HTC HD Mini and Legend launches this weekend in Singapore

Availability: 9th April 2010, via all three telcos SingTel, StarHub and M1, and all authorized resellers
Retail Price: S$748 (including GST), without plan
Quick highlights: Windows Mobile 6.5.3 phone, 3.2 inch HVGA 320×480 screen, 5 megapixel camera
Full Specifications: You can find it on HTC’s site here

In essence, it is a clone of HTC’s HD2, but shrunk down into a smaller form factor.

“It’s a ladies phone,” said Kathleen Goy, HTC’s Singapore marketing communications manager at the media launch of the phone today. HTC’s customer feedback showed that some — especially women — felt that the HD2, with its 4.3 inch screen, was too “clunky and large”.

So, in a bid to sexy up the phone for women, the screen size was shrunk so that it fits comfortably in petite tote bags and jeans pockets.

Other changes include a slower processor (Qualcomm 600Mhz processor vs the HD2 Snapdragon 1Ghz), the addition of a better camera (5 megapixel vs the HD’s 3.2 megapixel), and of course, a cheaper price (the HD Mini is about S$150 cheaper than the HD2).

I reviewed the HD2 last year for Digital Life. The most memorable thing that stood out about the HD2 was its humongous screen, and playing YouTube videos on it was a blast. With the HD Mini’s screen size being shrunk down, it takes away the best thing I liked about the phone. All I can say is that the HD Mini wasn’t designed for me, with my male Y-chromosome, in mind. 🙂

I fiddled with the HD Mini briefly and it seems that the phone is a bit slower than the HD2, and that is to be expected, with its slower processor. I suspect that battery life might be longer though, with its smaller screen size but almost same battery capacity. This really needs to be throughly tested in a review though.

The phone that I’m really excited about is the HTC Legend, which also launches today.

Availability: 9th April 2010, via all three telcos SingTel, StarHub and M1, and all authorized resellers
Retail Price: S$798 (including GST), without plan
Quick highlights: Android 2.1 (Ecclair) phone, 3.2 inch AMOLED HVGA 320×480 display, 5 megapixel camera
Full Specifications: You can find it on HTC’s site here

Alf picked HTC’s Legend as a phone to look out for during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona earlier this year. I’m not going to rehash his preview, so check out his excellent hands-on piece if you’re interested!