The Taiwanese ODM (original design manufacturer) plans to begin sourcing the "HTC Universal" to mobile operators in Europe, North America, and Asia during the second half of this year.
(Click here for larger image of HTC Universal prototype)Although HTC has yet to publicly disclose detailed technical specs on the new device, the HTC Universal is rumored to be derived from the same basic hardware platform as the
T-Mobile MDA IV, which is based on a 520 MHz Intel XScale processor. The new device will have a similar clamshell design and full QWERTY keyboard, dual cameras with video-conferencing capability, and a display that pivots 180 degrees, according to HTC. The display can automatically switch between portrait and landscape mode based on use, or the user can manually switch modes. The MDA IV boasts both Bluetooth and USB connectivity, so it seems likely that the HTC Universal will share these features.
From an applications and multimedia perspective, HTC says the 3G-enabled HTC Universal takes advantage of "advanced Windows Mobile 5.0 features," and that it will provide improved support of more multimedia and productivity applications, broad integration of digital multimedia features, and faster connections to the Internet and email servers. The device can be expected to incorportate GPRS, WLAN, and 3G UMTS communications technologies, as does the MDA IV.
A prototype of the HTC Universal was demonstrated during the Bill Gates keynote address at last week's
Mobile and Embedded Developers Conference. It was used to demonstrate the new features of Office Mobile.
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