When HTC CEO Peter Chou said last month that that the HD2 (aka the Leo) would be coming to the U.S. in early 2010, we weren't entirely sure whether to believe it. This is, after all, the guy who outted that the Touch Diamond 2 and Touch Pro 2 would receive updates to Windows Mobile 6.5 before Microsoft had even announced Windows Mobile 6.5. (Not that there ever was much doubt, but still ...)

Anyhoo, HTC today has made things officially official, if not still vague for us in the U.S. The HD2 is available now in Europe and Asia, and it "will be available with a major carrier in the US in early 2010." As for that major carrier? We're still leaning toward T-Mobile, or maybe Sprint. Full presser after the break.

Mobile Tech World via Engadget Mobile

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The same day Motorola declared its undying love for Google's Android operating system (and be sure to check out all the coverage at Android Central), Peter Chou, CEO of HTC, spoke with Forbes [via Giz] about his company's own loyalties. And they continue to spread throughout the smartphone world.

And Chou told Forbes that despite Windows Mobile's stagnation, HTC plans to stick with Microsoft as a partner. And it's not the first time he's done so.

HTC may be updating its brand, but it's sticking by its longtime partner, Microsoft. Though other handset makers such as Motorola have dropped Microsoft's Windows Mobile operating system in favor of Android, Chou says HTC has no plans to follow. That doesn't mean he's not frustrated with the software. "Windows Mobile innovation has been a little slow and interest in Windows Mobile phones has been declining," he admits.

HTC's solution is the HD2, a wafer-thin handset that combines a 4.3-inch touchscreen with a high-end processor for snappy downloads and fast Web browsing. The phone, which was unveiled earlier this month, runs the latest version of Windows Mobile (6.5) as well as some flashy HTC software. "We're working hard on these kinds of products to get excitement about Windows Mobile back," says Chou.

As much as we like to complain about certain markets not getting certain phones (i.e. the original Touch HD in the U.S.), would you really want HTC making cookie-cutter phones and handing them to anyone and everyone? HTC is more deliberate than that. Each phone has a purpose. Now we need Windows Mobile to do its part.

Just back from HTC's mega-packed press conference (no kidding, it was literally standing room only).  We've already posted on the HTC Touch Pro 2 and the HTC Diamond 2, but the best moment of the conference came at the end.  After Microsoft Exec Andy Lees took the stage and promised "more to come" about Microsoft's outing, HTC CEO Peter Chou re-took the stage and went ahead and said what Lees wouldn't: that announcement will be Windows Mobile 6.5

We can't blame Chou for doing it, though, because he wanted to make sure everybody knew that the Touch Pro 2 and the Touch Diamond 2 were both ready to rock with Windows Mobile 6.5 whenever it comes out and that anybody who gets one will get a free upgrade.  We also got a tiny bit more color on when the two devices will actually launch (with WM6.1): The Diamond 2 in "early Q2" and the Touch Pro 2 in "late Q2."

We have more to say on both of these phones, which are actually a bit more stellar than our previous posts let on (especially that Touch Pro 2.  Prepare for a few Zowie Moments.)

So this entry started as a simple post about how Laptop Mag [via Ciccone] has scored an interview with HTC CEO Peter Chou about HTC's plans for 2008. It's turned into an analysis of why I think the Windows Mobile interface works (and doesn't work) the way that it does and ends with 5 suggestions for Microsoft to improve it. Sometimes these things just sneak up on you.

First, let's get that interview out the way. Quite a bit of it is Android-centric (since that's due later this year), but there's plenty of crunchy Windows Mobile goodness to, er, crunch:

The Windows Mobile platform has a lot of good stuff inside, but the user interface has not been easy. It is very techy and not intuitive. HTC decided to innovate on the user experience, so we launched the HTC Touch and it was a great success. [emphasis mine]

Here's one other tidbit that Chou drops:

This year, we are coming out with even more exciting new product innovations, and we are more focused on the mobile Internet experience. Mobile Internet is going to be key in terms of making the experience more successful.

Will HTC fix our browser problem before Microsoft does? Ponder that for a second, then read on for my thoughts (and rants) about the Windows Mobile interface!

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