HTC Cellphone Embeds Wi-Fi Router

By Joseph Palenchar -- TWICE, 11/4/2009

Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

Taoyuan, Taiwan - An HTC-made 3G smartphone due in the U.S. early next year will incorporate an embedded Wi-Fi router, enabling multiple laptop users to share a cellular-data connection to the Internet when they're on the go.

HTC HTC’s HD2 smartphone combines 3G smartphone with portable Wi-Fi router.The HD2, equipped with Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional OS, comes home to America in early 2010 through a major carrier, HTC said. Pricing and carrier haven't been announced. The 3G phone is currently available in Europe and Taiwan equipped with 3G 7.2Mbps HSPA cellular technology.

Carriers Sprint and Verizon Wireless already offer Novatel's pocket-size, battery-powered portable Wi-Fi router with embedded cellular to enable on-the-go Internet-connection sharing, but incorporating a Wi-Fi 802.11b/g router in the HTC phone would make a second cellular subscription unnecessary.

The 5.54-ounce full-touch phone, which lacks hard dialing keys or hard QWERTY keypad, features 4.3-inch capacitive 480 by 800 WVGA display, 5-megapixel camera, 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and GPS.

The device is also the company's first Windows Mobile device with HTC's Sense user interface, which enables consumers to personalize the appearance of apps displayed onscreen. It features proximity sensor to prevent false screen touches when the phone is placed next to an ear, a light sensor to automatically change display brightness, and an optional car kit that automatically puts the phone into GPS mode for car navigation use.