This is because the phone to start-off, comes with an enormous 4.3 inch capacitive touch screen display that sends shivers down the spine of its competition. This is because the screen is capable of displaying pictures in 480 by 800 resolutions, despite boasting one of the biggest screens in the industry. The phone is also compact even with the large screen and has dimensions of 123 x 68 x 11.8 mm. The phone weights just over 160 grams and is incredibly light on your pocket.

The phone has internal memory of 1.5 GB and this can be increased to 32 GB using micro-SD memory cards in appropriate slots provided in the phone. The phone has 3G connectivity that lets you enjoy a maximum download speed of nearly 15 Mbps. This makes for ultra-fast internet connectivity, which can also be provided by the phone’s Wi-Fi option. The phone is set to feature the latest Android 2.2 operating system and to boost the phone’s security, it comes with HTC Sense.

The HTC Desire HD has an 8 megapixel camera that lets you enjoy photos in 3264×2448 resolutions. The photos appear bright and vivid and the added bonus of being able to enjoy 720p video recording option makes it even better. The phone runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon 1 GHz processor, which has 768 MB of RAM to go along with it. These ensure that you are never found wanting more power. The phone will sport a retail price tag of £450 and is available in most online stores.

Phone History

Some may argue that Google’s very own Nexus One should be considered as the quintessential Android device –after all, it was co-developed by Google as the ‘way an Android phone should be’. However, when one realizes that the Nexus One was badly distributed (there are very few units in circulations) and that HTC helped manufacture the product, one realizes how deeply entwined HTC is with the development of the Android operating system.

The Taiwan based phone manufacturer has been there since day one. They have been among the founding members of the open handset alliance and were the ones who manufactured the Dream, which eventually became the G1 Android. Since then, HTC has been present at every single major Android milestone.

Moving Up

This is why it is no surprise that the best high end Android device, was first made by the same company. The HTC Desire is everything that an Android loving fan would want. From the high speed Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU to the support for HD video recording, the phone packs just the right set of hardware features for everyone. The phone also has a 3.7 inch AMOLED capacitive touch screen, a 1400 mAh battery and support for GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth and microSD cards.

Naturally, the HTC Desire is not going to be on top of the spec sheet list for long (especially considering that HTC are releasing the HTC Desire HD and HTC Desire Z soon), but with specs like these, it will be a very long time before one can say that the handset is out of date.

As much as we would want to jump straight to the tech specs of this Android smart phone, it would be unfair to talk about the Stream without discussing how good the handset looks. Compared to other smart phones, the Acer Stream has a very futuristic appeal. The device’s form factor may be basic, but the use of the line contours is arguably the most appealing since the Motorola Milestone (or Motorola DROID in the US). Granted that Motorola has not released an Android smart phone for the high end tech bracket, the Acer Stream seems to have found a place.

The specs of the Stream are actually great, but not that impressive. The specs are indeed high end, but too many Android devices are already filling up the high end market choices. This leaves Asus with plenty of competition. At the same time, nothing will truly show the industry that Asus is up to task other than what is the industry equivalent of a trial by fire.

The 1GHz Snapdragon CPU is tried and tested on many other devices. So users can be assured that this processor is currently the new standard for a good reason: because it beats everything else before it. Apps, features, media, everything will load fast and run smooth on a device using this CPU.

The 3.7 inch AMOLED capacitive touch screen is similar to the ones used in the HTC Desire and the Google Nexus One. Expect to get excellent response to commands, accurate finger tracking and most importantly, impressive visual quality.

The HTC Desire is a quad band 2G device that is compatible in the GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 networks and also functions as a dual band device (HSDPA 900 / 2100) over the 3G network. All these numbers simply mean that it is likely that the Desire will work regardless of where in the world you may be.

Top of the line GPRS, EDGE, and HSDPA data connectivity features guarantee high speed mobile internet speeds which is complemented by the Desire’s Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g WLAN capability.

