The handset seems to have been designed mainly for European users

Jan 7, 2009 14:17 GMT  ·  By

HTC's Windows Mobile phone is actually named Iolite, and not Lolite, as it was previously believed to be dubbed. This handset resembles a lot the Touch Diamond's basic form factor but it is reported to feature a WQVGA display. The device seems to have been designed for the European market, where it is said to come unlocked, meaning that it could be used in any European GSM network.

The photos and specifications that surfaced to the Web are not the official ones yet, but the HTC Iolite is expected to make an appearance at MWC in Barcelona next month. This nice-looking device should come with a Qualcomm MSM7225, 528 MHz processor, while running Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional.

The phone comes with a 2.8-inch TFT-LCD flat touch-sensitive screen with QWVGA resolution and a 3.2-megapixel camera. ROM: 512 MB / RAM: 288 MB internal memory as well as a microSD memory card slot (SD 2.0 compatible) are also present.

The 3G HSDPA/HSUPA: Europe/Asia: 900/2100 MHz handset is able to offer up to 384 Kbs up-link and 7.2 Mbps down-link speeds, and supports quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz frequency standards, yet the band frequency, HSUPA availability, and data speed depend on the operator's offering.

Other specs of the device include HTC TouchFLO 3D Touch-sensitive front panel buttons, HTC Footprints button, GPS and A-GPS ready, as well as Bluetooth 2.0 with Enhanced Data Rate and A2DP for wireless stereo headsets. The HTC Iolite sports Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11 b/g) support which comes along with HTC ExtUSB (11-pin mini-USB 2.0) for more connectivity options.

The 1100 mAh Lithium-ion battery can offer a talk time of up to 375 minutes for WCDMA or up to 400 minutes for GSM, as well as a standby time of up to 400 hours for WCDMA or up to 330 hours for GSM. The device measures 102 mm x 53.5 mm x 14.5 mm and weighs 103 grams with the battery inside.