HTC touts new ‘Touch’ phone

HTC Corp., the nimble, Taiwan-based smartphone maker that is a leading purveyor of Microsoft Corp.’s Windows Mobile operating system, announced its new HTC Touch, a phone that employs touchscreen technology. The move is notable as Apple Inc.’s iPhone, which also features a touchscreen and similar design, is scheduled to hit store shelves at the end of this month.
HTC said its new phone is available in the United Kingdom now and elsewhere in Europe and Asia later this month. A version for North and Latin America is slated for the second half of the year. No carrier deal or pricing were included in the announcement.
The company said the phone features TouchFLO technology for access to e-mail, messaging and PIM functions. The tri-band phone includes Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, a 2.8-inch touchscreen (Apple’s iPhone has a 3.5-inch screen) and 64 megabytes of memory (the $500 iPhone offers 4 gigabytes), expandable to 1 GB with an in-box microSD card. A 2-megapixel camera is included.
Although the iPhone features a much-talked-about touchscreen, those in the mobile industry know that the magic of touchscreen technology is not new or revolutionary. Analysts have pointed to past attempts by the major device vendors to sell touchscreen technology, particularly the companies with a PDA heritage.