The clever duders over at pocketnow came to this conclusion starting with this piece of unexpected information. On the list of phones was one known to be an up and coming Verizon Windows 7 phone (the 7 Trophy, or MWP6985), but there was another yet unknown model number, MWP6885. They did a little more digging and found that the MWP6885 was linked with an file labeled PC93-1.0.xml Then they remembered that the PC93100 is a designation for the HTC 7 Pro when it passed through the FCC last year. So if A=B and B=C then A=C right? Right.

Verizon picking up a WP7 device is good news for Microsoft, as they are seriously behind the game in the smartphone OS market. The quick shift in the way we interact with technology as a society has turned a lot of the technical world on it’s head. The market for traditional computers is flattening while an entire new style of computer is growing. I for one am enjoying the ride. I can’t wait.

[via IntoMobile]

There’s also WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth, along with 16GB of onboard storage (and no memory card slot to augment that). The rear camera is a 5-megapixel autofocus unit with LED flash, and as always there’s integration with Xbox LIVE, Facebook and other services via Microsoft’s nifty side-scrolling Hubs.

We reviewed the GSM version of the HTC Arrive earlier this month, finding it to be perhaps our favorite Windows Phone 7 device to-date, combining a highly usable QWERTY keyboard with a solid, reassuring design. The HTC Arrive will land on Sprint come March 20, priced at $199.99 with a new, two-year agreement and mandatory data plan.

Press Release:

First Windows Phone 7 Device for Sprint, HTC Arrive,
Available Beginning March 20 for $199.99

New Windows Phone 7 phone brings the Start screen to life with
Live Tiles for a glance-and-go experience; offers Xbox LIVE and Zune integration with Microsoft Office Mobile

Starting today, customers can pre-order HTC Arrive at any Sprint Store;
For more information, visit www.sprint.com/arrive

Available from Sprint on March 20, the HTC Arrive™ smartphone (announced by HTC globally as HTC 7 Pro) offers the Windows Phone 7, glance-and-go experience combined with an innovative design that features a sliding full QWERTY keyboard and tilt-up display. Its unique Start screen with Hubs gives easy access to the user’s most valuable content and customizable Live Tiles come to life with real-time updates from the Web.

Depending on the app, the Live Tiles might show pending messages and appointments, news and weather, or game notifications and friend status – all continuously refreshed. It also lets the user customize people, apps, playlists, pictures, and other favorites to the Start screen, so they’re available at a single touch.

Windows Phone 7 Hubs bring together related content from the Web, applications and services into a single view and offers quick and easy access to the users’ most valuable content. The six Hubs are built on specific themes, including:
• People Hub brings together relevant content based on the person, including photos and live feeds from social networks. People Hub provides a central place from which to update status or change profile pictures across multiple social networking sites. Skim Facebook®, Windows® Live feeds & photos, then call, text or post to friends and get directions to their place.
• Games Hub is an on-the-go arcade and the first and only official Xbox LIVE experience on a phone. Play solo, or use the free Xbox LIVE service to match wits with friends wherever they are and view player avatars, profiles and achievements.
• Pictures Hub houses your entire collection and makes it easy to share pictures to a social network in one step. It can also bring together a user’s photos by integrating with the Web and PC, making the phone the ideal place to view an entire picture and video collection, including photos saved to the phone and pictures friends posted on Facebook or Windows Live. You can even send favorites to friends, or post them to Facebook or Windows Live, all from one place.
• Music + Videos Hub is an anytime entertainment center. Play a music collection – synced wirelessly from a PC – or stream or download new tunes. There’s even a built-in FM radio and high-resolution screen that’s perfect for watching TV shows, movies or your own video clips. Add an optional Zune Pass subscription to get millions of songs for one low monthly fee. Users can turn their media experience into a social one with Zune Social on a PC and share their media recommendations with like-minded music lovers.
• Marketplace Hub allows the user to easily discover and load the phone with certified applications and games.
• Office Hub brings the familiar experience of the world’s leading productivity software to your phone. With access to Microsoft Office, OneNote and SharePoint Workspace all in one place, users can easily read, edit and share documents.

