HTC Passion delayed to 2010, Espresso coming?
updated 08:50 am EST, Mon December 7, 2009
HTC Passion pushback matched by QWERTY Hero
HTC's long-rumored Passion phone may have been given a last-minute delay but will be compensated for through a second phone, according to a couple of new leaks. Sources said on Monday that the Android phone has been delayed from late 2009 to early 2010 to refine its software. The DigiTimes insiders also provide specs that have it as a flagship, with a 1GHz Snapdragon, a 3.5-inch OLED and multi-touch as the Passion's primary features.
It's not known if the Passion bears any relation to the Bravo, which has similar features but a different screen. Previous reports had the phone launching in both GSM and CDMA versions, the latter of which is likely destined for Verizon or Sprint.
In exchange for the delay, this rumor and a secondary code leak have HTC shipping a QWERTY slider variant of the Hero known as the Espresso. Apart from likely running Android 2.x by the time it's released, the phone would have the same 480x320 touchscreen and 528MHz processor as this year's touch-only phone. It should be introduced at Mobile World Congress in February.
