By 
The most surprising of the HTC announcements today was the announcement of the HTC Desire, formerly codenamed the HTC Bravo. We got a leak last night suggesting this would happen and indeed it did. The idea that the Desire would be an HTC-Sensed-Up version of the Nexus One was pretty darn accurate with a few details left out.
The main differences are that the HTC Desire has an optical trackpad instead of a physical trackball, and on either side of the trackpad are hardware buttons, which on the Nexus One are simply touch sensitive buttons alongside the screen. Something you wouldn’t normally notice is the lack of the Nexus One’s dual-microphone noise cancelling solution – the Desire has only 1 mic and HTC claims this was to reduce costs and make the phone more affordable.
In terms of highlights, the HTC Desire has a 3.7-inch AMOLED touchscreen, Android 2.1, Flash 10.1 in the browser, an updated version of HTC Sense and virtually every other spec owned by the Nexus One – largely regarded as the best mobile phone on the market. Considering this, it is no surprise that the HTC Desire is expected to do gang busters where it is launched.
Where will that be? Vodafone in April and other carriers in Europe and Asia afterwards. And in Australia, Telstra will be the exclusive recipient of the device. Looking for an American launch? Don’t hold your breath… but we’ll let you know if we hear anything.
Check out the full press release:
HTC UNVEILS ENHANCED HTC SENSE EXPERIENCE ON NEW ANDROID SMARTPHONES
HTC Legend and HTC Desire take Android 2.1 to a new level with HTC SenseBARCELONA, Mobile World Congress – February 16, 2010 – HTC Corporation, a global designer of smartphones, today introduced an enhanced HTC Sense experience that will be available on two new smartphones that take Android to the next level, the HTC Legend and HTC Desire.
“At its essence, the mobile phone is the most personal item you have in your possession. HTC Sense was created to magnify your ability to create and define your own unique mobile experience,” said Peter Chou, chief executive officer of HTC Corporation. “HTC Legend and HTC Desire take Android to another level in both substance, with HTC Sense, and style, with HTC Legend’s revolutionary crafted aluminum unibody design.”
HTC Sense
HTC Sense is a user experience focused on putting people at the centre by making phones work in a more simple and natural way. This experience revolves around three fundamental principles that were developed by observing and listening to how people live and communicate. These core tenets of Make It Mine, Stay Close and Discover the Unexpected continue to be the key to the new HTC Sense experience.
The new HTC Sense experience continues to focus on improving your interactions with your most important people. This begins with a new HTC application and widget called HTC Friend Stream that seamlessly aggregates all of your social communication including Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr into one organised flow of updates. This simple aggregation makes it easier than ever to focus on what friends are doing as well as to view the images and links that they share. In addition to Friend Stream, people can be organised into specific social circles, such as groups of friends, colleagues or any other way that makes sense.
The new HTC Sense experience also introduces broad improvements to applications including the browser, email client and others. In addition, the new version of HTC Sense includes a new newsreader application and widget, as well as a new seven-screen ‘Leap’ thumbnail view for quick and easy access to specific screens.
HTC Legend
Built around a newly enhanced HTC Sense, the HTC Legend boasts a unique design with a smooth, continuous surface, machined from a single aluminum block into a seamless compact frame. To complement its looks, the HTC Legend includes a stunning 3.2 inch, AMOLED HVGA display. The traditional trackball has also been replaced with an optical joystick, surrounded by a narrow button to improve usability without interrupting its unique design.
HTC Desire
HTC Desire is the richest way to visually experience news, friends, photos, favourite places and whatever else is important on a mobile phone. With one of the most advanced displays available on a phone today, HTC Desire is designed with a large 3.7 inch AMOLED WVGA display to enhance and maximise content, whether it is pictures and videos, browsing the Web or checking on friends’ status updates. HTC Desire is powered by a one gigahertz Snapdragon processor and is Adobeâ Flashâ 10.1 ready. As with the HTC Legend, the HTC Desire also includes an optical joystick.
Patrick Chomet, Group Director of Terminals for Vodafone said, “HTC is a valued partner for Vodafone and has made a strong contribution to the growth of the mass market appeal of smartphones. Vodafone endeavours to offer our customers the widest and most compelling choice of smartphones and to that end the HTC Legend, the HTC Desire and the HTC HD mini will be ranged in selected Vodafone markets across our footprint. I’m particularly pleased that through our collaboration with HTC, Vodafone customers will experience a differentiated experience on the HTC Legend which will come customised for them with pre-loaded Vodafone 360 Internet services.”
