HTC announced its latest personal navigation handset with inbuilt GPS. The new HTC Touch Cruise, an update to 2008’s HTC GPS device of the same name, boasts a new, more compact design and a host of new capabilities.

The new HTC Touch Cruise is the first mobile phone to offer HTC Footprints, an application experience that enables people to permanently chronicle their special moments by capturing a digital postcard on their phone. Once captured, Footprints provides the ability to take notes and an audio clip of that favourite restaurant or special place while identifying its specific geographical location. In addition to identifying each postcard with its specific GPS co-ordinates, Footprints also auto-names each postcard with its general location or area.

Flipping back through their photos, HTC Touch Cruise users will be able to retrace their steps to that exact location in just a few touches. Unlike other devices with geo-tagging functionality, HTC Footprints works effectively outdoors and indoors, offering a more accurate record of location for future reference and navigation.

“Just as we have seen GPS technology transform how people navigate to new places, we are now seeing location-based applications like HTC Footprints changing how we interact and carry our memories,” said Peter Chou, President and CEO, HTC Corporation.

The HTC Touch Cruise is also an advanced in-car navigation system. When placed into its accompanying car cradle, the HTC Touch Cruise automatically transforms its user interface into an easy-to-use, one-touch interface that provides seamless turn-by-turn directions.

Boasting a compact and sleek design with a 2.8 inch touch-sensitive QVGA display, the HTC Touch Cruise is a further demonstration of HTC’s continued commitment to innovation. Its size is 102 x 53.5 x 14.5mm, and it weights 103 grams. The operating system is Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, and it works on WCDMA/HSPA (900/2100MHz) networks. The HSDPA speed is 7.2 Mbps.

Using HTC’s TouchFLO technology, the HTC Touch Cruise provides fingertip access to phone, contacts, email, messaging, calendar and GPS applications.

The HTC Touch Cruise also features a Qualcomm MSM7225, 528 MHz chipset, 512 MB flash ROM and 256 MB RAM, microSD memory card slot, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g, and a 3.2 MP, with fixed focus camera. The talk time, in GSM networks, is up to 400 minutes, and the standby time, up to two weeks.

The new HTC Touch Cruise will be available to customers across all major global markets in spring 2009.