HTC's New Rhyme Phone Now Available

Verizon recently unveiled its new HTC Rhyme phone, an Android phone designed mostly for women. The phone comes in rich plum color, and it’s packed with features.

The handset runs on Verizon’s third-generation (3G) network and costs about $199 after contract. The company expects the HTC Rhyme to become available in late September.

The HTC Rhyme offers the following features:

• A single-core, one gigahertz (GHz) processor.
• front and rear cameras (video graphics array (VGA) and 5 megapixel, respectively).
• A 3.7-inch super liquid crystal display (LCD) touchscreen with 800x480 resolution.
• Matching Bluetooth headset and headphones.
• A docking station that charges the phone and activates dock mode software for use as an alarm clock or music center through built-in Bluetooth capable speakers
• An armband for working out with the handset
• Tangle free headphones

The rear camera also has auto-focus, a light emitting diode (LED) flash, and a large aperture that works well in low-light conditions. Additional features include: Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), and a light up “charm” that glows when you miss a call.

Interestingly, the new phone also comes equipped with HTC Sense 3.5 software, giving the phone a more sleek appearance that previous versions. The home screen has a clean layout and you can now remove home pages, if desired.

The phone also has custom wallpapers, and you automatically upload photos to Facebook or Flickr.  The Rhyme phone will most likely appeal to a younger crowd who are attracted to its sleek design and robotic imagery.

The HTC Rhyme comes in three colors: Clearwater, Hourglass and Plum. The Rhyme smartphone is available this September in the United States (exclusively through Verizon Wireless), and across Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia in October.

The docking station, headphones, and charm are all included in the box, and the suggested retail price for the HTC Rhyme will be approximately $199.

With the growing demand for smartphones, Verizon expects its smartphone penetration to increase to more than 50 percent by the end of first quarter 2012.