With Microsoft pushing its new Windows Phone 7 operating system as the one to have, HTC refuse to be left out of the Zen mobile nirvana and have just announced two new Android 2.1 smartphone mobiles equipped with an enhanced HTC Sense.

So hitting the streets will be the HTC Legend and HTC Desire.

As Peter Chou, CEO of HTC puts it:
“At its essence, the mobile phone is the most personal item you have in your possession. HTC Sense was created to magnify your ability to create and define your own unique mobile experience. HTC Legend and HTC Desire take Android to another level in both substance, with HTC Sense, and style, with HTC Legend’s revolutionary crafted aluminium unibody design.”

For anyone still bemused by exactly what HTC Sense is, it’s a user experience, an intuitive way of operating a mobile phone. In other words, making the thing easier to use! And at the heart of making a HTC Sense device easier to use, are the core tenants Make It Mine, Stay Close and Discover the Unexpected.

To illustrate HTC’s way of thinking, consider their application HTC Friend Stream which, they claim,  seamlessly aggregates all of the phone users, social communication - including Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr - into one organised flow of updates.

Clever, although cynics might just say that the marketing guys are going into overdrive just to describe a fancy filing system.

But enough of HTC Sense, the new Android based HTC phones, Legend and Desire, will undoubtedly be up amongst the top performers. Although maybe the teams that create the names of devices are becoming a tad desperate. Legend might suggest to many that this was a phone to have some years and ago and as for Desire, well, the market already has a large number of products using that descriptor, most of them not usable in this article.

For the record, the Legend appears to stand out because it boasts a continuous surface which is machined from a single aluminium block into a seamless compact frame. Quite why that gives it a greater Sense is beyond this article, but it does also come with a 3.2 inch AMOLED HVGA display.

Now with the Desire, you might expect something really super dooper, and – forgive the crass joke – size obviously does matter here, because with this model, you’ll have 3.7 inches in your hand: to be more precise, a 3.7 inch AMOLED WVGA display.

The big question of course, is does Sense make your phone easier to use? That, of course, comes down to subjective opinions, but if you want to try and make Sense of it all, then HTC Legend will be available in Europe via Vodafone in April. And the Desire won’t be far behind.

The introduction of the Samsung Mythic mobile phone into the US market is most definitely geared towards those that can’t bear to leave their TV’s at home.

Samsung’s PR team obviously think it’s what everyone wants, saying: “Think a phone like this is too good to be true? Think again. The Samsung Mythic is everything you’ve been dreaming of in a phone and then some. You’ll watch live TV right from the extra-large 3.3” touchscreen. And if there’s nothing on TV, a slew of social networking apps and messaging features will keep you busy chatting with friends and updating them on what’s happening in your life.”

Fair enough, but it’s beginning to imply that a human being is less than complete without a steady stream of TV images in their face, or networking sites in which to update. You wake up, then begin a daily cycle of either watching TV, or telling everyone else what you’re watching on TV. The obvious question of course, is if you’re so busy watching TV, when do you have time to live a life, to actually do something that might be worth putting on your social network page?

That’s not going to stop millions of Americans tuning into mobile TV of course. With the Samsung Mythic, they’ll be able to sign up for the AT&T Mobile TV service, which gives them real-time access to stations such as CBS, Comedy Central, ESPN, FOX, MTV and NBC.

Now there’s a thought, you leave the office after a hard day, and whilst you’re wending your tired way back home, you can catch up with the myriad of Friends repeats, just in case you haven’t seen every episode at least ten times before! And when you get back home, you collapse in front of the goggle box and watch some more repeats of Friends. Just think, how interesting will your social network page be sharing that day’s activity?

But the days when a mobile phone was just a mobile phone are long gone.

And, it has to be said, the Samsung Mythic is a little beauty and to think you can watch a TV programme on its 3.3” touch screen, is pretty impressive.

Apart from it’s ability to show your favourite TV sitcoms, it has all the usual points of merit: GSM 850/900/1900; JAVA operating system; 3.2 megapixel camera; music player; email; Bluetooth; and, with the help of a memory card, some 32GB of memory.

So there you are then, if watching TV on the move is important, get this little wonder, and by the way, it will also allow you to make calls.

Tesco appears to have a hit on its hands with its VX1i Party Phone, mainly because it fits easily into skinny jeans.

Research from the team at Tesco Telecoms found that nearly 70% of people in Britain don’t like to carry a large phone around in their pocket. What’s more, some eight out of ten women don’t like the distraction of a handbag on a night out, so have to find somewhere else to stuff their phones. And depositing a large smartphone into a pocket of some skinny jeans, is not that easy. So, the ultra slim VX1i Party Phone was born and it will fit, says Tesco’s, into the skinniest pair of denims.

And they seem to have got it right. The VX1i Party Phone, which retails at £18.99 is now one of Tesco’s best selling mobile phones and 10,000 left the stores in the run-up to New Year.

The great attraction of course is not only its lightweight credentials, but also the fact that it is a SIM free phone. You buy it, then insert your own SIM card. It will work with most of the SIMs from the main networks, apart from 3, and this is a great attraction for those who like to party unencumbered with the usual personal belongings. They can easily swap their own number into the VX1i and party all night, safe in the knowledge that there are no unsightly bulges, at least that can be blamed on their phones.

