Two new Windows Phone 7 smartphones have been revealed by HTC, both running on the latest version of the operating system, Mango.
The HTC Titan (previously leaked as the HTC Eternity) and the HTC Radar (previously known as Omega) have been officially introduced.
There was plenty of speculation regarding the upcoming HTC handsets in the run-up to the company’s announcement, and despite what was expected only two – not four – phones have materialised.
But these two are interesting additions, one a powerful giant of a phone and the other a more modest model, with more high-end features than you could shake a stick at.
So, was the wait worth it? Are you impressed by the two new HTC powerhouses unveiled on the first day of IFA.
“The new HTC TITAN and HTC Radar smartphones raise the bar with new advanced photography, multimedia and social capabilities that enable you to take full advantage of the latest Windows Phone innovations,” said Jason Mackenzie, President of Global Sales and Marketing, HTC Corporation.
Both phones come with a dedicated camera button which means you can take snaps without unlocking the device, and for improved low-light photography there is the f/2.2 aperture lens and back-illuminated sensor. And the inbuilt cameras on the Titan and Radar have 28mm wide-angle lenses which, combined with the new panoramic feature, are perfect for capturing excellent landscape images.
The HTC Watch function is accessible on both handsets, giving you access to the latest movies, and the Virtual 5.1 surround sound provides a “rich audio experience” when watching films or enjoying music through Zune.
First, let’s take a closer look at the mighty Titan, a handset described by HTC as being “unlike anything you’ve ever held before”.
This smartphone has a 4.7 inch Super LCD display with WVGA resolution and is powered by a 1.5GHz processor to keep things whizzing along.
With the largest phone screen of any HTC handset, the Titan is ideal for work and entertainment. The Microsoft Office Mobile software pre-installed enables documents to be viewed, created and edited on the move, and managing emails is so much easier too – there’s the bigger display plus features like Linked inboxes for handling multiple email accounts on the phone.
The main camera has 8-megapixels and 720p video recording capabilities, and the front-facing camera 1.3-megapixels, so you can take quality photos and footage as well as engage in video calls – including Skype calls thanks to the new Mango OS.
The HTC Titan comes with 512MB of RAM and storage up to 16GB. And all its features are neatly packed into a stylish aluminium frame that measures a mere 9.9mm thick.
Number two in the new HTC WP7 line-up is the HTC Radar.
This is viewed as the successor to the HTC Mozart and HTC 7 Trophy phones, coming with a 3.8 inch LCD display, 1GHz processor, 5-megapixel camera with 720p video recording support, front-facing VGA camera, and 8GB of fixed storage.
The Radar also has a modern design and, although a little thicker than the Titan, a still-slim10.9mm thick frame.
With the new People Hub from Windows Phone onboard the HTC Radar, staying in touch with friends is easier and more fun. You can view the conversations you’ve had on a person-by-person basis and see your friends’ latest Facebook posts and Twitter tweets. And there’s no need to switch between the apps SMS, Facebook chat and Windows Live Messenger because all three can be accessed in one place.
In addition to all this, you get the new features that Mango brings including Skype integration and internet sharing. With WP7 Mango, users can create Wi-Fi hotspots and share their phone’s web connection with other Wi-Fi-enabled devices.
And for those of you with a current HTC WP7 phone, the company plans to roll-out the Mango update later this month – although sadly, this upgrade won’t include the Wi-Fi hotspots function.
These new HTC delights, Titan and Radar, are due for release in early October. As always, we’ll keep you posted on launch and pricing details.
In the meantime, you can take a look at the Titan and Radar in action, in these videos.
Full press release below:
HTC Unveils HTC TITAN And HTC Radar Smartphones
Smartphones unveiled at consumer meet-ups across Europe
LONDON, PARIS, MADRID and BERLIN – September 1, 2011 – HTC Corporation, a global leader in mobile innovation and design, today hosted a series of consumer meet-ups in London, Paris, Madrid and Berlin to unveil its new HTC TITAN™ and HTC Radar™ with Windows® Phone smartphones. The HTC TITAN brings your favorite content and multimedia experiences closer than ever with a large 4.7 inch display, HTC’s largest phone screen ever wrapped in an ultra-thin 9.9mm aluminum case. The HTC Radar is designed to keep you close to the people, news and entertainment that matters to you most. Consumers enjoyed exclusive hands-on demos of the new devices and got to try out Microsoft’s next release of Windows Phone, code-named Mango.