HTC Arrive key features include:
• Qualcomm 1GHz Snapdragon Processor
• 3.6-inch WVGA capacitive touchscreen with multi-touch capability
• Full HTML Web browser with Bing Search and Maps for turn by turn directions, address mapping and even street level views via voice search or typing
• Windows Phone Marketplace offers a single view to showcase apps, games, music and premium Xbox LIVE games
• Corporate email (Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync®), personal (POP & IMAP) email and text messaging
• 5MP camera with flash, autofocus and digital zoom and 720p HD camcorder. The camera button will snap photos fast, even if the phone is locked.
• 16GB internal memory for storing pictures, videos and large files. With an additional 25GB of storage in the cloud at no additional charge using a Windows Live ID.
• Wi-Fi® (802.11 b/g/n)

HTC Arrive will be available beginning March 20, for $199.99 with a new two-year service agreement or eligible upgrade and after a $100 mail-in rebate (taxes not included) in all Sprint retail channels, including the Web (www.sprint.com) and Telesales (1-800-SPRINT1).

Beginning today, customers can pre-order HTC Arrive at any participating Sprint Store with the purchase of a $50 Sprint gift card. Customers who pre-order HTC Arrive will have their name added to the Device Wait List and be contacted to set up an appointment to complete their purchase beginning on Sunday, March 20. Through the pre-order process, customers will have peace of mind knowing they are able to get the device they want and receive the full retail experience, including Sprint’s Ready Now customer service experience.

Sprint customers get more with unlimited data plans on the Sprint Network. Sprint offers real simplicity, value and savings versus competitors, making it easy for customers to get the most out of their phones without using a calculator to tally up costs or worrying about how much data they’ve used.

HTC Arrive requires activation on one of Sprint’s Everything Data plans, plus a required $10 Premium Data add-on charge for smartphones. Sprint’s Everything Data plan with Any Mobile, AnytimeSM includes unlimited Web, texting and calling to and from any mobile in America while on the Sprint network, starting at just $69.99 per month plus required $10 Premium Data add-on charge – a savings of $39.99 per month vs. Verizon’s comparable plan with unlimited talk, text and Web (excluding Verizon’s Southern California plan; pricing excludes surcharges and taxes).

Sprint Everything Data plans qualify for automatic enrollment in the Sprint PremierSM loyalty program1. Existing Sprint customers can switch to an Everything Data plan without extending their service agreement. New lines of service require a two-year service agreement.

1To qualify for Sprint Premier Silver customers must have a three-month average monthly recurring charge (MRC) of individual plans of $69.99 – $89.98

As we saw in our review of the HTC 7 Pro, it’s one of the more successful Windows Phone devices around right now. The QWERTY keyboard is particularly good, and the build quality and camera are reassuringly strong as well. The Xbox integration Sprint mentions is Windows Phone 7′s ability to pull in Xbox LIVE updates and statuses into the Gaming Hub on the smartphone.

If that wasn’t enough for you, Engadget has heard from its own independent tipster that the Arrive is indeed the Sprint-specific, branded version of the 7 Pro, and that it will indeed make its official debut on Thursday this week. HTC showed off the CDMA smartphone back in October, at the official launch of Windows Phone 7, and we’ve already reviewed the GSM version for the European market.

That turned out to be one of the best Windows Phones we’ve used, with a tactile, speed-friendly keyboard and solid slider-hinge construction. With Sprint (or Verizon, for that matter) yet to offer a single Windows Phone device, all remains to be seen is how the carrier prices the Arrive.

The HTC 7 Pro was first promised for CDMA networks all the way back at Windows Phone 7‘s launch in late 2010, and since then has already arrived – in GSM form – in Europe. We reviewed the smartphone earlier this month, finding it to be one of the most appealing Windows Phones in the current line-up, though whether it’s worth a big press event (considering we played with it in October) remains to be seen.

Of course, Sprint could have something else up its sleeve; let us know your prediction in the comments.

Hardware

Thanks to Microsoft’s stringent hardware requirements, the HTC 7 Pro is pretty much par for the course when it comes to specifications. Up front is a 3.6-inch WVGA capacitive touchscreen, while inside is Qualcomm’s 1GHz Snapdragon processor paired with 576MB of RAM, 512MB of ROM and 8GB of user storage. Connectivity includes dualband HSPA/WCDMA (900/2100) and quadband GSM/EDGE (850/900/1800/1900), along with WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, a 3.5mm headphone jack and microUSB port.

