The Android smartphone will hit US shelves this month

Sep 21, 2011 19:11 GMT  ·  By

Yesterday, Taiwanese mobile phone maker HTC Corporation and wireless services provider Verizon Wireless announced the release of a new Android-based device in the United States, namely the HTC Rhyme, yet it seems that users in other markets will also be able to purchase the new device in the not-too-distant future.

The handset is on its way to the UK as well, should arrive there on October 17th on the airwaves of O2, and will be exclusively available through this operator.

The wireless carrier has already confirmed the launch, via their Twitter account, though they did not offer specific info on the price tag the new smartphone will sport when available.

For those out of the loop, we should note that the new mobile phone arrives on the market with Google's Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread operating system on board, and with the new HTC Sense 3.5 user interface on top of it.

The new device was unveiled to the world as a smartphone aimed mainly at women, and sports a feature specific to it, namely a charm indicator, which was designed to glow when there are missed calls or messages that require users' attention.

The specifications list of the new handset shows that HTC Rhyme is a mid-range device, with a 3.7 inch touchscreen display that can deliver a WVGA resolution, and with a single-core 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8255 application processor packed inside.

The new mobile phone also comes with a 5-megapixel photo snapper on the back, with LED flash, auto focus and support for HD video recording, accompanied by a secondary camera on the front, with support for video calling.

Moreover, it arrives on shelves with 3G HSDPA compatible radios, as well as with WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, built-in GPS receiver, and the usual set of sensors. The handset will become available for purchase in the US on September 29th with a price tag of $199 (around 146 Euros) attached to it, with the signing of a two-year contract agreement. In the UK, is should go for free on select monthly plans, as similar devices usually do.