14 DAY TRIAL // HTC Leo seems to become one of the year's most discussed Windows Mobile 6.5 handsets coming from the Taiwanese mobile phone maker HTC Corporation. It was not only its impressive capacitive touchscreen display that made the headlines, but also its Snapdragon processor, and, though rumors also hinted at possible launch time frames for it on several occasions before, now we finally learn that it is already available for pre-order online.
Online retailers in the Netherlands already enable mobile phone users in the country to place orders for the HTC Leo in advance, WMPoweruser notes, and a price tag for the device is also listed. Thus, one can see the upcoming Windows phone available for 522 Euros including VAT (US$770) on Phoneshop.nl, or priced at 592 Euros including VAT (US$870) on 2call.nl. As for the availability date, both sites list a Q4 time frame.
While this proves helpful only when it comes to the pricing of HTC Leo, which seems to be in line with the previously rumored $800 price tag for the US market, we'll head to other rumors for a few more details on the launch date. A recent post on Engadget suggests that the 1GHx Snapdragon-powered handset is expected to land on O2's airwaves as soon as October 12, only about two weeks from now.
According to a “trusted tipster,” the news site says, “the O2 intranet site lists the "HTC HD2" on its future products list with an October 12th launch date. O2 peeps will immediately recognize the lack of XDA branding which makes the claim a bit suspicious. Then again, HTC has been trying to break the shackles of pointless carrier rebranding for years.”
As one can easily imagine, nothing is yet official, though things seem to point in the same direction. Being already available for pre-order, the HTC Leo might come to the market in early Q4, and October 12 fits this launch window perfectly. One way or another, the device still needs to be officially announced by its maker, a move that should be made shortly too, so stay tuned for more details on it.