The first HTC Desire released in March is considered one of the most sought-after smartphones in the market and not a few has called its name quite apt. Now comes a couple of new Desire offsprings that extend the desirability of these handsets to a new level of sophistication.

One of them, the HTC Desire Z, brings full QWERTY functionality to the family. This is only the second full-QWERTY Android from the Taiwan-based leader in smartphones after the HTC Dream released in 2009.

High End Features

Designing derivatives of a successful product is often a give and take proposition. The HTC Desire Z should keep people wanting full QWERTY options on a smartphone happy. But they won’t get the 1GHz snapdragon on the first Desire since it only has a Qualcomm MSM7230 at 800 MHz. No matter, you now get the latest Android v2.2 Froyo on the Z.

It has the same radio connectivity options for a high end smartphone with quad band GSM and 3G with HSDPA/HSUPA data speeds even if you only get class 32 GPRS/EDGE speeds on 2G. You also have WiFi 802.11 b/g/n with DLNA where the first Desire only had the older WiFi iteration without DLNA or “n” for a wider coverage. Local data transfers get Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP and microUSB v2.0. GPS is also supported.

Flagship Multimedia Features

Multimedia features start with 3.7-inch S-LCD capacitive touchscreen with WVGA (480 x 80) resolution, 16 million colors, accelerometer and proximity sensors as well as multitouch input technology.

The HTC Desire Z images with a 5-megapixel autofocus shooter with LED flash, face detection, geo tagging and video recording at 720p high definition. There’s a Stereo FM receiver with RDS and 3.5mm audio jack. All your multimedia files can be stored internally with its generous 1.5 GB user memory or in a 32GB microSD card which it supports a 1300 mAh Li-ion battery that yields up to 9.8 hours of talk time on 2G with 430 hours on standby.

Finally, after much lobbying, Orange users who have an HTC Hero can finally update their mobile operating system to version 2.1. This Google Android update has been long in the making and has inspired many customers to plead and complain about the delayed update on a certain Facebook group. The update is scheduled to be up and live by the end of this week.

The delay has certainly irked many consumers, basically because Orange has not been up front and transparent about the release date of the patch. News of Google Android version 2.2 also make their loyal subscribers think about how much delayed they are going to get the upgrade, if at all. The official press release of the two companies issued last Tuesday stated that the cause of the so called delay may be attributed to extensive testing all across Europe.

“We apologise for the delay in Orange Hero customers receiving their Eclair update. Testing the update across European markets took longer than anticipated. However, we hope to receive final approval by the end of the week and Orange handsets should start updating from next week.”

Of course, this makes plenty of sense, updates are hard to roll out, most especially if they have the potential of rendering key functions useless. After Orange and HTC’s guarantee that they did indeed conduct a thorough test and that the version 2.1 update is now ready, it should quell any doubts of the operating system’s efficiency after the update.

The first part of the update is already being distributed across channels for the Orange HTC users. The new press release at least confirms when the second part of the update will reach subscribers.

Sure, Orange and HTC have a way of not following through with update schedules for the HTC Hero, but in light of the first part of the update being released, the second element is surely not so far behind.

It seems that Apple is incapable of making a simple announcement without getting plenty of people riled up. After all, the only thing substantial that Steve Jobs had to say was that Apple would be giving out free cases for the iPhone 4 and that they would not be able to provide bumpers for everyone so users will be given a choice among a range of cases. Those who have already bought a Bumper will be given a refund.

If Apple left it at that, they would be criticized a little for taking so long to announce such a simple non-solution. But it would have ended with that. Instead, Apple is now taking heavy criticism for taking 22 days just to decide on that, and come up with a large overdrawn presentation on why they are not at fault and that the entire industry is suffering from the same problem.

Fortunately for the tech industry, other companies also have a voice. With the Samsung Omnia 2, BlackBerry Bold 9700 and HTC Droid Eris being directly mentioned in the presentation, it was not surprising that RIM was among the very first companies to speak out.

Canadian based Research in Motion announced that the BlackBerry Bold 9700, and all BB devices did not need to have a casing to run properly. Samsung’s spokesperson also stated that their devices have antennas located in positions where it would not come into contact with the user (which compromises performance).

Last to speak up was HTC, represented by their chief financial officer Hui-Meng Cheng. According to him, “The reception problems are certainly not common among smart phones, (Apple) apparently didn’t give operators enough time to test the phone.”

It will be a while before Apple recovers from this major public blunder, in the meanwhile, all three handsets mentioned above are actually pretty good smart phones to switch to if you plan to refund your iPhone 4. Unfortunately, the HTC Droid Eris isn’t available in the UK, but the HTC Desire or HTC Wildfire are equally good alternatives if you’re interested in trying out an HTC Android device.

Taiwan based phone manufacturer HTC is one of the most celebrated smart phone makers of today. The company has just announced a massive growth in profits (gaining a full 33% increase from their 2009 performance) and is currently busy working on a large portfolio of handsets (some of which have been released in a roadmap leak).