Availability
The new HTC Legend will be available in Europe through Vodafone and in the direct channel beginning in April. It will roll out to other parts of the world including Asia in early Q2. HTC Desire will be broadly available to customers across major European and Asian markets in early Q2. The HTC Desire will be exclusively available in Australia through Telstra. The enhanced HTC Sense experience will also be offered as a free upgrade on the HTC Hero in Europe and Asia.
[Via Press Release]
As far as I got it, it’s just Flash 10.1 READY. but Flash is still activated. Just not Version 10.1 yet.
I kind of hate the mobile market… First I wanted to get a Droid, but there were the rumors about the X10 and Nexus One. Now I was just about to get a Nexus One, and HTC announces this beauty here…
I was looking for a HTC Sense phone with QSD processor to replace my Hero. This could well be the ideal replacement!
I remember reading this doesnt have a LED Flash camera though, a factor in the Hero as well. Anyone able to confirm this?
T-Mobile have just announced that it’s going to be available March 26th – http://twitter.com/TMobileOfficial/status/9180429823
it HAS LED flash.
Yeah, T-Mobile *UK*
I am still waiting for a Android phone with a proper camera :(
Any idea if this or something comparable will be releaszed on Verizon (US). My balloon was just busted when I read the post about the release areas this morning.
Why are they ignoring North America?!
no verizon, huh. omg. Verizon just cannot get a phone that I want. unreal.
The irony here is unbelievable! I can’t speak for everyone but I would venture a guess that most everyone waiting for a phone for use with Verizon would LOVE to have this phone. It has Sense, it looks beautiful, it would be the Nexus One equivalent but available through the provider. Instead, we’re left waiting for the Nexus One to launch so that we can pay for inferior tech support and for a phone we won’t be able to put in our hands. But if we are willing to wait for the rumored June release we can indeed have a similar phone from Verizon…the Incredibly ugly version of the two other beautiful HTC phones. Kind of makes you wonder why they would go ugly on the Incredible with the Bravo/Desire and Nexus One being so attractive? What genius thought that up?
i doubt this is comming to verizon since verizon is getting the “HTC Incredible” which has the same specs as this and htc sense 2.1, it just looks different
Cant find any mention of 720p recording like what we heard in the rumors.
With limited experience with AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon, I have no idea why anyone would ever choose Verizon to be their carrier.
Sweet looking phone. It’s unfortunate that the United States doesn’t get to have it. >:(
I’d rather have that than the N1, I mean damn that phone just looks hott (though I wouldn’t mind that noise-cancelling technology). Enjoy it, world. America doesn’t deserve it.
@Biffy: If we’re to believe the above picture to be accurate, then it does appear to have a flash of some sort.
Phone looks good but the noise cancelling on the N1 is amazing – I debated whether to wait for this here in the UK but still glad (for me) I went with the N1..
Well the lack of 720P video camera like in the Bravo leaks disappoints me. There is also no noise cancelling mic like mentioned above, but also no voice to text that Android 2.1 provides??? Why HTC Why??? I do like the improved Sense UI, the optical trackad and the hardware buttons (not in the same order as Nexus one and Droid you will notice).
Maybe I should hold out for the Motorola Motoroi that might be released next month, it has 720P video recording, XENON FLASH(wow) and 8MP camera.
Or wait a few months more for the Samsung Beam with the best specs of any smartphone released or yet to be released.
I was afraid this wasn’t going to come out on VZW. I am still holding off on getting the DROID because I am not 100% happy with the phone. Not looking forward to buying a phone off of Google since it just adds a layer of BS to the purchasing experience.
I dont get how everyone is saying this is not for the BIG V when no one KnowS where this phone is going to land…I sure hope it comes to Verizon cause this is a bad ass looking phone for reallllll
The HTC site says that it has WCDMA on the NExus One and HTC Desire sepcs page. does that mean that it will be on Verizon?
@john: WCDMA is not to be confused with CDMA: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W-CDMA_(UMTS)
@MensahWatts: Why would HTC not announce a VZW release? Look at the specs for the phone. They don’t support the proper frequencies that VZW runs on.
people say it won’t come out for “the BIG V” because for some reason the BIG V only wants to carry crappy phones, though they can typically get away with it because its the only US carrier with reliable coverage for the most part everywhere. Seriously, the Droid is such a piece of crap, I don’t even know where to begin.
Every month or two a new rumor about a great new phone and what do we get,a four month MOTO Droid and an outdated Htc Eris. I’m about ready to go T-Mobile just for a decent phone and better rates. Why the f*** can’t we have any phone we want?