The touchscreen smartphone juggernaut that is HTC continues to roll forward - the firm has unveiled the successor to the Touch.

HTC's Touch 2: runs Windows Mobile 6.5

Unimaginatively called Touch 2, HTC described the handset as “compact and stylish”. Touch 2 is also one of the first official "Windows phones" – that’s smartphones running Windows Mobile 6.5, to you and me.

But it’s worth pointing out that HTC’s chosen to overlay its own user interface – TouchFlo – onto the Microsoft GUI.

HTC is keeping mum about the smartphone’s specific technical features for now, but from the pictures we can see that Touch 2 has a rear-mounted camera, a zoom panel running along the bottom of its touchscreen, and a Micro SD card slot.

We’d wager that the phone has decent connectivity capabilities, too, as HTC let slip that Touch 2 supports the re-designed Internet Explorer browser, Adobe Flash, MS' My Phone online back service and Windows Marketplace.

HTC’s Touch 2 will go on sale on 6 October. A price hasn’t been announced yet. ®