HTC Merge official, packs CDMA and GSM for North America
updated 11:50 am EST, Fri February 25, 2011
HTC Merge official for North America in spring
HTC chose the unusual timing of a Friday after Mobile world Congress to formally launch the Merge. The long in progress Android 2.2 slider is HTC's first Android phone to have both CDMA and GSM, giving it the option both of reaching many carriers in North America and of letting CDMA subscribers roam in other parts of the world. A 3.8-inch, 480x800 screen and a five-megapixel camera with 720p video put it safely in the mid-range of the phone mix.
The phone builder didn't give out details of the Merge's launch but promised it as a rare instance of North America getting one of its phones first, as it would ship to the continent sometime in spring.
Most leaks have pointed to Verizon getting the phone, although this might be less likely given recent silence on the Merge and the absence of 4G. It more recently surfaced associated with Alltel. In Canada, the Merge won't need to use CDMA and could be attached to any carrier, although Bell and Telus are more probable than Rogers.