Applications

The HTC Desire is also loaded with awesome applications that’ll make sure that you stay connected. One such application is the new People widget which allows you to group your contacts as you wish, giving you one-touch access to your most important contacts. There’s also the Friend Stream app which is a social networking program that provides users real-time updates from the most popular social networks such as Twitter and Facebook.

More than a Mobile

However, don’t let all these connectivity features throw you off and make you think that the HTC Desire is nothing more than a “socially-inclined” type of mobile. In fact, it has one of the most impressive spec sheets in the business and the likes of its 1 GHz processor, 3.7-inch high-res display, 5-Megapixel camera, and Android operating system, are just some of the many features and functions of this truly remarkable Smartphone.

The Desire is not the only smart phone affected. Other HTC Android 2.1 smart phones are expected to get updates around August this year.

The reason why there is so much fuss about the Desire’s delayed update is that many consider it the benchmark for other non-Google branded Android smart phones; that is if the Desire is getting an update, then updates for other devices will surely follow soon.

For now, only the Google Nexus One has the update for the new Android Froyo. The reason for the delays has not been explained by either HTC or Google, but many believe that they are simply biding their time. Google has had no qualms releasing updates with compatibility issues (a constant problem for the Android as there is a wide variety of phones that use the OS), so there really is no reason to hold back on the launch date.

Another reason why the Desire is a very important phone for many is because it practically serves as a non-Google substitute to the Nexus One. And considering that HTC manufactured both devices, the Desire is a pretty good choice too. The specs are even the same. Both phones have 3.7 inch AMOLED capacitive touch screen displays, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 1GHz processor and a 5 mega pixel snapper.

Still, it is a big step for the web format developer in their quest to show critics and the market that Flash is still a widely used web format. And they are right. While Adobe also recognizes the need for HTML5 development and they also support the new media (Adobe has confirmed that they are currently working on HTML5 development software), Flash is still a well accepted medium.

Anyway, the launch of the Flash Player 10.1 is still big news. So far, none of the existing mobile phones are compatible with it simply because Google’s launch of Android 2.2 Froyo is still not applicable for a vast majority of Android devices.

And that is an issue that Google needs to fix as soon as possible. While it has been confirmed that the HTC Desire will be getting a 2.2 update in the next few days, there are plenty of other impressive Android handsets that have yet to taste the power and versatility of the new Android version.

According to the original announcements, Android 2.2 features a whole host of new features such as tethering and support for turning a handset into a WiFi router. Froyo also improves existing Android performance by boosting the performance speed up to two times faster and the browsing speed up to three times faster.

Naturally, the new Flash Player support is considered to be the main attraction of the new OS, and once it is available for other smart phones; many mobile users will be able to enjoy Flash content on the go.

The HTC Wildfire however is set to change the public perception of the Android from being a tech geek icon into something more generally loved -thanks to its many social networking and sharing features. Of course, it also helps that the phone is pretty well balanced in terms of specs. At 528 MHz, the CPU is hardly as fast as the recently launched Desire, but it certainly makes for a cheaper phone that is friendly to everyone’s budget.

HTC has released the full details on the phone’s functions and a quick look at the social networking features in its official announcement:

“HTC Wildfire helps you stay connected with those who are most important to you through HTC Sense, a user experience focused on putting people at the centre by making phones work in a more simple and natural way. HTC Wildfire enables you to stay up to date with your friends’ posts, comments, alerts and photos, wherever you are.”

The Wildfire brings a new function called the Friend Stream. This feature gives users a live feed of content that is being run on their social networks. The big bonus here is that viewing threaded conversations and other bits of information is easily done without having to click through several pages of links just to figure out what your friends are talking about in their latest social network updates. At the same time, this feature also makes it easy to broadcast your latest news. The HTC Wildfire is expected to come out in store shelves later this third quarter of 2010.

