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 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.

With the number of new phones being launched, consumers are going to have to keep an eye on all the cash for old mobiles initiatives and schemes. Just out of the starting blocks is a new HTC smart phone which bears a passing resemblance to a BlackBerry. But this HTC model, which is a successor to their T-Mobile Bash mobile, appears to be heading to AT&T this time.

The HTC Snap, as it’s known, is powered by Windows mobile 6.1 and is a nifty piece of kit, with a sleek and slim appearance. Black in colour, it measures 4.59 inch by 2.42 inch by 0.47 inch. It doesn’t have a touch screen, but makes use of a small track ball. This lies just below the 320 x 240 screen.

So, for those looking for cash for old mobiles and wanting to upgrade, what does the HTC Snap offer? It boasts a quick 528-MHz processor, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and a 2-megapixel camera. It also comes with a powerful 1500mAh battery which offers long life, even with the powerful applications blasting away at top speed.

HTC has also added to the Windows Mobile operating system by including an “Inner Circle” key which lifts emails from your list of favourite people to the top of your inbox.

The T-Mobile Dash was a great hit amongst the texting and emailing brigade, who were looking for value for money. But the new Snap models – there’s two in the line-up – operate their 3G on the 850 to 1,900-MHz and 900 to 2,100-MHz bands, whereas T-Mobile is on the 1,700-MHz band, meaning that AT&T looks the likely beneficiary.

Industry observers question Snap’s likely partner though, saying that AT&T is awash with similar devises, where T-Mobile would only really have the Blackberry 8900 as opposition. One thing is for sure though, the more Snaps sold, the more people are going to have to consider the cash for old mobiles schemes.

Via Tracy and Matt