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HTC unveiled its latest Android smartphone, the Wildfire, and tapped it with a Q3 release in European and Asian markets.
Like many of the handset manufacturer’s recent offerings, the phone runs Android 2.1 and HTC’s customized Sense UI, aimed at keeping contacts closer. The device isn’t the hardware powerhouse that is a Droid Incredible or Evo 4G but that doesn’t appear to be the target demographic this time around.
HTC is aiming for the younger, more social crowd with the Wildfire. We previously reported that HTC was looking for help in naming its next handset. The name “Wildfire” won in a Facebook poll where fans were asked to pick a name that best represents a phone that was “playful and full of youth.”
Similar to previous Sense UI smartphones, the Wildfire comes with HTC’s custom widgets, including the Friend Stream widget application. Content from friends and contacts is gathered and organized from various social networking sources and displayed in one convenient place. The address book includes recent communication from various sources (text, e-mail, social networking), organized by threads.
Facebook also plays a bigger role in this handset than we’ve previously seen from HTC. The new HTC Caller ID displays Facebook updates and profile pictures of friends and family whenever a call is received. In addition to that, it lets you know if there is a birthday coming up for that person on the other end of the line.
The phone itself has a similar design as the HTC Desire, only slightly smaller. The smartphone features a 3.2-inch capacitive touch screen, a five-megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash, and an optical trackpad for navigation. Even though it’s not the high-end super phone we’ve seen lately, it still offers some respectable hardware. The 512MB ROM and 384MB RAM to are plenty enough for your typical user.
Other details include an FM radio, proximity sensor, compass, and light sensor. Look for a price as we get closer to the Q3 release. No word yet about whether we might see the Wildfire make its way to North America.
