14 DAY TRIAL // HTC is reportedly working on a woman-centric Android smartphone that is expected to be announced by the end of the year.
It appears that the Taiwanese manufacturer is trying to make Google's mobile platform more appealing to women, a segment of the market that has great potential.
According to TIMN, citing trusted sources, HTC is holding focus groups with young women in the U.S. to try and narrow down the most important female-centric features that would make an Android smartphone more appealing.
Apparently, the smartphone will be introduced by Verizon before the end of the year, but will probably jump overseas too in case it will become popular.
HTC is trying a different approach, that implies more than just a pink colored smartphone with Android on board.
Although this is not its final name, it appears that the Android smartphone for women is dubbed HTC Bliss.
It will feature a greenish hue, something between “a forest and sea green” which is supposed to have a “calming” effect over the phone's users.
Furthermore, the back of the device will feature a greenish-gray rubberized plastic to give women a better grip over the device.
When it comes to form factor, it seems that HTC Bliss will strongly resemble the Desire S and Desire Z devices save for the keyboard, and about 0.5cm thinner.
The Bliss sports a camera, but the number of megapixels is unknown for the moment. There are no mentions about a front-facing camera either.
While there's no information about the Android version operating on the device, HTC plans to include shopping comparison and calorie counting apps, and possibly a few more apps that women might find very useful.
The phone will be delivered along with a very interesting array of accessories such as a wireless charging dock with built-in speakers. As soon as the device is set on the charging pad, it will automatically switch to alarm mode.
In addition, the sales package will contain a square-shaped speaker that supports voice recognition and can be easily connected to a car visor.
Obviously, a 'bling bling' Bluetooth headset will also be delivered with the HTC Bliss.
The last accessory that is supposed to be included within the phone's sales package is also the most interesting. It appears that a cube-shaped device called 'charm indicator' can be attached to the phone with a cord.
The cube lights up every time the user receives a message or misses a call, much like a notification LED. The device is supposed to pair with the phone wirelessly through the Bluetooth connectivity.