There’s also GPS, an accelerometer, digital compass and both proximity and ambient light sensors, while the 1,500 mAh battery is removable but only hides the SIM card slot: there’s no microSD reader for expanding storage. On the back is a 5-megapixel camera with autofocus and an LED flash, which can shoot 720p HD video.

The 7 Pro measures in at a chunky 117.5 x 59 x 15.5 mm and 185g, finished in sturdy plastic with metal touches like the battery door. Of course, the main bulk is because of the slide-out physical keyboard, triggered with a firm shove on the left edge. It flicks out – and angles the screen automatically – with a convincing snap, and the mechanism feels as reassuring as the rest of the handset.

The keyboard itself consists of five rows, with dedicated number buttons and various secondary characters triggered with the function key. HTC chose to give an emoticon shortcut its own dedicated button to the left of the spacebar; we’d rather have that for the @ symbol. Unlike HTC’s physical keyboard phones running Windows Mobile or Android, there are no app shortcuts. A button to at least get to the mail app would’ve been useful.

HTC let itself down with the display on the HTC HD7, a subpar panel that marred what should’ve been a brilliant media device, and there’s a little of that in evidence on the HTC 7 Pro. Viewing angles are, thankfully, okay for the usual angle you’ll hold the smartphone in landscape orientation, when typing, but the screen is prone to washing out if overly tilted in portrait. Colors can be washed out as well, though to be fair it’s not as bad as we found on the HD7.

Software

Windows Phone 7 may not have taken the market by storm, but we have a sizeable soft spot for what Microsoft has done with its smartphone platform. Still waiting for its first significant update, the OS as on the HTC 7 Pro is exactly as it was on its platform counterparts when they launched in Q4 last year.

That means a clean, panel-based homescreen with dynamically updated Live Tiles that show Facebook images, recent photos snapped with the camera, and more. A tap to the side shows a full list of available apps. It’s far cleaner – some have said sparser – than Android or iOS, a love-it or hate-it design that, though flawed in places, has plenty of promise.

Microsoft’s vision is of so-called Hubs, splitting down categories like Music + Videos, People, Pictures, Games, Office and Marketplace. Each segment scrolls both vertically and horizontally, showing different degrees of information and allowing you to dig deeper at various stages. So, in the People Hub, after you’ve logged in with Facebook you see a pane of recent updates from friends – from which you can read comments, Like a post or leave a comment of your own – but also pan across to see your amalgamated address book which pulls in entries from Facebook, Gmail Contacts, Exchange Contacts and any other services you’ve registered.

People’s contact entries can be pinned to the homescreen as individual Live Tiles, and because of the interlinked nature of the various data sources, you’re alerted to new updates – status changes, new photos, etc – straight away. There’s also the HTC Hub, but it’s a far more minimal affair than Sense ever was on Windows Mobile or is on Android. Instead, it’s a suite of mini-apps and animated weather reports that don’t really fit in with the rest of the minimal Windows Phone theme.

In general, Windows Phone 7 is a very portrait-friendly device. The homescreen stays resolutely portrait even if you pop out the keyboard, and a few screens simply don’t have landscape counterparts. Only some of the buttons rotate, too, though we quite like a platform that doesn’t treat you like you’re stupid and assume you can’t get up to speed with, say, the “Send” and “Cancel” buttons on a new email being rotated 90-degrees (and, no coincidence we’re guessing, neatly falling underneath your right thumb). What does rotate does so with an endearing amount of animation, going to show that just because Windows Phone isn’t brightly colored or full of 3D icons, it doesn’t have to be a drab experience.

What it is right now is a relatively limited experience, at least when it comes to third-party software. Microsoft has been working hard to build up a showcase of titles with key developers, but there’s still not the extent of apps you’ll find on iOS and Android. We were already expecting that to improve over time, but Microsoft’s recent partnership with Nokia should hopefully see the developer situation accelerate.

Camera

HTC’s track record with cameras hasn’t been brilliant, and the HTC 7 Pro produces solid, if uninspiring stills. While the test shots in the gallery below were taken on a relatively overcast day, they’re darker and more subdued in color than rival handsets have managed. Thankfully there’s little noise, and with some post-processing you can eke out more usable shots; unfortunately, given the display’s shortcomings, it can be tricky sometimes to tell if the photo you’ve just taken is good or mediocre until you’ve transferred it using Microsoft’s PC or Mac software. On that note, it’s still frustrating not to be able to mount Windows Phones’ memory as a mass storage drive, as most other smartphone platforms allow.