A spokesperson for Tesco Telecoms and Tesco Mobile said:
“Our handset was developed as an affordable replacement, temporary phone or alternative to a more expensive phone, but its popularity really has taken us by surprise. The start of a new year is the perfect time to cut costs and we are amazed to see how many shoppers want a plucky little alternative to the smart-phone pack – or they want both!”

Tesco Mobile is a joint venture between Tesco and 02. It sells Tesco Mobile branded services online, through its own stores and via Tesco Direct.

The new HTC Smart is one device that won’t end up with the mobile phone recyclers for some months to come.

Unveiled at the recent Consumer Electronics Show held in Las Vegas, HTC claim that the Smart is a new type of smartphone which is the beginning of a group of straightforward, connected models that will be accessible to people all over the world.

Launched initially in Europe and Asia this Spring, the idea behind the Smart is to produce a device that is a smartphone, but one that is easy-to-use and perhaps more importantly, affordable.

In the words of a HTC Corporation spokesman:
“HTC has always focused on listening to customers and setting the stage for new mobile categories and HTC Smart is the response to customer demand around the world for an easier-to-use, affordable smartphone. Just adding a touch interface doesn’t mean a phone is a smartphone; The integration of HTC Sense brings an unparalleled smartphone experience for people looking to do more on their phone.”

HTC claim that the Smart has a friendly design (not sure how many people design unfriendly phones), which is compact (small), touchy (operated by fingers) and integrates an intuitive user experience that is based on the HTC Sense. In their own words, it stays loyal to the HTC design philosophy that puts people at the centre by focusing on three core areas: Make It Mine, Stay Close and Discover the Unexpected.

This basically means that the Smart can be customised and is a great portal to seeing what your friends and colleagues are boasting about on their social networking websites.

It’s powered by the delightfully called Qualcomm Brew Mobile which is apparently a cheap and cheerful, yet powerful operating system which allows the production of affordable smartphones.

A Qualcomm spokesman said:
“HTC Smart breaks new ground in delivering the powerful, in-demand smartphone features that consumers want on a more accessible device for global markets. We are pleased to be supporting HTC as they utilize the capabilities of Qualcomm’s Brew Mobile Platform open operating system to offer high-end capabilities and a compelling mobile user experience at mass-market price points.”

So, pretty HTC Smart then.

We live in gadget heaven and the good folks at Google have just added to our dreams with the launch of the Nexus One.

Now, okay, arguments are going to continue forever which is the more stylish and ‘sexy’ phone, the Nexus One, or the iPhone, but for many people out there, it will come down to functionality and ease of use.

And as we said in an earlier blog, it’s unlikely that the Nexus One will beat the iPhone on the catwalk, but what’s at stake here is being the chosen portal of the mobile internet world. Control the gateway and Google will add another notch on the technological bedpost.

It will of course eventually reach the phone recycling fraternity, but not before its been hammered by those geeks in the industry known as the first adopters.

And the Nexus One will no doubt turn a few heads, even though it’s come from the more robotic HTC design stable.

So what are it’s key features? In the Google PR blurb, the first feature they mention is ‘dynamic noise suppression from Audience Inc.’ Not top of my hit list, but there’s no accounting for taste. Perhaps a little more relevant is that it boasts a large 3.7 inch OLED touchscreen display (800 x 480 pixels) which, says the boys and girls, allows deep contrast and brilliant colours. Okay then.

Although most won’t care about the next bit, it is important for those worried that their phone has the legs: the beast running the machine is a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset which apparently is faster than a Olympic sprinter on banned substances. Software is Eclair (thought that was a creamed bun with a bit of chocolate on top) and it runs the Android 2.1 operating system. I tell you what, the best job at HTC and Google must be coming up with the product names.

The software is fun packed, which means that you can have fun with voice-enabled keyboard (those with a lisp might have more fun than the others) and a 3D photo gallery. So, it follows the recent trend of the phone turning into a big toy.

Given that modern-day smartphones are for those looking for something exciting to play with, the next stats might be superfluous, but you can talk for ten hours on one charge, on the 2G model, and for seven hours on the 3G model. Standby time is an impressive 290 hours of the 2G and 250 hours on the 3G. And for those habitual surfers, you have five hours of fun on the 3G.

There’s 512MB of flash and 512MB RAM (remember when that was impressive for a desktop)? A 4GB Micro SD Card boosts the capacity, which can climb to 32GB.

It not only has GPS, but AGPS (short for Assisted Global Positioning System). If that doesn’t light your fire, what about a digital compass, or an accelerometer, or a five mega pixels camera? Autofocus works from 6 cm to infinity (wow, infinity, where’s that then?).

As to it’s vital statistics, its slightly anorexic at 11.5mm depth, 59.8mm wide and 119mm high. With battery, it weighs in at 130 grams.
If you want one in Europe, better ask your friendly Vodafone.

But will it be our weapon of choice for mobile browsing? You certainly wouldn’t bet against it?