Both Vodacom and MTN have claimed that they hold the exclusive rights to sell different HTC phones in South Africa.  MTN has claimed exclusive rights to sell the HTC Dream in many different African markets.  On the other hand, Vodacom has exclusive rights to the HTC Magic in South Africa.  When Vodacom releases the HTC Magic in South Africa, they plan to open an apps store as well.  Which company will sell the most HTC devices in South Africa and claim victory in this competition?  Only time will tell, but what is certain is that HTC wins no matter what.

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Several images of an HTC Magic running Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync have been floating around the internet lately, and we’ve finally gotten a firm answer on how an Android phone is syncing with Microsoft.  Apparently, HTC added the Exchange support without any involvement from Google.  HTC generally customizes Windows Mobile on all of its devices, so it’s no real surprise to see them doing a little customization on Android.  However, note that these customized Magics will not say “with Google” because, well, Google has forbidden HTC from using their name on any device that uses a customized OS.  Whether a carrier offers the standard version of Android or the customized version is completely up to them.

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Every now and then we hear a really bizarre story connected to HTC in some way.  Today, that story concerns a user over at PPCGeeks.  He had a spare HTC Touch Pro battery in his back pants pocket (why?  who knows).  Well, he left it in the pocket overnight, and the next day, he smelled smoke.  It turns out that the battery had expanded and actually started a fire!  While there wasn’t enough oxygen to really blaze up, the battery did ruin the pants.  Fortunately, this is not something that happens very often.  In fact, the conditions necessary for it are fairly rare…as long as you don’t leave your battery in your pants!

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Starting next week, German O2 customers will be able to get their hands on the O2 XDA Diamond 2, the name the HTC Touch Diamond 2 is going by in Germany.  The O2 version of the Touch Diamond 2 doesn’t look that much different from HTC’s basic version, unlike T-Mobile’s version of the handset.  If you’re in Germany and interested in the O2 XDA Diamond 2 but don’t have the money right away, you can pay it out in 24 monthly installments of 17.50 euros.

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If you’re a Sprint user, you may be interested in these shots of the HTC Willow.  Basically, the Willow is a CDMA version of HTC’s newest and hippest phone, the HTC Snap.  The two are quite similar in specs as well as look: the Willow features a 528 MHz Qualcomm processor, 128 MB of RAM, 256 MB of ROM, Bluetooth 2.1, a two megapixel camera, and will run Windows Mobile 6.1.  The Willow and Snap both look somewhat like a Blackberry, right down to the front QWERTY keyboard.  The Willow’s keyboard is actually laid out just a bit differently than the Snap, but it’s nothing major.  Sprint plans to launch the Willow in the US on June 7th for only $149.

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The higher state court in Karlsruhe, Germany, has ruled in favor of HTC in the case brought against them by IPCom.  IPCom had previously won an injunction on the sales of any cell phone that used UMTS technology, claiming that HTC was in violation of their patents.  However, the courts have said that HTC is well within their rights to sell UMTS devices in Germany, including the HTC Magic and the G1.  However, the court’s reason behind this move was that HTC made 85% of all of its profits in Germany from UMTS devices.  They did not actually give an opinion as to whether or not HTC had infringed on IPCom’s patents.  This means that while the injunction is over, the trial will probably continue well into next year.

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This is a device we haven’t heard much of, and we’re not exactly sure what’s going on with it.  It’s called the HTC U1000, aka the Advantage, and it is a PDA that contains many of the same features as a notebook computer.  It has a full QWERTY keyboard, a swivel touch screen, and is larger and bulkier than most smart phones.  That will be a turnoff form many, of course, but the fact that this device sounds so powerful may make it a permanent replacement for your notebook computer.  Of course, if you’re concerned about holding this large device up to your ear, just get a Bluetooth set!  In addition to all of its computing abilities, the HTC U1000 also features GSM, EDGE, GPRS, HSDPA, and 3.5G connectivity and more.

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Knock off handsets are always interesting to see.  This time around, it looks like the HTC Touch Pro has been cloned in China (and we thought people were only interested in cloning sheep).  The Touch Viva, as they call it, features a 3.2 megapixel camera, a 2.8 inch touch screen, GSM and quad-band EDGE, and Wifi.  But it also features something much more interesting: it runs Windows Mobile 6.5, the updated operating system that Microsoft has yet to release.  Wow, two knock offs at once?  It looks like it.  What will it cost?  Only 1099 yuan, which translates to around $161 USD.  If you want to be one of the first to play with WiMo 6.5, it may be worth it.

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