Still, there’s a dedicated camera shortcut button, which is welcome, and the app itself loads quickly, even bypassing the lock screen for those perfect Kodak moments. Video bizarrely defaults to its medium setting, rather than the maximum 720p HD, though even then the results are only average, as you can see in the clip below.

Phone and Battery

Audio quality using the HTC 7 Pro’s earpiece was strong and clear, and we could easily see ourselves using this as a business device. Unfortunately, HTC’s strong speakerphone heritage from handsets like the HTC Touch Pro2 hasn’t carried over, and in fact the 7 Pro proved to have a relatively anaemic speaker.

Battery life from the 1,500 mAh pack was strong, lasting a full day of use with Gmail regularly updating and with a mixture of social networking, media playback, camera use and browsing. As with the majority of modern smartphones, you’ll be recharging the HTC 7 Pro nightly.

Wrap-Up

There’s a lot we like about the HTC 7 Pro. Windows Phone 7 is a solid platform with plenty of promise, and while the third-party app selection pales in comparison to what Android and iOS offer, that’s not to say you won’t find the titles to suit you among the line-up. We also appreciate Microsoft’s clean-slate style, which – in combination with the no-nonsense hardware HTC has produced – adds up to a distinct and unique device.

That’s not to say there aren’t issues, however. Key elements of the software experience – not least copy & paste – are still missing from Windows Phone 7, while key aspects of the hardware experience – like the middling camera and subdued speakerphone – mar the 7 Pro’s overall showing. As it stands, though, your options for physical QWERTY on Windows Phone 7 are pretty limited, and the HTC 7 Pro is the model we’d choose today.

Nokia’s announcement on Friday, however, throws another issue into the ring. The company has already told us to expect keyboards as on the Nokia E7 to appear on its incoming Windows Phone devices, and side-by-side we have to say we prefer the E7′s hardware ‘board to the HTC’s, and Nokia’s camera skills for that matter. Still, with no solid release dates in sight, it’s tough to recommend holding off on the decent HTC in favor of a Nokia Windows Phone that, right now, is still mythical. If you want QWERTY and you want Windows Phone, then the HTC 7 Pro’s appealing keys outweigh its shortcomings.

Many thanks to Clove for the loan of the HTC 7 Pro

As for the HTC Gratia, the Android 2.2 handset gets HTC Sense, a 5-megapixel camera, dualband 900/2100 HSPA/WCDMA and WiFi b/g. There’s also a 3.2-inch HVGA touchscreen and 600MHz Qualcomm processor, all in a Pearl White chassis measuring just over 4-inches long and weighing 4.06oz.

More on the HTC 7 Pro in our hands-on report, complete with a video demo of the smartphone. Pricing for each handset is yet to be confirmed.

Press Release:

HTC 7 PRO AND HTC GRATIA TO COME TO THE UK IN FEBRUARY

LONDON, UK – January 20, 2011 – HTC Corporation, a global designer of smartphones, today announces the

launch of HTC 7 Pro and HTC Gratia in the UK from February 2011.
“We are proud to be able to add two new phones to our already diverse UK product portfolio,” said Jon French, executive director, HTC UK, Ireland and South Africa. “Both phones offer the stand-out design and innovation for which HTC has become renowned. With the fresh and exciting mobile experience of the Windows Phone 7 platform, HTC 7 Pro is for users who want to combine the ultimate in business efficiency with the ability to take full advantage of their leisure time. The elegant HTC Gratia is designed for those people looking for a compact yet powerful Android smartphone.”

HTC 7 Pro

HTC 7 Pro combines powerful business features with multimedia performance and flexibility that make it the ideal phone both during and outside of work hours. The screen slides open and tilts to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard for fast, comfortable typing, while productivity features such as the ability to sort, scan and manage Outlook email, open and edit the latest Office documents and keep track of the markets with HTC’s stocks application, offer new ways to get more out of the business day.

With a tilting 3.6” screen, the power of a 1Ghz processor and cutting edge technology such as Dolby MobileTM and SRS WOW HDTM, the HTC 7 Pro delivers a rich multimedia experience. The integratration of many popular Microsoft services such as Xbox LIVE, Windows Live, Bing and Zune makes this handset the ideal companion for business users who want to take their entertainment with them wherever they go.

