Update: HTC Wildfire soon to be avaialble from Mobilefun for £229.95

HTC have announced an exciting new addition to its handset range which looks like  it might be putting the HTC Tattoo out to pasture.  Dubbed the “HTC Wildfire”, it could just as easily be dubbed the HTC Desire mini as it shares a lot of the key unique selling points of its big brother in particular:

• HTC Sense on board
• 5MP Camera with Flash.
• Radio
• Joystick

Where it differs is in its small form factor, inclusion of a QVGA capacitive screen and “weaker” 528Mhz processor which is comparable to the speedy HTC Hero specs.

Included with its version of HTC Sense is an innovative new feature called an “App Sharing Widget” which will allow users to share their favourite apps to other users. Whether you will be able to share the app love with “HTC” Sense users only  or if it will allow sharing to any Android user has yet to be confirmed.  Purely speculating, could this be a new feature built into Android 2.2 ??(or “FroYo”) or the next version of HTC sense.(Update- confirmed to any Android handset- not a Froyo feature )

Thanks to a new app sharing widget, HTC Wildfire enables you to recommend an application by email, text message or over social networks. Your friends will receive a link allowing them to find the application on the Android Market with a single click and download it to their phone.

Florian Seiche continued, “We understand that people need a better way to navigate their way through the tens of thousands of applications that are currently available on the Android Market. In fact, our own independent research found that consumers are not only hungry for the latest and most popular applications that their friends are using, they want an easier way to find and download them. For the first time ever, you can recommend the newest and coolest apps to a friend or group of friends with HTC Wildfire. With so many applications to choose from, there’s a world of content to discover and pass along to your friends.”

Clearly having a powerful handset at a more portable size and cheaper price point will clearly be of benefit to Android and HTC. This phone looks like a strong contender for mass market take-up, and if I was Apple I would be taking a second look at producing an Iphone Nano to counter its launch come September 2010.

(Update: HTC have released a video teaser of the phone:)

Here are some pictures of the handset to wet your appetite:

Update: Apps include- LED Flashlight app, Phone Transfer app(for migrating phones),App Sharing, Seperation of Video and Photogalleries.

Release date is currently Estimated for July 2010

Popularity: 42% [?]

Related posts:

1. HTC official ETA for Android 2.2 for HTC Desire, Legend and Wildfire
2. Offical: HTC Desire getting out Froyo this weekend
3. First Impressions: Hands on with HTC Desire and Legend
4. Android Help: What Phone: HTC Desire, HTC Legend or wait? asks Iphone user
5. HTC Sense android 2.2 leaked and fully functional!