HTC unveiled its first two Windows Mango phones, as Microsoft looks to stake its claim in the smartphone market.
The Taiwanese phone maker introduced the Mango-powered Titan and Radar to its fans, with an official release set for next month in Asia and Europe. HTC did not announce prices or details on a U.S. release.
The Titan is the higher-end model of the two devices, featuring a 1.5-gigahertz Snapdragon processor, 16-gigabytes of internal memory and 4.7-inch touchscreen. The phone will also have a rear 8-megapixel cameras and a front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera.
HTC will use the Radar as a mid-range offering. The slightly smaller device will have a 1-gigahertz Snapdragon processor, a 3.8-inch touchscreen and 8-gigabytes of internal memory. The Radar will also feature a 5-megapixel-camera rear camera and a VGA front-facing camera.
Windows Phone Mango is Microsoft's answer to Google's Android OS and Apple's iPhone. The company has put together a well-reviewed OS that appears capable of stacking up with its competition, though it remains to be seen if the new phones sell well. HTC, typically an Android focused manufacturer, has given Microsoft some momentum by showing such early support for the platform.
Other Android phone makers like Samsung and LG are also reportedly working on Windows-based devices, but Microsoft's most important partnership is with Nokia. The company inked a deal with the Finnish phone maker to make Windows Phone the primary OS on future Nokia devices. Nokia is expected to begin rolling out Windows Mango phones in the beginning of next year.
Despite manufacturers' early support and critics' positive reviews, Microsoft still has an uphill battle to fight. The company trails Apple and Google in market share by more than 20 percent, and a new Nielsen survey revealed just one percent of prospective phone buyers plan to make a Windows Phone their next device.
However, HTC's Radar and Titan are just the beginning of Microsoft's planned renaissance for its Windows Phone OS. If HTC's new devices sell well, it may point to big things to come for Microsoft's mobile platform.