The unique Hub and Tile interface of Windows Phone 7 makes information quick and easy to access by grouping it into Hubs such as People, Pictures, Games, Music & Video, Office and Marketplace content and displaying the most up-to-date information on the homescreen Tile. Users will also be able to access exclusive applications and utilities through the HTC Hub. These include a weather and stocks application and a photo enhancer that enables special effects to be applied before sharing photos with friends.

HTC Gratia

Available in Pearl White, the HTC Gratia is sleek and lightweight – measuring just over four inches in length, weighing 4.06 ounces and featuring a seamless, rubberised and beveled back cover that opens to show a vibrant yellow inner chassis.

This user-friendly and powerful smartphone runs Android 2.2 and the acclaimed HTC SenseTM – offering an experience that makes your phone work in a more personal and natural way. HTC Sense offers a number of unexpected features designed to bring a smile to your face, such as making the phone ring louder if it is in your bag or your pocket, but automatically decreasing the ringer volume when you pick it up to answer a call.

HTC Gratia also comes with Friend Stream – an application that helps you keep in touch with friends and family by bringing all of your Facebook, Twitter and Flickr updates into one single, organised flow of updates.

Availability

From February 2011 the HTC 7 Pro will be available in the UK through HTC’s distribution partner Brightpoint GB and Brightstar with HTC Gratia available through Brightstar only.

Your money gets you the same 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and 5-megapixel camera as on other HTC WP7 handsets, along with a 3.6-inch WVGA capacitive touchscreen and a slide-out physical QWERTY keyboard for easier text entry. The HTC 7 Pro is expected to launch in the US sometime in the first half of 2011 as a CDMA device; more details on the smartphone in our hands-on.

[via phoneseven]

The same smartphone will be hitting the US with Sprint next month and O2 has confirmed that it will be launching the smartphone in Germany in January as well. O2 hasn’t offered up pricing details but chances are the phone will be offered for free with the right plan purchase.

If you have missed the handset somehow since it debuted, we went hands on with it back in October. It has a 3.6-inch LCD, Qualcomm Snapdragon 1GHz processor, and a slide out QWERTY keyboard. The screen even tilts a bit when the keyboard is deployed to make viewing easier.

Via Unwired View

The exact handsets themselves are unconfirmed, but a leaked flyer from earlier this year did suggest that Verizon would be offering the HTC 7 Trophy. Meanwhile Sprint is expected to offer the HTC 7 Pro. Microsoft is also expected to release a firmware update for Windows Phone 7 at the turn of the new year, along with a second at MWC 2011 in February.

The carrier also declined to confirm when exactly pre-orders would begin shipping.  HTC has previously said that the 7 Pro will not be in CDMA form until early 2011, the same timescale for its European counterpart.

The HTC 7 Pro features a 3.6-inch capacitive touchscreen display, the 1GHz processor under the hood, and Windows Phone 7 running the whole show. The demo unit we managed to get our hands on at Microsoft’s event wasn’t functioning, but we could tell from our early hands-on with the upcoming smartphone, that the landscape slider with the tilt functionality would probably be one of the more popular handsets. Even if it isn’t launching until 2011.

Unfortunately, carriers weren’t discussed in the revelation, so there’s no telling where it’s going to launch first. And, obviously, pricing wasn’t mentioned, either. You can check out our hands-on video of the HTC 7 Pro below. And if you’re interested in finding out more about Windows Phone 7, check out Windows Phone Forums.

[via Engadget]

Microsoft announced today that Windows Phone 7 will launch in Europe on October 21 and in the U.S. on November 7. Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO of AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets also announced today that AT&T will launch three new WP7 devices: Samsung Focus, LG Quantum and HTC Surround-all under $200!

The Samsung Focus will launch with AT&T on November 8, featuring a 4-inch Super AMOLED display. This device speaks for itself in this video. Take a look and see what you think.

The LG Quantum and the HTC Surround will launch a few weeks after Samsung Focus and will feature 720p HD video, pictures and music, 16GB of internal memory, a 5 megapixel camera on the back, and a 1 GHz Snapdragon processor. But if that’s not enough to entice you, check out the video below and see for yourself, just how amazing this device appears.