HTC has had a very long history with Microsoft. While the company may be known famously for the Android OS (they played a key role as a partner for Google – developing the Nexus One as well as prominent Android smartphones like the HTC Desire and the HTC Wildfire), they also go pretty way back with the giant of Silicon Valley. Microsoft and HTC started their ties back when HTC was still a small electronics manufacturer. Tasked with building the most innovative and groundbreaking pocket PCs, HTC stood at the threshold of the business industry –only to be pushed back by the emergence of smart phones.

Anyway, HTC’s Windows Mobile handsets are not only the most well made, but they are also the most sought after. The combination of the Windows Mobile OS with the Sense user interface is one of the best combinations for the struggling platform –struggling in the general market at least.

The reason for this is the HTC Sense UI –which makes using Windows Mobile so much easier. Now, HTC is confirmed to be working on a WP7 device as well. While it has yet to be revealed if the HTC Mondrian and Mozart handsets are actually real, HTC has already confirmed that they will not be adding in a new user interface to the WP7 OS. No HTC Sense UI, a proprietary OS that the phone maker loves to add to their devices.

The HTC Sense may not be used, but even HTC has acknowledged the impressive user interface that Windows Phone 7 uses. The customizable tiles, the interconnected features and iTunes apps are among the best elements about the new OS.

The HTC Desire was officially launched in March of this year. Since then, it has amassed a considerable amount of rave reviews which all send their praises towards this remarkable device. We must agree; the Desire is definitely one of the best. However, it isn’t perfect. Below are some aspects of the device that might need some fine-tuning before the Desire is deemed as THE Smartphone for 2010.

The Upside

Before anything else, we must give credit where it is due. There are more than a few things that we like about the HTC Desire. For starters, the 3.7” touch screen displays delivers vivid images of the highest quality (480 x 800 pixels). Then there’s the HTC Sense user interface on the device which makes the Android Eclair even better than it already is. Another notable feature is the web browser on the Desire which is pretty fast and also has Flash support. It’s also worth pointing out that the HTC Desire deals currently on offer are very impressive.

The Downside

As mentioned before, the HTC Desire is a pretty awesome device. However, this doesn’t mean that it does not have its own flaws. One of the biggest criticisms of the device is that although its AMOLED display delivers high resolution image outputs, it’s actually quite difficult to see when your outdoors and once the sun’s glare hits it. Also, some of the widgets on the device may need a few adjustments here and there. To some, the Android still appear to be a bit too geeky and the physical design of the device doesn’t quite match the appeal of the HTC Legend.

Final Judgement

The HTC Desire packs in all the features you’d expect from a Smartphone. This in itself should be enough to make it a contender as one of the best of the year. Its awesome interface backed up by a powerful processor guarantees an enhanced user experience. While it may lack the sexiness of the Legend or perhaps even the iPhone, the Desire is still worth a second look.

If there is one thing that has been the constant bane of all tech fans –it is the delays. With new updates, patches, products, releases and all things happening, it is already hard to keep track of what is new and what is not –having a company delay their update certainly makes things a lot harder to keep up with.

Take this case for instance. It was already stated that the Nexus One Froyo update was coming out last week and the HTC Desire would be getting updated this week. All well and good, but it seems that Google has decided to put in some strategic delays to the launch. Sure, we are getting a great final build of the Android 2.2 Froyo, but the OS has been sitting in Google’s developer shelves for quite some time now.

Even Adobe was pretty fast with the launch of the Flash Player for the Android 2.2 –the software came out days ahead of the Nexus One 2.2 update launch.

This leaves us with the HTC Desire, an impressive smart phone that some would even say rivals the Google Nexus One in terms of both specs and features. Not surprisingly too, HTC manufactured both devices, and HTC is considered to be playing a key role in the development of the Android OS.

The Desire’s main tech specs will certainly sound familiar to the owners of the Android Nexus One –the 5 mega pixel camera, a 3.7 inch AMOLED touch screen display, a 1GHz Snapdragon CPU; these pretty much reads out like the Nexus’ own specs and the reason for this is that HTC made the two devices one after the other. Actually, it was the Desire (then known as the HTC Bravo) that was designed first.

With the launch date of the HTC Desire’s Android update pushed, this means that other smart phones will have to wait longer too.

The HTC Wildfire is finally available from mobile network operator Vodafone UK. According to the most recent announcements, the device is available for free on several contract offers by the network operator.

Our recommended pick would be the 20 Pound monthly tariff for two years which gives the user unlimited text messages, 300 minutes of talk time and about 500 MB of data allowance each month. The offer takes full advantage of the device’s social networking capabilities, which is much recommended for anyone who wants to have the full value of owning this impressive Android handset.

In terms of specs, it is hard not to be impressed with what the HTC Wildfire has to offer. First off, the device comes with a nice big 3.2 inch TFT capacitive touch screen. A typical display for a mid range handset, it handles video playback and web browsing quite easily. The screen will support multi touch gestures, has an accelerometer, a proximity sensor that will automatically shut off the screen when used for a voice call and the HTC Sense user interface. Aside from the touch screen, there is an optical trackpad on the bottom of the device as well as support for movement gestures which will allow users to instantly switch the device to mute or to “dim out” an incoming call.

