HTCs Android Phone to take on iPhone

HTC's Android phone to take on iPhone

iPhone's unchallenged leadership in the high end smart phone market could end on November 10!

Idhries Ahmad

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

NEW DELHI, INDIA: Finally, the iPhone has real tough competition on hand. Buoyed by its strong technology, freedom to individualize functions and astounding user interface, iPhone has been an unchallenged leader in the high end smart phone market. That is about to end on November 10!

HTC's Dream phone DREA100, widely rumored in the industry to be first Android-based powered smart phone, has passed the requisite tests and has been given green signal by Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in US, to be rolled out in US.

This means the phone will be commercially available in US markets by November.

In response to Dalton Chuang, senior manager, HTC Corp.'s, application for Certification of the HTCC's Dream (Type designation: DREA100), FCC in its reply has confirmed that the HTC phone has been found to comply with the requirements set up by ANSI C63.4 & FCC PART 15 regulations for the evaluation of electromagnetic compatibility.

HTC's Dream, according to documents available on the FCC site, will support 3G network, have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.O, large touch screen, a QWERTY keypad.

Given the strong focus that Google is putting on mobile Web as major enabler for Google future growth, observers are eagerly awaiting the innovations that Android based HTC phone has to offer.

The HTC phone will be using 3.7 Lithium Ion Battey and "jog ball," a trackball-like device for navigating and selecting phone features.

The available documents submitted by HTC had asked FCC to keep details of its filings, including photographs and the user manual, confidential until November 10.

The phone, say analysts, will be unveiled at the same time in US and adjacent geographies. However, the documents don't confirm whether the operating system for the mobile is Andriod based or not.

Peter Chou CEO, HTC, on his recent visit to India had confirmed that HTC was working with Google for its new phone. However, he had refused to give a concrete time frame to market the new phone.

"We are working with them thought it will be too early to tell you the details" Chou had said.

HTC has, in the recent past, unveiled HTC's Touch Diamond, a high end phone to take on iPhone. However, it hasn't taken off the way the company would have expected.

Positioned by the company for both the business and consumer market, Diamond has a 2.8-inch touch screen, 4GB storage and is priced at Rs. 27,500 in India.

With the iPhone fire still raging in many countries, HTC powered by Google Android will be dousing some of these fires soon.

©CIOL Bureau