The HTC Surround is the last of the three smartphone devices to launch WP7 with AT&T, but only one of five new HTC devices (Surround, Mozart, Trophy, Pro and HD7). HTC’s phones range in size between 3.7 and 4.3-inches, have a slide-out stereo speaker for media playback, and features a kickstand to watch videos, listen to music, or watch your favorite shows. For the more media-driven consumers and gaming enthusiasts, Surround is the phone for you! It’s is set to launch with AT&T in the U.S., and with TELUS in Canada on November 7. The five new HTC devices will be available in the following countries with the following carriers:

In North America:
AT&T
• HTC Surround, United States
• Samsung Focus, United States
• LG Quantum, United States
T-Mobile USA
• HTC HD7, United States
• Dell Venue Pro, United States

TELUS
• HTC 7 Surround, Canada
• LG Optimus 7, Canada
América Móvil
• LG Optimus 7, Mexico

In Europe:
O2
• HTC HD7, United Kingdom, Germany
Orange
• HTC 7 Mozart, including France, United Kingdom
• Samsung Omnia 7, including France, United Kingdom
SFR
• HTC 7 Trophy, France
• Samsung Omnia 7, France
Movistar
• LG Optimus 7, Spain
• HTC HD7, Spain
• Samsung Omnia 7, Spain
Deutsche Telekom AG
• HTC 7 Mozart, Germany
• Samsung Omnia 7, Germany
Vodafone
• HTC 7 Trophy, including Germany, Spain, United Kingdom
• LG Optimus 7, including Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom

In Asia Pacific:

SingTel
• HTC HD 7, Singapore
• LG Optimus 7, Singapore
Telstra
• HTC 7 Mozart, Australia
• LG Optimus 7Q, Australia
Vodafone
• HTC 7 Trophy, Australia

There’s been a lot of information on WP7 today, but it seems like there are ton of unique features and that it’s a much more interactive and personal handheld device than ever before. What do you think, will you be buying a new WP7 device?

At first glance, the HTC 7 Pro looks industrial. It’s not ordained with the same “flash” and “shine” as the other Window Phone 7 devices out there, especially compared to the other HTC manufactured smartphones. But, that seems to work for the HTC 7 Pro. It features a 3.6-inch capacitive touchscreen display, and you’ll find the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 1GHz processor under the hood. Other details about the device were pretty thin, but that should change soon enough.

Easily one of the best features of the device is the sliding mechanism. It’s stable, sturdy, but there’s not much effort needed to get the display to slide upwards. And, while the landscape QWERTY keyboard may not look that great, it offers great feedback, and it offers a layout that’s staggered in such a way, that makes using it actually worthwhile. Plus, there’s a dedicated number row, which is a warm welcome. And, as you can see from the images below, there’s a nice tilt functionality that will give you the perfect viewing angle for when you’re typing away at the keyboard. Check out the video and images below to feast your eyes on the Windows Phone 7 handset heading to Sprint next year.

For more information and discussion about Windows Phone 7, check out Windows Phone Forums.

The HTC 7 Mozart will be an Orange UK and T-Mobile UK/USA exclusive, and has a CNC “unibody” chassis in the same theme as the HTC Legend.  It has a 3.7-inch WVGA LCD TFT capacitive touchscreen, an 8-megapixel camera with autofocus and a Xenon flash, and 8GB of onboard storage.  Like all of HTC’s Windows Phone 7 devices, it runs Qualcomm’s 1GHz Snapdragon QSD8250 chipset, together with WiFi b/g/n, 512MB of RAM and 384MB ROM (with a further 64MB on the Snapdragon).  HTC describes the 7 Mozart as their music-centric WP7 device.

The HTC 7 Trophy will be an exclusive to Vodafone and what the company expects to be the “most aggressively priced” of the new Windows Phone 7 devices.  It has a 3.8-inch WVGA display and a 5-megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash, and is described as focused on gaming and entertainment.

Finally for the European launch, the HTC HD7 (shown at the top) will be exclusive to O2 in the UK (and non-exclusive in the rest of Europe).  As the name suggests, the HD7 is the successor to the HTC HD2 and has a 4.3-inch WVGA touchscreen, a 5-megapixel autofocus camera with dual-LED flash and HD video recording, and a kick-stand for propping the smartphone up for easier video viewing.  Two SKUs – with either 8GB or 16GB of onboard storage – will be offered, with the HD7 billed as “a cinema in your pocket”.

