HTC HD2 high-end WM6.5 smartphone packs a mighty punch

HTC has officially launched the  HD2, a glossy, sumptuous delight of a smartphone featuring a truly stunning interface.

It’s hard to believe, but lurking under those glossy sheets of goodness is the beastly Windows Mobile 6.5 OS, but HTC have done such a magnificent job you’d barely know it’s there.

The spec sheet is positively dreamy too, with a massive 4.3″ WVGA (480 X 800 pixels)  capacitive display, with the handset powered by a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, backed by 512MB ROM / 448MB RAM and a microSD card slot.

There’s also a 5 megapixel camera with autofocus and dual-LED flash onboard, plus Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, G-sensor, with HTC’s Sense UI overlay whipping up the eye candy.

The phone – also known as the HTC ‘Leo’ – measures up at 120.5 x 67 x 11mm, and weighs just 157g.

Battery life is listed at a respectable 380 minutes of talktime and up to 490 minutes of standby time, with an extended battery pack doubling those times due after the launch.

Completing the package is a handy stand for the HTC, so users can skap the handset on a table and watch films on the hi-res screen.

Early reports have been encouraging too, with Engadget reporting:

We were frankly blown away with how slick this phone is. Mind you, WM 6.5 still shows its not-so-fresh colors here and there, but he general experience of using the device is handled mainly through the Sense interface, and it blows the hinges off of any other Windows phone experience we’ve had. Ever. From the lag-free gestures which get you around the device, to image pinching and zooming with that aforementioned multitouch, the hesitation-free jumps in and out of applications, and typing on the sprawling, HTC-ified onscreen keyboard, using the HD2 is a joy.

The HTC HD2 is expected to hit the UK at the end of this month. It’s not going to be cheap, mind, but it’s surely a delightful looking handset.

See promo video here.

Specs galore!

CPU Processing Speed
1GHz Snapdragon processor

Power & Battery
Battery type: Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery
Capacity: 1230 mAh

Talk time:
* WCDMA: Up to 320 mins
* GSM: Up to 380 mins

Standby time:
* WCDMA: Up to 390 hours
* GSM: Up to 490 hours

Camera
* 5 megapixel color camera
* Auto focus
* Dual LED flashlight

Video playback Up to 8 hours
Audio playback: Up to 12 hours

Connectors
* 3.5 mm stereo audio jack
* Standard Micro-USB
(5-pin micro-USB 2.0)

Sensors
* G-Sensor
* Proximity sensor
* Ambient light sensor

Home Screen
Home, People, Messages, Mail, Internet, Calendar, Stocks, Photos & Videos, Music, Weather, Footprints, Twitter, Settings

Social Networking

* Facebook integration
* Sharing photos on Facebook and Twitter
* Sharing videos on YouTube
* HTC Peep™ for twittering

Display
Type: Capacitive touch screen
Resolution: 480 X 800 WVGA

Operating System
Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional

Storage
* ROM: 512 MB
* RAM: 448 MB
* Expansion slot: microSD™ memory card (SD 2.0 compatible)

Network Bands

Europe: Network Bands
* HSPA/WCDMA: 900/2100 MHz
* GSM: 850/950/1800/1900 MHz

Asia Pacific:
* HSPA/WCDMA: 900/2100 MHz
* GSM: 850/950/1800/1900 MHz

Internet
* Browser: Opera Mobile™
* 3G:
Up to 7.2 Mbps download speed
Up to 2 Mbps upload speed
* GPRS: Up to 114 kbps download speed
* EDGE: Up to 560 kbps download speed
* Wi-Fi: IEEE 802.11 b/g

Tethering
* Internet Sharing through USB or Bluetooth
* Wi-Fi Router

Bluetooth
* Bluetooth® 2.1 with Enhanced Data Rate
* Supported profiles: A2DP, AVRCP, BIP, BPP, DUN, FTP, GAP, GOEP, HFP, HID, HSP, OPP, PAN, PBAP, SAP, SPP

Multimedia
* Windows Media Player
* Albums
* Pictures & Videos
* FM Radio
* Audio supported formats:
.aac, .amr, .m4a, .mid, .mp3, .mp4, .qcp, .wav, .wma
* Video supported formats:
.wmv, .asf, .mp4, .3gp, .3g2, .m4v, .avi

Location
* Internal GPS antenna
* HTC Footprints™
* Digital Compass
* NaviPanel

HTC website