Eternity and HTC Omega) will be the first phones from HTC to launch with Windows Phone 7.5.
HTC Titan
The HTC Titan will be HTC’s flagship WP7.5 handset of the fall. HTC has beefed up its specs to include a 4.7-inch SLCD display, 8MP rear camera with a back-lit image sensor and 1.3M front-facing shooter for self portraits of video calls using Skype. Other notable features on the HTC Titan include a single-core 1.5GHz processor, 512MB of RAM and 16GB internal storage all packed inside a body that measures 131.5mm x 70.7mm x 9.9mm. While the 4.7-inch display may sound appealing to some, we’d like to point out that the resolution is the same 800 x 480 pixels as HTC’s previous generation of WP7 devices. We’re not sure if HTC is simply being cheap or if they have run into hardware supply or software limitations in WP7 with higher resolution displays.
HTC Radar
Those of you familiar with the HTC Trophy will probably notice that the HTC Radar isn’t much different. The HTC Radar features a 1GHz processor, 3.8-inch LCD, 5MP rear camera, 512MB of RAM and 8GB internal storage. The only read difference between the HTC Trophy and the new HTC Radar is the VGA camera on the front of the Radar and upgraded image sensor and camera lens. It’s clear that HTC will be focusing their efforts on making the HTC Radar a smartphone for the masses. With Nokia expected to release a few dozen WP7 handsets over the next 12 months, HTC will probably need to shoot for the bottom of the market so that they can compete on volume and retain market share.
HTC has not release any pricing details for the HTC titan and HTC Radar, but we should expect to sell online retailers in Europe put up pre-order pages for the two phones within the next week or two.
Press Release
HTC Unveils HTC TITAN And HTC Radar Smartphones
Smartphones unveiled at consumer meet-ups across Europe
LONDON, PARIS, MADRID and BERLIN – September 1, 2011 – HTC Corporation, a global leader in mobile innovation and design, today hosted a series of consumer meet-ups in London, Paris, Madrid and Berlin to unveil its new HTC TITAN™ and HTC Radar™ with Windows® Phone smartphones. The HTC TITAN brings your favorite content and multimedia experiences closer than ever with a large 4.7 inch display, HTC’s largest phone screen ever wrapped in an ultra-thin 9.9mm aluminum case. The HTC Radar is designed to keep you close to the people, news and entertainment that matters to you most. Consumers enjoyed exclusive hands-on demos of the new devices and got to try out Microsoft’s next release of Windows Phone, code-named Mango.
“The new HTC TITAN and HTC Radar smartphones raise the bar with new advanced photography, multimedia and social capabilities that enable you to take full advantage of the latest Windows Phone innovations,” said Jason Mackenzie, President of Global Sales and Marketing, HTC Corporation. “With its large, cinematic display, the HTC TITAN packs an amazing amount of power and innovation into a device that is unlike anything you’ve ever held before and the HTC Radar’s aluminum uni-body, compact size and finish will capture people’s attention.”
Picture Perfect
Both HTC TITAN and HTC Radar include a dedicated hardware camera button which enables you to capture vivid images without unlocking the phone while the f/2.2 aperture lens and back-illuminated sensor provide improved low-light performance – making sure you never miss that perfect shot. With 28mm wide-angle lenses you can capture more of the scene in front of you while the new panoramic feature lets you create dramatic pictures of skylines and landscapes. Both devices can shoot bright and vibrant HD (720p) videos, making them perfect companions for family functions or a night out with friends. And with the HTC Photo Enhancer, you can quickly touch up pictures and upload them to Facebook, tagging your friends as you go using automatic face detection built in to Windows Phones.
“Phones were originally designed for communication, but they haven’t kept up with the way consumers are actually communicating today. That’s why we built Windows Phone to put people first, building in all the key types of communication people are already using right out of the box,” said Andy Lees, President of Windows Phone Division. “Both HTC TITAN and HTC Radar bring a sleek, modern design that perfectly complements this people first experience, making sure it’s easy to connect & share with the people you care about most so the message always gets through.”
HTC TITAN
With its large and bright 4.7 inch super LCD screen, an 8 megapixel rear-facing camera and 1.3 megapixel front facing camera for live video calling, HTC TITAN combines high performance innovation with a super-slim 9.9mm curved body made from a brushed aluminium shell that fits comfortably in your hand and exudes style and quality.
HTC TITAN is also the perfect portable office that enables efficient multitasking like viewing a presentation while you’re on a conference call or listening to music while compiling an email. With its expansive screen with built in Microsoft® Office Mobile, this super smartphone enables you to create, edit and collaborate quickly and easily. Advanced email features like Linked inboxes makes it easy to manage multiple email accounts, synchronize your to-do list and calendars in one place, group contacts to make communication simpler and faster, and even store your latest ideas and notes in the cloud with Microsoft® OneNote®. Typing on the HTC TITAN is quick and easy with the huge virtual keyboard on the responsive 4.7 inch screen.
HTC Radar
Elegantly crafted with an aluminium unibody, HTC Radar brings you closer to the important things in life, with the new People Hub from Windows Phone. The People Hub keeps you up to date with your friends’ latest news showing all of your communication history with each person, as well as their recent social network updates and photos. You can also stay in touch using SMS, Facebook chat and Windows Live® Messenger in one conversation, without having to switch applications or disrupt the conversation flow. Alternatively, speak “face-to-face” with new video calling that lets you see your friends’ faces on the bright and sharp 3.8 inch screen.
Entertainment on the move
With HTC TITAN and HTC Radar, mobile multimedia is greatly improved. Both phones include HTC Watch™ – an application and service that puts an entire library of the latest, premium movies and TV shows right at your fingertips, letting people discover the latest video content in an easy and visually engaging way. Utilizing Virtual 5.1 surround sound for a rich audio experience, these phones are perfect for enjoying the Zune® music service. Internet browsing is fast and smooth with HTML5 support. You also get an amazing mobile gaming with Xbox LIVE®, giving you access to a great selection of games for Windows Phone, which include features like Leaderboards and Achievement that connect you with your friends and the Xbox LIVE community around the world.
Availability
HTC TITAN and HTC Radar will be broadly available from October 2011 globally, beginning in Europe and Asia.
About HTC
HTC Corporation (HTC) is one of the fastest growing companies in the mobile industry. By putting people at the centre of everything it does, HTC creates innovative smartphones and tablets that better serve the lives and needs of individuals. The company is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange under ticker 2498. For more information about HTC, please visit www.htc.com.
