Taipei (ANTARA News/CNA) - Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC Corp. will launch two phones, powered by Microsoft`s new Mango Windows software, on the local market Wednesday, as it seeks to expand its product portfolio to compete with Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co.

HTC, the world`s No.5 smartphone maker, and Microsoft plan to jointly introduce in Taiwan the HTC TITAN and the HTC Radar, which were unveiled in London last month, according to an HTC press release.

The 4.7-inch TITAN has a huge virtual keyboard that allows for quick typing and it facilitates cloud storage of documents.

With the 3.8-inch HTC Radar, users can update on social networks without switching applications or disrupting the flow of conversation.

In the UK, the high-end TITAN is priced at $470 euros (US$629/NT$19,177) while the mid-range Radar is tagged at $314 euros.

The prices of the phones in Taiwan have not yet been announced.

The product launch notice came just days after HTC introduced its second Beats phone, the HTC Sensation XL, a 4.7-inch model that features Google`s Android software and enhanced audio technology from Beats Electronics.

Meanwhile, Samsung has decided to postpone the launch of its new Google phone, dubbed "Nexus Prime," which was scheduled for Oct. 11.

The South Korean company said it didn`t feel right to hold a product launch so close to Apple co-founder Steve Jobs` death.

Microsoft is betting on the release of its new Windows mobile platform to regain ground in the growing smartphone market, which is now dominated by the Android and the iOS operating systems.

According to the Market Intelligence and Consulting Institute (MIC), worldwide smartphone shipments will grow 35.8 percent year-on-year from 452 million units this year to 614 million units in 2012, with a compound annual growth rate of 25.8 percent during the next five years.

Android will remain the biggest smartphone OS in 2012, taking about 50 percent share of the market, while iOS and Windows will account for 19 percent and 13 percent, respectively, the MIC said.
(T.A045/H-AK)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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