HTC introduces Desire HD and Z to the Middle East

Announced last week at an event in London, the HTC Desire HD and Desire Z were today introduced to the Middle East. The Desire HD features a 4.3-inch display and fast 1GHz processor while the Desire Z has a physical keyboard with customizable keys. Both smartphones run Android 2.2 and take advantage of the new features in the updated HTC Sense and the online HTCSense.com service.

Updated HTC Sense and introducing HTCSense.com

With the two new smartphones HTC also introduces a new HTC Sense software, which, according to the company enables a “holistic experience that is filled with moments of delight.” Sense is really a collection of applications, which run on top of Android, enabling certain functionality and a unified interface across the included applications. For most users, HTC Sense gives a more consistent user experience and easy access to key functionality. The updated version of sense that ships with Desire HD and Z has support for DLNA streaming multimedia servers and simple video editing.

Pre-loaded maps for faster navigation is something HTC mentioned today saying that with the new HTC Sense there will be “zero wait” and “zero data roaming.” The new navigation feature is called HTC Locations.

HTC is also saying that the new devices can be used as e-book readers and users can load their HTC smartphones up with literature from an online store by Kobo. Kobo has a free app for Android as well as other mobile platforms and customers will be able to purchase content from Kobo using Middle East credit cards. Among the functionality in the e-reader app we find highlighting words and passages, annotations, and searching.

With the updated HTC Sense in Desire HD and Z the company also brings extensive cloud-services to their mobile handsets with the new HTCSense.com service. It will be available in October in English and in a localized version in “early 2011,” according to HTC.

For now, HTCSense.com only works with these two devices, but that will expand. HTC said today that “all future devices will also be supported” but they would not comment specifically on whether that meant that only Android devices would be supported or if that support will extend to Windows Phone 7 as well.

Android is already a good mobile operating system if you’re comfortable living in the cloud and HTC is set to enhance this with the new HTCSense.com service.

Using the service users can manage their phone from an Internet-connected personal computer. Functionality includes locating a missing device and remotely locking and wiping it. Users will be able to use HTCSense.com to forward calls and text messages to another phone if they’ve misplaced their HTC Desire HD and Z.

There’s an online backup function for contacts, text messages and call history, as well as customization with wallpapers, scenes, sounds and more.

HTC Desire HD

HTC Desire HD

HTC Desire HD seems to be the European cousin of what is in the US called the EVO. You can also look at it as a souped-up cross between the original Desire and the HD2, if you like.

The large 4.3-inch display (480 x 800) clearly dominates this large smartphone. Desire HD also has Dolby Mobile and SRS sound, 1GHz Qualcomm 8255 Snapdragon processor and it runs Android 2.2.

In terms of memory there is 1.5GB ROM and 768MB RAM expandable via MicroSD card slot.

It supports 720p HD video recording and has an 8-megapixel camera with dual-flash and Automatic Face Tracking.

The Desire HD uses the HTC Legend’s all-aluminum unibody design. That means the body of the smartphone is made out of one solid piece of aluminum, much like Apple’s MacBook Pro notebooks.

HTC Desire Z

HTC Desire Z

The Desire Z is for customers who prefer a physical keyboard. Desire Z looks basically like the original Desire but cut in half. The two halves separate with a gentle push and reveals a physical keyboard.

It’s slightly smaller than Desire HD, which makes sense since it has a 3.7-inch display (480 x 800). There’s 1.5GB ROM and 512MB RAM expandable via MicroSD card. Powering the Desire Z there’s an 800MHz processor and like the HD it runs Android 2.2

HTC Desire Z’s keyboard includes a variety of keyboard shortcuts and two customizable keys for providing instant access to common functions without the need to open menus.

Like its HD sibling it supports 720p HD video recording and has a 5-megapixel camera with flash.

It took HTC almost six months to bring the original Desire smartphone to the Middle East but just about a week for them to announce the latest models. HTC unveiled the Desire at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in February and it went on sale in the Middle East in August.

The two latest smartphones are going on sale in the region by mid-October, HTC said today. They added that for future product releases HTC hopes to be able to bring them to the region withn 30 days of them being introduced globally by the company. Pricing is not set yet but they’re shooting for “south of 3000.” HTC Desire currently sells for AED 2,299 and presumably both the HD and Z will sell for more than that once available.

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