As for the HTC 7 Pro, the company has not yet revealed full details but we’re expecting the smartphone to have roughly the same specifications as the other three models only also toting a slide-out QWERTY keyboard for easier text entry.  It will be available in 8GB or 16GB versions, and be broadly available across European carriers before then end of 2010 and in North America – on Sprint and Rogers Wireless in the US and Canada respectively – early in 2011.  HTC is also promising a wider range of Windows Phone 7 designs from mid-2011 onwards.  More details on the AT&T HTC 7 Surround here.

All of the HTC Windows Phone 7 devices will have the company’s Sense-inspired Hub, complete with a custom Notes app – with Post Its that visibly age the longer you leave them – Lists, Flashlight app, Stocks/Shares, Weather, Photo Exchange, Sound Manager and “Love” (the latter being a bizarre “he loves me, he loves me not” flower-picking gimmick).  They’ll also support Dolby Mobile and Surround Sound.

Interestingly, none of the HTC Windows Phone 7 smartphones will be available SIM-free and unlocked at launch, unless you can persuade one of the exclusive carriers to sell you one.  That will undoubtedly change later on, but HTC refuse to be drawn on how long their exclusivity agreements are.

Press Release:

HTC GOES BIG WITH MICROSOFT; LAUNCHING FIVE NEW WINDOWS PHONE 7 SMARTPHONES

HTC brings its trademark innovation and design to a fresh, new Windows Phone 7 portfolio –
HTC 7 Surround, HTC 7 Mozart, HTC 7 Trophy, HTC 7 Pro and HTC HD7

NEW YORK – October 11, 2010 – HTC Corporation, a global designer of smartphones and long-time Microsoft partner, today unveiled five new Windows Phone 7 smartphones: HTC 7 Surround, HTC 7 Mozart, HTC 7 Trophy, HTC 7 Pro and HTC HD7. This strong and diverse family of phones features Microsoft’s new Windows Phone 7 platform and embodies the stand-out design and innovation for which HTC has come to be known. Each new phone includes a variety of cutting-edge technologies and a series of unique HTC applications that can be accessed through the new HTC Hub that complements the Windows Phone 7 Hub and Tile experience.

“Windows Phone 7 is an entirely fresh mobile experience, on which HTC is excited to be going big. We see tremendous customer opportunities with the integration of Microsoft’s most popular services like Xbox LIVE and Zune,” said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corporation. “The value Microsoft is bringing to mobile customers around the world sets a new benchmark for the industry. HTC will be introducing five new HTC Windows Phone 7 smartphones at launch to support our customers with a broad variety of choice.”
“HTC has been a partner with Microsoft since we launched our first phones nearly a decade ago, and we couldn’t be more excited to continue this journey with the launch of Windows Phone 7,” said Andy Lees, President of the Mobile Communications Business at Microsoft. “Windows Phone 7 characterizes a new direction for Microsoft and its partners, and HTC is stepping up to support this in a significant way by bringing five new Windows Phones to market.”

Windows Phone 7
Windows Phone 7 has been carefully crafted to help people get more done in fewer steps with a unique Hub and Tile interface. The Windows Phone 7 Hubs offer quick and easy access to a person’s latest and most valuable information and include People, Pictures, Games, Music & Video, Office and Marketplace content. Windows Phone 7 also integrates with many popular Microsoft consumer services such as Xbox LIVE, Windows Live, Bing and Zune.

HTC Windows Phone 7 portfolio
HTC has brought its innovative design and creativity to its new Windows Phone 7 smartphone portfolio by embracing distinctive materials and unique design elements while providing an exciting set of cutting-edge features and technologies. With the new HTC Hub, HTC is providing an exclusive series of applications and utilities that include a new weather and stocks application and a new photo enhancer that enables a person to apply special effects before sharing photos with friends.

