Good things may not necessarily come to everyone who waits, but American users looking to grab an HTC HD2 sure will. Released in Europe and Asia back in November of last year, it did seem odd that the US was at the rear end of the handset's rollout schedule. Now we know why: they're getting a better version of the best Windows Mobile phone currently around.
According to the smartphone's official page (link below), the T-Mobile USA version will come with 576MB of RAM and 1GB of ROM. That's a serious upgrade from the 448MB of RAM and 512MB of ROM on the previously-released variants. It will also get a 16GB card preloaded, compared to the default 2GB on the lowly European and Asian versions.
Apart from memory, the rest of the HTC HD2 will remain unchanged. To recap the specs, the handset features a 4.3-inch touchscreen (800 x 480 resolution), aGPS, a 5.0 megapixel camera module and high-speed connectivity (both HSDPA and Wi-Fi). The US version will also come with Windows Mobile 6.5 pre-installed.
Now, why is memory such an issue? Because the Windows Marketplace insists on installing apps on internal storage. That means, the bigger your memory, the more apps you can cram into the phone. More importantly, though, Windows Mobile 7 will require 1GB of ROM - a spec HD2s in other regions won't be sufficiently qualified for.
The HTC HD2 will debut in T-Mobile USA's roster beginning early Spring. Pricing isn't known yet. Given the tendency for smartphones to use the iPhone as the bar, though, expect it at around $200 with a two-year tie-in.
[HTC via WM Power User]
