When HTC revealed its new flagship Windows Phone 7.5 handset, the TITAN, at the beginning of the month, many fans of HTC’s Android handsets looked on in envy at its vast 4.7” display, and its beautiful, slender aluminium unibody design. But those of you who’d prefer some Gingerbread to a serving of Mango need not worry, as it would appear that HTC has got you covered.
An image has been revealed by pocketnow.com of the HTC Runnymede, and if you’re familiar with the specs of the TITAN, you’ll know most of the Runnymede’s story already.
Powered by a single-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon MSM8255 processor and running Android 2.3.4 (Gingerbread), it has 768MB of RAM (compared with TITAN’s 512MB), and like its Windows Phone sibling, its 4.7” Super LCD comes with WVGA (480x800px) resolution.
An 8MP camera with dual LED flash, capable of 720p video recording, sits on the back of the sleek 9.9mm thick handset, with a 1.3MP camera up-front. As with TITAN, HTC is reported to have worked hard on ensuring that the camera performs well on Runnymede, and in addition to HD video capture, it can also record surround-sound thanks to its dual microphones, and is supposedly capable of recording video at a remarkable 60 frames per second.
HTC seems to have focused heavily on Runnymede’s multimedia credentials, which seems fitting, given the handset’s enormous display. It features DLNA for media streaming to/from other supported devices (such as a TV or PC), as well as SRS Surround Sound. It also has Beats Audio built in (a notable omission from TITAN’s spec sheet), and comes with an “iconic Beats solo headset [that] really helps you stand out from the crowd”, according to a retailer/operator information sheet seen by AndroidGuys.com. Access to the HTC Listen music store will also be offered, and it’s likely that the HTC Watch video store will also be accessible.
Runnymede will be available with two internal storage options, and preliminary pricing for the UK market has been revealed: the 16GB version is expected to cost £499 (around $790USD or €578EUR) off-contract, or free on a £40 ($64/€46) per month two-year contract; the 32GB version should be priced at £530 ($840/€614) at retail, or £49 ($78/€57) on a £40pm two-year plan.
Neowin"s Mike Brown went hands-on with the Runnymede"s Windows Phone 7.5 sibling, the HTC TITAN, earlier this month - check out his first impressions of the enormous handset.