New iphone beater the HD2 launched

By Ben Hurst on Nov 12, 09 10:16 AM

The latest handset to challenge the market supremacy of Apple's iPhone is hoping to attract users with one of the biggest screens on the market.

The HD2 will hit UK shops later this month and its manufacturer, Taiwanese firm HTC, hopes to attract buyers with a 4.3 inch touch screen display.

HTC Corporation chief executive Peter Chou said he was "excited" about the handset's launch.

He said the firm has focused on "making the phone more simple and natural to use and enabling people to personalise their mobile experience in their own unique way".

HTC said the HD2's large display and on screen keyboard enabled faster, more accurate typing and a screen vibration helped the user to know when they have successfully pressed a key.

The firm said applications, videos and games have been speeded up by Qualcomm's new 1Ghz Snapdragon mobile processor.

The handset runs a customised version of Microsoft's Windows mobile software.

Microsoft's chief executive Steve Ballmer said its partnership with HTC had delivered "great phones that help customers to connect to the people and information they care about, wherever they are".

Mr Ballmer said the HTC HD2 "shows what's possible".

He added the handset "breaks new ground for Windows phones by delivering a beautiful multi-touch screen that people will love".

The HD2 offers a 5-megapixel camera, compared with the iPhone 3GS's 3-megapixel.