Digitimes, citing the Chinese-language Commercial Times, said HTC was committed to building two or three Google Android-based handsets in 2008. This apparently came straight from HTC boss Peter Chou, who spoke to foreign investors in Taiwan last week. When we heard from Chou at the Open Handset Alliance/Android launch, he seemed confident that HTC would be first or among the first to launch an Android handset in 2008, but did not say there would be others. Smartphone-lovers will be interested to know about a trio of extra tidbits Chou mentioned as well:
• It would be launching a 3G phone in the near future that did not use the Qualcomm-based chipset.
• The current TouchFlo technology seen on such phones as Sprint's HTC Touch wasn't necessarily the greatest—anyone with any iPhone experience would find it unresponsive, says I—and HTC will be introducing a new touch UI technology in 2008.
• As far as the WiMax rollout goes, HTC would release a WiMax/TD-WCDMA mobile phone either by the end of 2008 or beginning of 2009. [ Digitimes via IntoMobile]