“The new HTC TITAN and HTC Radar smartphones raise the bar with new advanced photography, multimedia and social capabilities that enable you to take full advantage of the latest Windows Phone innovations,” said Jason Mackenzie, President of Global Sales and Marketing, HTC Corporation. “With its large, cinematic display, the HTC TITAN packs an amazing amount of power and innovation into a device that is unlike anything you’ve ever held before and the HTC Radar’s aluminum uni-body, compact size and finish will capture people’s attention.”
Picture Perfect
Both HTC TITAN and HTC Radar include a dedicated hardware camera button which enables you to capture vivid images without unlocking the phone while the f/2.2 aperture lens and back-illuminated sensor provide improved low-light performance – making sure you never miss that perfect shot. With 28mm wide-angle lenses you can capture more of the scene in front of you while the new panoramic feature lets you create dramatic pictures of skylines and landscapes. Both devices can shoot bright and vibrant HD (720p) videos, making them perfect companions for family functions or a night out with friends. And with the HTC Photo Enhancer, you can quickly touch up pictures and upload them to Facebook, tagging your friends as you go using automatic face detection built in to Windows Phones.
“Phones were originally designed for communication, but they haven’t kept up with the way consumers are actually communicating today. That’s why we built Windows Phone to put people first, building in all the key types of communication people are already using right out of the box,” said Andy Lees, President of Windows Phone Division. “Both HTC TITAN and HTC Radar bring a sleek, modern design that perfectly complements this people first experience, making sure it’s easy to connect & share with the people you care about most so the message always gets through.”
HTC TITAN
With its large and bright 4.7 inch super LCD screen, an 8 megapixel rear-facing camera and 1.3 megapixel front facing camera for live video calling, HTC TITAN combines high performance innovation with a super-slim 9.9mm curved body made from a brushed aluminium shell that fits comfortably in your hand and exudes style and quality.
HTC TITAN is also the perfect portable office that enables efficient multitasking like viewing a presentation while you’re on a conference call or listening to music while compiling an email. With its expansive screen with built in Microsoft® Office Mobile, this super smartphone enables you to create, edit and collaborate quickly and easily. Advanced email features like Linked inboxes makes it easy to manage multiple email accounts, synchronize your to-do list and calendars in one place, group contacts to make communication simpler and faster, and even store your latest ideas and notes in the cloud with Microsoft® OneNote®. Typing on the HTC TITAN is quick and easy with the huge virtual keyboard on the responsive 4.7 inch screen.
HTC Radar
Elegantly crafted with an aluminium unibody, HTC Radar brings you closer to the important things in life, with the new People Hub from Windows Phone. The People Hub keeps you up to date with your friends’ latest news showing all of your communication history with each person, as well as their recent social network updates and photos. You can also stay in touch using SMS, Facebook chat and Windows Live® Messenger in one conversation, without having to switch applications or disrupt the conversation flow. Alternatively, speak “face-to-face” with new video calling that lets you see your friends’ faces on the bright and sharp 3.8 inch screen.
Entertainment on the move
With HTC TITAN and HTC Radar, mobile multimedia is greatly improved. Both phones include HTC Watch™ – an application and service that puts an entire library of the latest, premium movies and TV shows right at your fingertips, letting people discover the latest video content in an easy and visually engaging way. Utilizing Virtual 5.1 surround sound for a rich audio experience, these phones are perfect for enjoying the Zune® music service. Internet browsing is fast and smooth with HTML5 support. You also get an amazing mobile gaming with Xbox LIVE®, giving you access to a great selection of games for Windows Phone, which include features like Leaderboards and Achievement that connect you with your friends and the Xbox LIVE community around the world.
Availability
HTC TITAN and HTC Radar will be broadly available from October 2011 globally, beginning in Europe and Asia.
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