HTC's HD2 was announced internationally in October 2009, and subsequently promised (by no less than Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer himself, in a January Consumer Electronics Show keynote) for a spring release on T-Mobile USA. The flagship Windows phone includes HTC's custom "Sense" user interface, a 4.3-inch capacitive touchscreen with a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels, and a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor.

Would-be U.S. purchasers  have been getting teased for months, but T-Mobile USA and HTC revealed in January that American buyers will get more memory and storage than those elsewhere in the world. Where the rest-of-world HD2 includes a 512MB ROM, the T-Mobile version will include 1GB of flash memory. Meanwhile, RAM is up to 576MB, and a 16GB microSD memory card will also be bundled with the system, the company says.

HTC's HD2
(Click to enlarge)

T-Mobile USA says HD2 purchasers will receive a variety of preloaded entertainment applications, plus several pre-loaded movies. Apps include the Barnes & Noble eReader, On Demand software for downloading new releases from Blockbuster, and a client for MobiTV, a service that offers mobile viewing of MTV, NBC, Comedy Central, ESPN, and other TV channels. (A 30-day free trial subscription is included for the latter, the company says.)

According to T-Mobile USA, its HD2 also includes software for Aircell's GogoGogo inflight Internet, with six months' worth of service. The smartphone will also be loaded with the films Transformers and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, both optimized for viewing on its screen, the company says.

International versions of the HD2 have also included built-in WiFi routers, allowing the phone to share its 3G Internet connectivity with a notebook computer or other devices via WiFi. Internet sharing is also possible via Bluetooth or a USB cable, according to HTC. We have not yet seen information on how much T-Mobile USA will charge owners to employ this feature in the U.S.

Sorry, no Windows Phone 7 ...

As shipped by T-Mobile, the HD2 will include the Windows Mobile 6.x operating system along with the touch-friendly Sense user interface mentioned earlier in this story. With its powerful processor and 800 x 480 display, the phone also appears to be technically capable of running Microsoft's forthcoming Windows Phone 7 operating system, a fact that has led to considerable speculation among phone fans.

However, an Engadget posting yesterday quotes Joe Belfiore, Microsoft's corporate vice president for Windows Phone Program Management, as stating that the HD2 "is not compliant with the Windows Phone 7 Series hardware specifications." The website's Nilay Patel added that "every Microsoft employee here at MIX [the company's developer conference in Las Vegas] is carrying one, so it's clearly the WinMo handset to get until it's eclipsed by 7 late in the year."

Features and specifications listed by T-Mobile USA for the HD2 include:

• Processor -- Qualcomm Snapdragon clocked at 1GHz
• Memory -- 1GB ROM and 576MB RAM, plus bundled 16GB microSD card
• Display -- 4.3-inch touchscreen with WVGA (800 x 480 pixel) resolution
• Camera -- Five megapixel with autofocus
• Wireless:
  • WAN -- HSPA/WCDMA (900/2100MHz), GSM (850/950/1800/1900MHz)
  • LAN -- 802.11b/g, with integral router
  • PAN -- Bluetooth 2.1
  • GPS
• Other I/O:
  • Micro-USB port
  • 3.5mm headphone jack
• Expansion -- microSD slot
• Battery type/life:
  • 1230mAh
  • Talk time -- up to 380 minutes
  • Standby time -- up to 490 hours
  • Video playback -- up to 8 hours
  • Audio playback -- up to 12 hours
• Dimensions -- 4.74 x 2.64 x 0.43 inches (120.5 x 67 x 11mm)
  
• Weight -- 5.54 ounces (157g)
  
  

HTC's HD2
Source: Engadget Spain
(click to play)

Another HD2 demonstration
Source: Coolsmartphone
(click to play)

Further information

According to T-Mobile USA, the HD2 will cost approximately $200, following the usual rebate and service contract. More information on the phone may be found on the HTC website, here, and T-Mobile USA website, here.

The Engadget posting cited above about the phone's lack of Windows Phone 7 compatibility may be found here.

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