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HTC aims Tattoo Android phone at the masses

The Taiwanese manufacturer sets a release date for the HTC Tattoo, a lower-cost follow-up to the Hero, the company's first self-branded Android handset
By Karen Friar, Contributor
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1 of 4 Karen Friar/ZDNET

HTC on Tuesday launched the Tattoo, an Android-based handset aimed at a wider market than its first self-branded Android device, the Hero.

The Tattoo will be released in Europe in October, and will be rolled out to the rest of the world after that, HTC said. It will be available through operators, an HTC spokesperson confirmed, without specifying which mobile carrier is offering the phone. The Tattoo will be free with a £25-per-month contract running for 18 months, the spokesperson said.

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2 of 4 Karen Friar/ZDNET

Like the Hero, its higher-end predecessor, the touchscreen Tattoo comes with the HTC Sense user interface. As well as providing a touch-control skin, the interface allows one search across email accounts in Microsoft Exchange, Gmail and other webmail services.

The Tattoo also has integrated access to Google Maps, search and the Android Market for downloading mobile apps.

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3 of 4 Karen Friar/ZDNET

Buyers will be able to 'ink' the cover of the phone with their own customised design, the Taiwanese manufacturer said. Alternatively, they can choose a cover from a range of colours and designs available to alter the appearance of the handset.

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4 of 4 Karen Friar/ZDNET

The device, which is powered by a 528MHz Qualcomm MSM7225 processor, measures 106mm x 55.2mm x 14mm and weighs 113g. It has a 2.8-inch touchscreen, a 3.5mm headphone jack and a 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera.

The quadband handset comes with Wi-Fi, HSDPA and Bluetooth connectivity, and has an internal GPS antenna.

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