[HTC launches the Touch Cruise, the first mobile to offer HTC Footprints - an application enabling users to capture a digital postcard on their phone, take notes and make an audio clip while identifying its location using GPS co-ordinates. It will launch in select ME regions beginning this month.]

Dubai -- HTC Corporation, a global leader in mobile phone innovation and design, today announced its latest personal navigation handset with inbuilt GPS in ME market. The new HTC Touch Cruise™, an update to 2008’s popular HTC GPS device of the same name, boasts a new, more compact design and a host of new capabilities to offer a richer and more intuitive experience in one powerful package.

The new HTC Touch Cruise is the first mobile phone to offer HTC Footprints, an application experience that enables people to permanently chronicle their special moments by capturing a digital postcard on their phone. Once captured, Footprints provides the ability to take notes and an audio clip of that favorite restaurant or special place while identifying its specific geographical location. In addition to identifying each postcard with its specific GPS co-ordinates, Footprints also auto-names each postcard with its general location or area.

Flipping back through their photos, HTC Touch Cruise users will be able to retrace their steps to that exact location in just a few touches. Unlike other devices with geo-tagging functionality, HTC Footprints works effectively outdoors and indoors, offering a more accurate record of location for future reference and navigation.

“Just as we have seen GPS technology transform how people navigate to new places, we are now seeing location-based applications like HTC Footprints changing how we interact and carry our memories,” said Kevin Chen, General Manager, HTC Middle East and Africa and CIS.

The HTC Touch Cruise is also an advanced in-car navigation system. When placed into its accompanying car cradle, the HTC Touch Cruise automatically transforms its user interface into an easy-to-use, one-touch interface that provides seamless turn-by-turn directions. Boasting a compact and sleek design with a 2.8 inch QVGA display, the HTC Touch Cruise is a further demonstration of HTC’s continued commitment to innovation, providing consumers with a variety of devices designed to meet their individual needs. Using HTC’s TouchFLO technology, the HTC Touch Cruise provides fingertip access to phone, contacts, email, messaging, calendar and GPS applications, making it a strong all-around device.

The new HTC Touch Cruise will be available through all the major retailers in selected ME regions starting with UAE from mid March at an estimated end user pricing of $654 USD (AED 2399).

As a part of the launch and channel enablement program, HTC has conducted training activities to provide product knowledge and educate channel partners, retailers and promoters about the all new Touch Cruise. The training roadshow was conducted across various cities including Dubai in UAE and Al Khobar, Jeddah and Riyadh in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The training sessions received overwhelming response from the partners, demonstrating the strength of HTC’s channel network and channel relationship in the respective regions.

Key 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

• (mini-USB 2.0 and audio jack in one)?Interface: HTC ExtUSB

• Battery: 1100 mAh

• Talk time: GSM: up to 400 minutes

• Standby time: GSM: up to two weeks

• Chipset: Qualcomm® MSM7225™, 528 MHz

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