14 DAY TRIAL // Taiwan-based mobile phone maker HTC Corporation is reportedly getting ready for the launch of yet another handset powered by Microsoft's Windows Mobile operating system, namely the HTC Touch Pro3. According to the latest reports on the matter, the company intends to deliver the device during the summer, which means that it won't sport the newly announced Windows Phone 7 OS when launched, and some even suggest that it might not come as a high-end device.
“Just had a dinner with a friend of mine who is the main distributor for HTC in Europe, and he informed that they will receive the first shipment of Touch Pro3’s this summer and they will be on sale in Europe third quarter of this year. This is my main contact for HTC devices and he arranges a Touch Pro2 for me 4 months before it was officially released…He told me that the device will be much smaller and thinner, and soon he will provide me with the evidence including the full specifications Do you guys think this would be something you would purchase or would you rather wait for the Windows Phone 7?,” a recent post on XDA-Developers notes.
According to WMPoweruser, there are great chances that the handset in question is the HTC Tera, an already leaked device, which is a smaller phone, and might fit the description above. HTC Tera also includes a side-sliding QWERTY keyboard and a 3.0-inch touchscreen display that boasts a WQVGA resolution. The news site also notes that this phone should arrive as a mid-level or a low-end handset, considering that HTC is unlikely to launch high-end phones running under Microsoft's mobile client before Windows Phone 7 arrive on the market.
For what it's worth, there are great chances that this will turn out to be only a rumor in the end. However, in case it pans out, the HTC Touch Pro3 will probably be one of the latest handsets to be delivered to the market with the Windows Mobile 6.5 OS on board, even if Microsoft already announced plans to continue the development of the platform, while also working on Windows Phone 7 Series. Keep an eye on this space for additional details on the matter.