With the Qualcomm MSM7225 528MHz CPU, apps run fairly fast on this Android OS. Just do not expect to get super smooth performance when running resource intensive games. But for most phone functions, the CPU is able to provide a stable and fast experience.

The Wildfire’s main features focus heavily on social networking. It has several integrated apps that would allow users to easily access accounts on Facebook and Twitter as well as file hosting sites such as Flicker and YouTube for uploading media content to be shared.

From rumors to forgotten previews, there are many smart phones that we are waiting to see. Leaks often give us glimpses of promising new technology that often become bitter memories when manufacturers decide to cancel production or completely change an upcoming device. Here is a quick list at several handsets that we are hoping would make it to the production line.

First up is an Android handset with a 5.5 inch touch screen display from Sony Ericsson. The device was leaked along with the upcoming SE XPERIA Shakira and the W150 TeaCake. According to the leaked report, the device is an Android smart phone. Looking at the leaked images alone makes us wonder when this impressive tablet hybrid smart phone will actually be available –it even has a slide out QWERTY keyboard that allows it to be used as a netbook.

Right after the launch of the Nexus One, there was plenty of talk about a new handset from Motorola that might possibly end up as the Nexus Two. There were rumors that the next Google phone needed a keyboard and at that point, Motorola’s Milestone/DROID was the best basis for an Android with a keyboard.

By the time word of the Shadow handset in production became public, people were already looking at it as the next Google device. Recent news updates have revealed that the Shadow is still in production.

When it comes to high end Android, no other rumor seems to be as delicious as the upcoming HTC Scorpion (though the Sony device is starting to overtake everything else). This handset is said to be equipped with the latest Snapdragon CPU and is said to possibly be clocked at speeds more than 1.2 GHz.

The Samsung Galaxy S Pro may be the least impressive of these four, but with the already good specs on the original, all it simply needs is the QWERTY keyboard (hence the Pro on the name). So far, Samsung has not commented if the Galaxy S Pro will be made.

Vodafone UK and three other mobile networks (Virgin Mobile, 3 UK and T-Mobile), have confirmed that the HTC Wildfire Android smart phone is indeed coming to the UK. While no launch date has been set, there are rumours that the device will be available by next month with some very affordable HTC Wildfire deals on offer.

In any case, this latest HTC offering is one for the mass markets as it focuses more on features than the hardware. HTC has recently been releasing one high end device after another and the Wildfire is a welcome break from the pattern. As one might expect from an HTC Android, this device makes use of the HTC Sense user interface and a few nifty additions from the Taiwan based manufacturer.

The Wildfire is basically a social networking smart phone. Thanks to the new Friend Stream function, users will be able to track the latest posts and uploads of friends and followers on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and more. And this is why a good data plan is useful for this smart phone; it will make you want to stay connected online as much as possible.

Even the address book is chock full of new features, each contact’s details can be easily seen and thanks to the threaded conversations, you can instantly keep track of the most recent topics that you have been discussing –it also helps keep track of forgettable details like numbers, dates and more. Also new to the Wildfire is an app sharing widget which will allow you to recommend apps to your contacts that also use HTC Android smart phones.

This handset comes with a 3.2 inch capacitive touch screen, a 5 mega pixel camera, and a 528 MHz processor. Vodafone UK is offering the handset for free under its two year, 15 Pound monthly tariff contract (but it is recommended that buyers get a plan that comes with at least 1GB of internet data allowance).

The HTC Legend has been around the news a lot lately. The Android smart phone was first confirmed to be ready for UK launch at the official website of a Netherlands based mobile network operator.

Initial offerings for the device are promising, placing it at the slightly expensive end for mid range devices but still reasonably cheaper than the high end Snapdragon powered smart phones such as the Desire. This balance of specs and price makes the Legend a sought after smart phone for its practicality.

Speaking of practical, HTC has brought in the Sense user interface in order to make the OS even easier to use. While Google’s Android OS is pretty intuitive, some people still prefer a more old-school feel to the interface which the Sense brings. In any case, all the Android’s features are fully accessible including the large app support.

Hardware wise, the Legend comes pretty much complete with everything a person would expect from a smart phone. The 600MHz Qualcomm processor is mid range, but it does a decent job at running apps, loading files and running animations. The occasional slowdowns are insignificant and do not detract from the flow of the phone. The 3.2 inch AMOLED capacitive touch screen makes for easy controls and high quality images. Lastly, the 5 mega pixel camera is perfect for taking images and shooting videos that you can upload and share.

This phone is the sequel to the HTC Hero –a very successful Android device from the Taiwanese manufacturer; many believe that the Legend will continue the legacy of the Hero smart phone.

Vodafone has already confirmed that it will be offering the HTC Legend and the HTC Desire this coming April when the devices launch. The two Androids will be accompanied by the SE XPERIA X10.

Watch a video of the HTC Legend in action at Mobile Choice UK.