Hero’s specs are very much similar to its predecessor HTC Magic, but ups the ante with a 5-megapixel autofocus camera, 3.5mm stereo headset jack, Adobe Flash support, HTC Sense UI, and improved battery life.

HTC Hero comes with a 3.2-inch TFT-LCD touch-sensitive screen with 320×480 HVGA resolution. a 5 mega-pixel autofocus camera and expandable MicroSD memory. HTC Hero also includes a GPS, digital compass, gravity-sensor, Quad-band GSM, trackball, 802.11b/g WiFi and Bluetooth 2.0.

A dedicated Search button enables you to locates people in your contact list, finds emails in your inbox, searches through appointments in the calendar or search in any other area in Hero. HTC is also providing a new profile feature called scenes that allows you to create different customized content profiles about specific events or times in your life.

The HTC Hero will be available in Europe starting  July and in Asia later in the summer. A distinct North American version will be available later in 2009.

HTC Hero specifications:

HSPA/WCDMA: 900/2100 MHz

Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz

Processor: Qualcomm MSM7200A, 528 MHz

Memory ROM: 512 MB / RAM: 288 MB

Operating System: Android™

Display 3.2-inch TFT-LCD touch-sensitive screen with 320×480 HVGA resolution

5.0 megapixel camera with auto focus

Device Control Trackball with Enter button

Internal GPS antenna

Bluetooth 2.0 with Enhanced Data Rate and A2DP for wireless

Wi-Fi: IEEE 802.11 b/g

3.5 mm audio jack

microSD memory card

G-sensor

Digital Compass

Battery: 1350 mAh

Talk time:

- Up to 420 minutes for WCDMA

- Up to 470 minutes for GSM

Standby time:

- Up to 750 hours for WCDMA

- Up to 440 hours for GSM

Dimensions: 112 x 56.2 x 14.35 mm

Weight: 135 grams

Audio supported formats: MP3, AAC(AAC, AAC+, AAC-LC), AMR-NB, WAV, MIDI and Windows Media Audio 9

Video Supported Formats: MPEG-4, H.263, H.264 and Windows Media Video 9.

Demo video:

When the HTC Magic was released, a lot of people immediately compared it to the iPhone. With its looks and features, this was pretty much predictable. But how does the HTC Magic compare to the iPhone? Is it better? Will it finally topple over iPhone’s reign as leader of the smartphones?

At first look, one will see that the HTC Magic is well-designed. It is definitely better-looking than the T-Mobile G1, the only other android phone available in the UK. Unlike the G1, the HTC Magic does not have a slide-out keyboard. This makes the device more compact and a whole lot lighter. Obviously, the touchscreen is a little bit smaller, too, and this can be a problem for some people. Right below the screen are buttons for navigating the device. There is a trackball that proves to be useless as you can navigate the menu through the touchscreen. When it comes to inputting text, you have to use the on-screen virtual keyboard. This takes some getting used to and some might say that a real slide-out keyboard would have been better, but if you have an Unlimited Texts contract I am sure you will still text the best as the HTC Magic’s responsive screen makes typing so much easier. The vibrate feedback is also a great help. Another good aspect is the accelerometer, which allows you to change from vertical to horizontal orientation. This is especially helpful when you’re viewing web pages.

The aspect where more work should have been done is the camera. The HTC Magic has a 3.2 MP camera that has no flash or micro mirror. This means that the chance of you getting nice shots in low light is slim to none. Photo and video quality is not very impressive. Having said this, in normal light the camera is adequate.

Generally, the HTC Magic is better than the G1. If you are into android phones and you already have the G1, we recommend getting an upgrade by purchasing an HTC Magic. It may not be as nice as an iPhone but this HTC Mobile is still a great device.

The Windows Mobile 6.1 Pro-powered smartphone features a 2.76 inch touchscreen display, a 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera, and a microSD card slot. The device integrates several Verizon services, including Visual Voice Mail, VZ Navigator, and Mobile IM. The HTC Touch Diamond also has Bluetooth support with EDR and A2DP for stereo headsets.

The HTC Touch Diamond will be available for $299.99 after a $70 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement.

HTC Touch Diamond Specifications:

* 2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
* 3G Network HSDPA 850 / 1900
* Qualcomm® MSM7200A™, 528 MHz Processor
* Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional OS
* Main Display 2.76-inch VGA touchscreen, resolution 480 x 640 pixels.
* 3.2 megapixel Camera with autofocus
* Email POP3/IMAP4/Web-based
* Bluetooth 2.0 +EDR, A2DP
* Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g
* Memory 256MB ROM, 192MB RAM, microSD
* Size: 101mm x 53mm x 15mm (4.0in x 2.1in x .6in)
* Weight:    119g (4.2oz)
* Battery:    1340mAh
* Battery Life up to 5 hours talk time and up to 15 days standby time.