HTC, the Taiwanese manufacturer of Windows Mobile smartphones and Pocket PCs, announced that it has signed an agreement with KDDI in order to bring HTC handsets to customers from across Japan. The first device to be released by KDDI, via its au brand, will be E30HT. Under this not so attractive name hides none other than HTC Touch Pro, the full QWERTY version of HTC Touch Diamond (reviewed by Softpedia here). 

Unfortunately for Japanese users, the E30HT / Touch Pro is scheduled to be released only next year, sometime in spring. Anyway, the handset will be showcased between September 28 and October 4, during the CEATEC fair, when gadget lovers should be able to check it out and see if it can meet their mobile needs.

Until the CEATEC exhibition debuts, we can tell you that the Touch Pro runs on Windows Mobile 6.1 and brings features like: a 2.8 inch TFT touchscreen display with a VGA (480 x 640) resolution, accelerometer, Wi-Fi, full HTML browser, built-in GPS, a 3.2 Megapixel camera, TV out and so on.

After the Touch Pro gets to hit KDDI au's shelves, other new HTC handsets will be released, but there are no details about which one exactly.

"Our goal is to provide customers the most advanced services all the time, to meet with wide variety of requirements, which demands quick and flexible mobile devices developments," stated Takashi Tanaka, KDDI's associate senior vice president and member of the board. "KDDI is pleased to select HTC, who has established worldwide product delivery with proven speedy and innovative development capability. We believe that HTC Window Mobile devices will enrich the 'au' product portfolio and will surely enable more detailed solutions for each enterprise customer, too."

David Kou, country manager at HTC Nippon, added, "Customers in Japan have become accustomed to having the most advanced mobile phones in the world. This focus and attention to mobile innovation inspire HTC to introduce more advanced, stylish mobile phones in Japan."

KDDI au only offers CDMA mobile services, hence its E30HT will be different than the GSM version of Touch Pro. The device will, however, be similar to Sprint's Touch Pro, which should be released in the US in October.