(Click here for larger image of HTC Advantage)HTC AdvantageThe Advantage seems to be essentially identical to the
T-Mobile Ameo based on HTC's Athena reference platform and scheduled for release in Germany and the Netherlands this month. But whereas the Ameo runs Windows Mobile 5, the Advantage steps up to Microsoft's latest mobile software platform: Windows Mobile 6.
The Advantage runs a 624 MHz PXA270-series ("Bulverde") XScale processor, and is equipped with 128 MB of SDRAM, 256 MB of flash memory, and a built-in 8 GB hard drive. The 5-inch touchscreen display is driven by an ATi W2284 graphics controller that also supports TV out. Perhaps the device's most distinctive feature is a detachable QWERTY keyboard that attaches magnetically to the main unit. Wireless functions include Tri-Band HSDPA/UMTS, Quad-Band EDGE/GPRS, W-LAN, Bluetooth, and a built-in GPS receiver.
The Advantage will be available through Amazon.com and other retailers this summer, according to HTC.
HTC ShiftFew details are available on the HTC Shift, which the company describes as being "similar in size to a couple of DVD cases." The device, which will most likely be categorized as an Ultra Mobile PC (UMPC), runs Windows Vista Business edition, implying that it's based on an x86 processor.
The unit sports a 7-inch widescreen touch display, a QWERTY keyboard, and a 30-gigabyte hard drive. Like the Advantage, it packs Tri-Band HSDPA/UMTS, Quad-Band EDGE/GPRS, W-LAN, and Bluetooth wireless capabilities, but it lacks a built-in GPS receiver.
The Shift is expected to be available in the US and Europe in the third quarter, HTC said. Further details and specifications will be announced "when available."
HTC CEO Peter Chou stated, "The introduction of the HTC Shift and Advantage continue HTC's long history of innovative, precedent-setting devices. These new devices bridge the gap between being mobile and being in the office, giving customers new choices for how they work, communicate and live."
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