HTC today formally introduced 'Universal', the palmtop-like PocketPC phone a number of European network operators have already announced, but on which the handset's vendor has kept quiet.

Microsoft's announcement yesterday of Windows Mobile 5.0 - aka 'Magneto' - provided the motivation for HTC, which claimed Universal is the "world's first" WM5 handset.

Universal first appeared (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/02/03/t_mobile_unveils_mda_iv/) in February, when T-Mobile announced the MDA IV in Germany. Soon after, it emerged (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/02/15/orange_htc_universal/) Orange was planning to rebadge the same device. Since then, Vodafone has joined (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/02/28/vodafone_htc_universal/) the others. It will offer Universal as the VPA IV.

All three branded Universals are expected to ship this later this year, though T-Mobile revised (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/03/17/t-mobile_delays_universal/) its original summer release to an autumn debut. HTC provided no better guidance beyond saying Universal will ship in the second-half of the year.

Universal builds on HTC's previous PocketPC phones by adding 3G support, along with a clamshell casing that reveales the device's QWERTY keyboard. Universal's screen can rotate and fold back to present the user with the more traditional tablet PDA form-factor. To support 3G video calls, there are twin cameras on board, and twin stereo speakers. There's quad-band GSM/GPRS in there too, along with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Windows Mobile 5.0 provides software support for 3G communications. It also integrates 'push-to-talk' functionality. ®

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