HTC will start selling devices under its own brand

HTC, the virtually unknown company behind most of the current Windows Mobile devices, has launched the first products with their own brand, aimed at the consumer market.

Until now HTC was acting as a ODM, designing and manufacturing mobile devices including Pocket PCs and Smartphones, for other companies.

The first products with the new HTC brand are the tri-band 3G Windows Mobile Pocket PC TyTN and the 3G Windows Mobile Smartphone MTeoR (pictured).

HTC promised to continue supporting its operator-branded products and OEM partners. At the same time, HTC will provide its new branded products to its existing Qtek channels, distributors, enterprise and operators, who do not carry operator-branded products.

The company is working on a package for partners, including richer device propositions, dedicated customer support, product training and toolkits, online and marketing support. It has also launched its first range of accessories - including Bluetooth headsets and in-car kits.

The HTC TyTN is also known as HTC Hermes, it development codename. It delivers a wealth of rich features, showcasing the ultimate 'Office in your pocket' experience for business users on the move. It offers the ultimate range of connectivity options including: tri-band UMTS 3G which will allow users to roam across Europe, US and Asia, plus GSM, GPRS, EDGE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a mini-USB port.

The HTC TyTN also features Direct Push e-mail technology available with Windows Mobile 5.0, Internet browsing, synchronization with Microsoft Outlook Calendar, Contacts and email, and the ability to work on applications in the Microsoft Office suite such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and viewing PDF documents. TyTN comes equipped with a slide-out, ergonomic QWERTY keyboard and 2.8" color display with touch-screen. It also features a jog wheel for one-hand operation.

The standard memory is 64MB RAM (for executing programs) and 128MB Flash ROM for storage. This memory can be expanded with micro SD cards. It also comes with a 2 Megapixel camera with macro mode, on-screen controls and DSC (Digital Still Camera) functionality plus a second camera for video telephony.

The HTC MTeoR is the world's first 3G Windows Mobile 5.0 Smartphone, in a candy bar form factor. It is a small device with just 112.4 x 49 x 14.8mm and weighing only 120g. The HTC MTeoR features Windows Mobile 5.0 Direct Push technology for immediate synchronization of email, calendar and notes plus document viewers for PDF, Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

Both devices will be available across Europe from late July.

from Geekzone