14 DAY TRIAL // The Taiwanese handset manufacturer let it slip again and those who are reading this should pay attention. HTC's 2009 roadmap has been leaked again and this time we have all the specs of the devices that we wrote about nearly two months ago. Though there's nothing really impressive, we're still up for some high-end handsets that will certainly improve HTC's revenue considerably.
While some of the devices mentioned in the previous article have already hit the shelves (see Sapphire aka G2), there are a few more expecting to be released this year. Without further ado, let's see what goodies the leading smartphone manufacturer is preparing for us in 2009.
The first handset leaked, HTC Whitestone, will most likely feature a large 3.6-inch WVGA touchscreen, a 5-megapixel camera, 256 MB RAM and 512 MB ROM, but will also get both GSM and EV-DO, as it will be released through carrier Verizon. It will run the usual Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 and will be powered by a Qualcomm 7600 processor running at 528 Mhz. HTC Whitestone should be available starting September 2009.
The next smartphone leaked is an interesting one, called Firestone, a GSM/3G device that seems to be a successor to the HTC Touch HD. The leaked info shows that it will feature the same large 3.6-inch WVGA touchscreen, an amazing 8-megapixel camera (a first for HTC), 256 MB RAM and 512 MB ROM. This one will run the not-yet-launched Windows Mobile 6.5 and will be powered by an outstanding Qualcomm 8250 processor running at 600 Mhz. The high-end device should be expected to hit the market no later than August 2009. Another successor to a highly-acclaimed Pocket PC, HTC Thoth, follows in Athena's footsteps. The HTC Thoth features one of the largest touchscreens on the market, a 4.8-inch WVGA, a 5-megapixel camera, 256 MB RAM and 512 MB ROM. The same Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system will run on the device, but good news is that it will be powered by a Qualcomm 8250 processor running at 1000 Mhz. If these pieces of info are right, this baby should be announced in September 2009. HTC decided to cover all budgets and pockets, so mid-level devices will also be announced. The first that leaked is HTC Twin, which is a dual CDMA/GSM handset, with a 2.8-inch VGA touchscreen, a 3.2-megapixel camera, 256 MB RAM and 512 MB ROM. It will run Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional and, as the name suggests, it will be equipped with two CPUs: a Qualcomm 7501A processor at 528 Mhz and also a TI Locosto processor. This mid-end device is expected to be launched in July 2009 on China Telecom. The last two phones seem to be HTC Excalibur's successors, HTC Maple and HTC Cedar. Both have the same features: 2.4-inch QVGA display, 2-megapixel camera, Qualcomm 7225 processor at 528 Mhz, 128 MB RAM and 256 MB ROM. The smartphones will run Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard operating system. The only difference between the two is the fact that while Maple is GSM compatible, HTC Cedar is meant for CDMA networks. HTC Maple should be released in May 2009 through T-Mobile network carrier, but HTC Cedar may never see the light of day as a possible launch in June through Verizon seems to have been canceled. The newly announced HTC Touch Pro2, which has been codenamed HTC Rhodium, will also make its debut in the US. T-Mobile USA customers will be happy to find out that the device should be announced sometime in May 2009, just like the HTC Maple. While info about the prices of these devices hasn't been disclosed, we should expect high figures for those that aren't launched via a specific network carrier.
