For folks like me who were expecting/hoping for the HTC Touch HD to be released in the US, this device might be a consolation. A few days ago, HTC revealed their latest release, the all new HTC Touch Cruise (09) which is a remake of one of their popular handsets two years ago, a GPS mobile device called the HTC Touch Cruise.

HTC Touch Cruise Specifications:

• Size: 102 x 53.5 x 14.5mm
• Weight: 103 grams
• Connectivity: WCDMA/HSPA: 900/2100MHz. HSDPA 7.2 Mbps
• Operating system: Windows Mobile® 6.1 Professional
• Display: 2.8-inch TFT-LCD touch-sensitive screen with QVGA resolution
• Control panel: HTC TouchFLO™, 4-Way navigation wheel with Enter and HTC Footprints™ buttons
• Camera: 3.2 MP, with fixed focus
• Internal memory: 512 MB flash ROM, 256 MB RAM
• Expansion Slot: microSD™ memory card (SD 2.0 compatible)
• Bluetooth: 2.0 with EDR
• Wireless: Wi-Fi 802.11b/g
• GPS: GPS/A-GPS
• Interface: HTC ExtUSB (mini-USB 2.0 and audio jack in one)
• Battery: 1100 mAh
• Talk time: GSM: up to 400 minutes
• Standby time: GSM: up to two weeks
• Chipset: Qualcomm® MSM7225™, 528 MHz

Additional Photos:

For those of you who haven’t seen the predecessor or the first HTC Touch Cruise, here’s a photo:

The HTC Touch Cruise will be the first mobile phone to make use of the HTC Footprints button. What this application does is it lets users created and send digital postcards that contain images, sound and notes. Like its predecessor, the new Touch Cruise is also an in-car navigation system. All you need to do is place it on the car cradle (included in the package) and the HTC Touch Cruise becomes a touch screen GPS navigation device that provides turn-by-turn directions.

Like the HTC Touch HD, the Touch Cruise (09) features a full touchscreen user interface and doesn’t have a QWERTY keyboard. This might be a turn off for some users especially those who use their mobile devices for sending emails. Other than that, the HTC Touch Cruise (09) looks to be a promising mobile device and is definitely a prettier and better version than its predecessor.

The HTC Touch Cruise is scheduled to be released worldwide this spring. Good news for HTC fans here in the US, an unlocked GSM version will be available with a retail price of around $500-600.

[via BGR]