Windows Phone Thoughts: New HTC Phones Coming Down the Pipe

First up, we have Verizon's version of the Touch Diamond 2, code-named "Whitestone". The release date is September or October, and the Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional phone (hopefully a free 6.5 upgrade will be offered?) will feature a Qualcomm 7600 CPU at 528 Mhz, 512 MB ROM, 256 MB RAM, a 3.6 inch touchscreen (one would presume 480 x 800 in resolution), a 5 megapixel camera with autofocus and anti-shake (sensor-based stabilization?), gpsOne (aGPS and full GPS), and both a GSM and CDMA radio, making it a true "world phone". The body design sure looks different than any other Touch Diamond 2 I've seen, but that's a good thing - every Windows Mobile phone looking identical gets a bit boring.

The HTC Mega looks to be a low-end HTC phone, though the specs are still decent: Qualcomm 7225 CPU at 528 Mhz, 256 MB ROM, 256 MB RAM, a 2.8 inch QVGA screen (this is how we know it's "budget"), GSM/HSDPA, a 3 megapixel camera, and on-board GPS. It still has the hardware zoom bar that the newer HTC device have, but based on the screen size this looks like an update to the original Touch or possibly Touch Cruise line.

Lastly, we have the HTC Tachi - a phone that, based on looking at that big d-pad, looked like it was probably going to be a Windows Mobile Standard phone, but after a bit of research I've read that it's going to be a Windows Mobile Professional device - which is a bit curious given that most touch-screen phones don't have quite that much space used at the bottom for controls. The rumours are it will have a 2.8 inch VGA screen, 512 MB ROM, 256 MB RAM, and the ubiquitous 528 Mhz Qualcomm processor. As you can see by the render, it will be released by Dopod, so those of us in North America will probably never see it.