HTC Touch Cruise with built-in GPS enhances the HTC Touch Family

HTC have just announced the latest addition to their HTC Touch Family - HTC Touch Cruise. It is the successor to HTC Artemis and comes complete with the enhanced finger-poking HTC TouchFLO technology plus the funky new HTC Album and keyboard additions we saw on the HTC Touch Dual. You also get the HTC Home system with real-time weather, large clock, quick app launcher and access into ringtone settings. HTC Touch Cruise is also equiped with new-style wheel system and built-in GPS functionality and software.

HTC Touch Cruise Specifications:

* Qualcomm 7200 chipset
* Built-in GPS receiver
* TomTom mapping
* 400MHz CPU
* TouchFLO UI
* 256MB/128 MB ROM/RAM
* Wi-Fi connectivity
* Bluetooth 2.0
* GSM / EDGE/UMTS/HSDPA up to 3.6Mbps
* 2.8" QVGA Touch Screen
* FM Radio
* Micro SD memory card
* Windows Mobile 6.0
* HTC Home screen

Press Release

HTC Corp. (TAIEX: 2498; "HTC"), the world's leading provider of Microsoft Windows Mobile smart devices, today launched the HTC Touch Cruise, the third member of the HTC Touch product family and the first to feature built-in GPS for personal navigation. Building on the popularity of the HTC Touch and the HTC Touch Dual, the Touch Cruise also includes 3G-HSDPA wireless connectivity.

Users on the move will easily be able to interact with the HTC Touch Cruise's navigation functionality and can take advantage of HTC's TouchFLO technology, which enhances finger touch scrolling and browsing of Web pages, documents, messages and contact lists, controlled by simply sweeping a finger across the screen. TouchFLO also offers the ability to view photos and photo slideshows using on-screen controls and to zoom and rotate images with only one hand.

Stylish and sleek in design, the Touch Cruise is further illustration of HTC's commitment to innovation and to building a suite of touchscreen devices that cater to a variety of customer needs and styles. The HTC Home screen provides one-touch access to emails, text messages, calendar appointments and contacts, as well as current weather conditions and forecasts for hundreds of cities around the world. Users can then simply sweep their finger up the display to launch an animated, three-dimensional interface comprising three screens: Contacts, Media and Applications. The interface can be spun by swiping a finger right or left across the display, providing efficient access to the features consumers use most.

The new Touch Cruise boasts of super fast HSDPA/3.5G connectivity plus Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, making it a highly connected device for consumers on the move. Its 2.8" screen is great for enjoying mobile multimedia and because it runs on Windows Mobile 6 Professional, the built-in Windows Media Player is ideal for music and movies.

Florian Seiche, VP of HTC Europe, commented, "The original HTC Touch has already been a phenomenal success, and the HTC Touch Cruise with fully integrated GPS adds another dimension to our leading touchscreen device family. We firmly believe in the importance of choice – one device does not fit everyone's needs – and we're proud to have been able to launch three HTC Touch devices since June."

The Touch Cruise utilizes mapping and navigation solutions from TomTom. This navigation software comes complete with a taster city map or the option of full maps of Western Europe. Other key features include a 3 megapixel auto focus camera, FM radio and microSD memory card slot for adding to the 128MB RAM. The device will be available from both retailers and SIM free from HTC starting this month.

Launched in June 2007, the HTC Touch was the first member of the HTC Touch family and has proven to be a massive hit since it launched. The HTC Touch Dual, which features HSDPA connectivity and a sliding keypad, was launched in October 2007.