Partnership with Microsoft will appeal to the enterprise market, says HTC

HTC has unveiled a new range of devices for Q4 2007, including an enterprise-oriented PDA, an updated version of its Touch phone that adds a keypad, and its Shift miniature laptop, which could prove attractive to mobile executives thanks to its small size and weight.

Available from late October, the new models include HTC's first device to run a full-blown version of Windows. The HTC Shift has a 7in touch-screen that folds flat over its qwerty keyboard, enabling it to be used as a Tablet PC. It has comprehensive connectivity, including 3G with HSDPA support, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. A feature called SnapVUE allows users to access email, calendar and contact information without having to boot into Windows itself.

The Shift is well-suited to everyday use just like a standard laptop, according to HTC European vice president Florian Seiche. "But wouldn't it be nice if your laptop weighed 800g, and was connected to a mobile network wherever you went?" he said.

HTC is also moving to address new opportunities it sees in the enterprise mobility market. Its P6500 handset follows the familiar Pocket PC form factor with a 3.5in touch screen, but includes GPS capability, a fingerprint scanner and two SDIO slots. It comes with 256MB memory, which can be expanded up to 1GB. A 3 megapixel camera allows the handset to scan barcodes and capture business card details, according to HTC.

Seiche said that HTC was well-placed to meet the needs of enterprise customers through its close partnership with Microsoft, mobile operators and systems integrators.

"The enterprise space is becoming very important beyond just mobile email, and operators recognise the need for close engagement," he said, adding that the Windows Mobile platform helped because it drove standardisation across different device form factors.

Also new, the HTC Touch Dual is an update to the compact Touch phone launched in June. The new model keeps the gesture-driven user interface of the Touch, but in a slider phone design, where the screen pushes up to reveal either a 12-key or 20 key dial pad.

The 20-key version is designed for speedier text entry and has two alphabetic characters per key, akin to the SureType keypad of RIM's BlackBerry Pearl phone.

HTC's new line-up is completed by the S730, targeted at the heavy messaging and email user. An updated version of the S710, it looks like a candybar phone but conceals a slide-out qwerty keyboard and adds 3G network capability over its predecessor.