HTC is on a roll, producing high-quality and high-demand smartphones left and right. HTC's latest creation -- the HTC Desire HD, an update to its original Desire model (which is available in the U.K. but hasn't yet been released in the U.S.) -- had its specs leaked by an online U.K. retailer. Looks like it could be another winner.
The Specs
SuperETrader nabbed a list of specs for the HTC Desire HD, which is expected to debut in October 2010. The smartphone, also known as the "Ace," has a lot of the same features its competition, with a few exciting tweaks.
- 4.3 inch WVGA Touch Screen
- 8 Mega Pixel Camera
- 1 GHZ Qualcomm Processor
- Android 2.2 OS
- HD 720p Video Capture
- Xvid Video Playback
- SRS Surround Sound
- Automatic Face Tracking
- Adobe Flash 10 Support
- 4GB Internal Memory (upgradable to 32GB)
- E-book Reader Feature
- Unibody Aluminum Design
New E-Reader Technology for Smartphones?
What I find most enticing are the last two items: the e-book reader and the unibody aluminum design. There are already plenty of e-book reader apps for smartphones -- has HTC created one of its own? Or has it implemented new e-reader technology on smartphones?
The latter possibility makes me think of the Pixel Qi netbook, which comes with three screen modes: two color modes and a black-and-white e-ink mode for reading text documents and e-books. Could this technology be coming to smartphones?
Upping the Sex Appeal
When I hear "unibody," I think of Apple and the update to its line of MacBooks. Sounds like HTC is cranking up the sex appeal of its devices, giving the iPhone 4's aesthetics some competition.
Is Bigger Better?
It looks like the HTC Desire HD will sport a 4.3-inch screen similar to that of the Motorola Droid X, which has already sold out . Sense a trend coming? Bigger smartphone screens means better, I guess. If this keeps up, we'll all be toting around 5-inch quasi-tablet computers like the Dell Streak.
HTC: Steamrolling ... Itself?
Lately it seems that everything coming out of HTC's labs is a success. The EVO 4G and the Droid Incredible are both difficult to find and purchase. But there's a dark side to HTC's prolificacy: the company runs the risk of overwhelming consumers with too many Android options. A two-month-old smartphone now feels ancient. And if HTC is updating unreleased phones, it might be shooting itself in the foot.