(Click here for a larger view of the XDA Guide)

O2's XDA Orbit II (Click image for further information)

According to O2, the Xda Guide is manufactured for it by HTC using an "exclusive" design. The device is billed as a replacement for the Xda Orbit II (right) released earlier this year, which appeared to be a slightly restyled version of HTC's Touch Cruise.

While the Xda Guide appears not to have a precise HTC-branded equivalent, it inherits an important improvement found first on devices such as the manufacturer's Touch Diamond. Namely, its ARM11 processor has been increased in clock speed from the Orbit II's 400MHz to a more snappy 528MHz. In addition, memory and storage have been doubled: the device sports 256MB of RAM and 512MB of flash memory.

Featuring a 2.8-inch touchscreen display, the Xda Guide supports HSDPA/UMTS (2100 MHz) and GSM/GPRS/EDGE (900, 1800, 1900 MHz) cellular networks, along with Bluetooth 2.0 and 802.11b/g wireless networking. It also offers GPS, which, according to O2, is complemented by the included Tom Tom Navigator 7 software, plus maps of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

The device's 3.2 megapixel camera offers geotagging, termed a "footprint feature" by O2. The device stores latitude and longitude for every image taken, which is useful when emailing photos to friends, or just for keeping a record of frequently visited locations, the carrier claims.

Like an increasing number of HTC-sourced devices, the Xda Guide is said to include the manufacturer's "finger friendly" TouchFlo user interface, a wrapper for the underlying Windows Mobile 6.1 operating system. And, apparently via a blanket license acquired by HTC, the phone also includes the Opera Mobile 9.5 web browser.

Features and specifications listed by O2 for the XDA Guide include:

• Processor -- Qualcomm MSM7225 clocked at 528MHz
  
• Memory -- 256MB of RAM and 512MB of flash storage
  
• Display -- 2.8-inch touchscreen display with 320 x 240 resolution
  
• Camera -- 3.2 megapixel
• Wireless interfaces:
  • Tri-band (900/1800/1900MHz) GSM and 2100MHz UMTS
    
  • WLAN -- 802.11b/g
    
  • PAN -- Bluetooth 2.0
    
  • GPS
• Other I/O -- USB (also carries audio signals)
  
• Battery type/life -- n/s
  
• Dimensions/weight -- n/s

Further information

According to O2, the XDA Guide's price will be announced when the device becomes available in February 2009.

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