Below is Andy’s official post:

“We launched Nexus One in January with two goals in mind: to introduce a beacon of innovation among Android handsets, and to make it quick and easy for people to buy an Android phone. We’re very happy with the adoption of Android in general, and the innovation delivered through Nexus One. Already, a lot of the innovation that went into creating Nexus One has found its way into numerous Android handsets, like the HTC Evo 4G from Sprint and the Verizon Droid Incredible by HTC”.

“But, as with every innovation, some parts worked better than others. While the global adoption of the Android platform has exceeded our expectations, the web store has not. It’s remained a niche channel for early adopters, but it’s clear that many customers like a hands-on experience before buying a phone, and they also want a wide range of service plans to chose from.”

“As we make Nexus One available in more countries we’ll follow the same model we’ve adopted in Europe, where we’re working with partners to offer Nexus One to consumers through existing retail channels. We’ll shift to a similar model globally.”

“Once we have increased the availability of Nexus One devices in stores, we’ll stop selling handsets via the web store, and will instead use it as an online store window to showcase a variety of Android phones available globally.”

“Innovation requires constant iteration. We believe that the changes we’re announcing today will help get more phones to more people quicker, which is good for the entire Android ecosystem: users, partners and also Google.”

HTC has had a long history with the Google Android operating system. The Taiwanese manufacturer is one of the founding members of the Open Handset Alliance and they have been the first company to make smart phones that use the OS. The HTC Dream and Magic phones are, until now, some of the most impressive touch screen devices (though no word of updates for the old G1 phones have been reported). HTC is also the manufacturer behind the very first Google branded Android device, the Nexus One.

Recently, the HTC Bravo and the HTC Legend were both confirmed for a March release date and the Mobile World Congress last week revealed that the Bravo would be renamed as the Desire.

The Desire is one of the most anticipated devices this year because it has all the hardware features of the Google Nexus One, but is significantly easier to get. Google has made the Nexus One exclusively available on the Google Online store. This makes the Desire a more viable alternative. It comes with a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, a 5 mega pixel camera and a 3.7 inch AMOLED capacitive touch screen.

The Legend on the hand is a smart phone of choice for the more budget concerned buyer. This device serves as the successor to the HTC Hero and comes with a stylish aluminum casing. The phone has a 600 MHz Qualcomm CPU, a 5 mega pixel camera and a 3.2 inch AMOLED capacitive touch screen.

Both HTC devices combine the new Android OS with the HTC Sense user interface.

Read more about the HTC Desire and Legend at Pocket Lint.

Many people are already familiar with the major disappointment that is WinMo 6.5 and it s previous incarnations. Simply put, the user interface was pretty much backwards. WinMo designers opted to rely on stylus based user navigation which meant that there were plenty of small icons, buttons and narrow tabs. It was not an appropriate device to be used with a capacitive touch screen which used stubby fingers to operate.

The HTC HD2 used a 1GHz Snapdragon processor and a capacitive touch screen. In order to make WinMo easy to use, HTC made use of its proprietary user interface, the Sense UI. Until now, HTC continues to use the Sense user interface for its smart phones. The Google Android devices HTC Desire and HTC Legend are confirmed to be using the Sense UI.

The two Androids popped up last Sunday at the Mobile World Congress held at Barcelona, Spain. They sported the initial reported specs for the Bravo (now the Desire) and the Legend which was leaked in the HTC 2010 roadmap.

The Desire runs a 1GHz Snapdragon CPU and it comes with a 3.7 inch AMOLED capacitive touch screen display. The Legend on the other hand runs a slower 600 MHz CPU and a smaller 3.2 inch AMOLED capacitive touch screen.

HTC also showed off a new device, the HTC HD2 Mini which is also a WinMo phone like the HD2. The HD Mini will be using the newly released Windows Mobile 6.5.3 Maldives operating system. So far, it has yet to be confirmed if the HD2 will also use the Sense UI.

Learn more about the HTC Legend and Desire at Mobile Choice UK.