HTC 7 Surround
Whether it be gaming, movies or music, HTC 7 Surround is the ultimate multimedia device. With a unique slide-out speaker and integrated kickstand with integrated Dolby Mobile™ and SRS WOW HD™, the HTC 7 Surround delivers high-fidelity audio and virtual surround sound that enable people to share their favorite music and videos with their friends in style. No longer are they forced to use headphones for a great surround sound experience because the HTC 7 Surround speaker makes the listening experience natural and comfortable.
HTC 7 Mozart
Crafted from a single piece of anodized aluminum, the HTC 7 Mozart feels great in the hand and takes HTC’s unibody design aesthetic to the next level. The slim, solid and smart HTC 7 Mozart sounds as good as it looks and integrates Dolby Mobile™ and SRS WOW HD™ for high-fidelity, virtual surround sound. With Microsoft Zune integration, people can synchronize the HTC 7 Mozart with their PC, enabling them to take their music and video library with them wherever they go.
HTC 7 Trophy
HTC 7 Trophy harnesses the power of Xbox LIVE. Gamers will enjoy the speed and responsiveness of fast action gameplay supported by the phone’s high-performance 1GHz Snapdragon processor, and controlled through the vivid WVGA 3.8” touchscreen. High-fidelity, virtual surround sound – through SRS WOW HD™ – brings a rich audio experience whether the user is playing a game, watching a video or listening to their favorite music.
HTC 7 Pro
The development of the HTC 7 Pro was inspired by power users who want to combine the ultimate in business efficiency with the ability to take full advantage of their leisure time. The sleek handset slides opens and tilts to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard for fast, comfortable typing, while productivity features such as the ability to sort, scan and manage Outlook email, open and edit the latest Office documents on the phone and keep track of the markets with HTC’s stocks application, offer new ways to maximize the business day.

HTC HD7
HTC HD7 owners can enjoy their favorite videos and movies in cinematic-style thanks to the large 4.3” high-resolution screen, while its kickstand allows them to sit back and enjoy the action handsfree. For those who refuse to compromise on their mobile gaming experience, the HTC HD7 realizes the power of Xbox LIVE, bringing gameplay to life in a way that takes console gaming beyond the home.
Availability
The five new HTC smartphones will be available through mobile operators and retailers across major European, Asia-Pacific and North American markets from late October.

North America
• HTC 7 Surround will be available exclusively in the United States with AT&T as the HTC Surround.
• HTC HD7 will be exclusively available in the United States with T-Mobile.
• HTC 7 Pro will be available in the first half of 2011 with Sprint.
• HTC 7 Surround will be available exclusively with Telus in Canada.

Europe
• HTC HD7 will be available from Telefonica O2 in Germany and exclusively in United Kingdom and Ireland. HTC HD7 will also be available with Telefonica Movistar in Spain.
• HTC HD7 will be available from Bouygues Telecom in France.
• HTC 7 Mozart will be exclusively available in France, United Kingdom, Switzerland and Spain with Orange.
• HTC 7 Mozart will be exclusively available in Germany with Deutsche Telekom AG.
• HTC 7 Mozart will be available in Austria with Deutsche Telekom AG.
• HTC 7 Mozart will be available in Austria with Orange.
• HTC 7 Trophy will be available exclusively in Germany, France, Spain, United Kingdom, Austria and Switzerland with Vodafone.
• HTC 7 Mozart and HTC HD7 will be broadly available in Italy.

Asia-Pacific
• HTC HD7 will be exclusively available with Telstra in Australia
• HTC HD7 will be exclusively available with Telecom New Zealand.
• HTC HD7 will be exclusively available with Singtel in Singapore.
• HTC HD7 will be exclusively available with Maxis in Malaysia.
• HTC HD7 will be available with Taiwan Mobile in Taiwan.
• HTC HD7 will be available in Hong Kong with CSL, 3 and China Mobile.
• HTC 7 Mozart will be exclusively available with Telstra in Australia.
• HTC 7 Mozart will be exclusively available with Starhub in Singapore.
• HTC 7 Mozart will be available in Hong Kong with CSL, 3 and China Mobile.
• HTC 7 Mozart will be available with Chunghwa Telecom in Taiwan.
• HTC 7 Trophy will be exclusively available with Vodafone in Australia and New Zealand.
• HTC 7 Trophy will be exclusively available with M1 in Singapore.

About HTC
HTC Corporation (HTC) is one of the fastest growing companies in the mobile phone industry. By putting people at the center of everything it does, HTC creates innovative smartphones that better serve the lives and needs of individuals. The company is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange under ticker 2498. For more information about HTC, please visit www.htc.com.