HTC ChaCha gets CPU bump, now 33 percent faster

Early adopters of the HTC ChaCha were treated to a nice surprise, as HTC had quietly upgraded the handset’s 600MHz processor.

The so-called Facebook Phone will now arrive running an 800MHz Qualcomm SoC chipset, providing a 33 per cent speed boost which should translate into a whizzier status updating and speedier stalking. This comes just days after the ChaCha received its first update, delivering “application and system enhancements”.



Besides its CPU boost and unspecified tweaks, the rest of its the ChaCha’s specs remain unchanged. This means users will be greeted by a 2.6-inch touchscreen, a full portrait QWERTY, and HTC’s Facebook-focussed Gingerbread UI and dedicated networking key. There’s also a 5 megapixel rear-facing camera, a VGA videocall cam, and HSDPA and WiFi connectivity.

The HTC ChaCha is now on sale at Phones4U, and is available to order on Orange and Vodafone tariffs. Prices start from just £20 per month, which’ll bag you a free handset, you 200 minutes, 300 texts and a 250MB data allowance.

HTC Trophy with Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless is the last of the four major carriers to join the Windows Phone game, but better late than never, right? The HTC Trophy is available now for $149.99 with a two-year contract and after a $50 mail-in rebate. Customers who buy the smartphone before July 15 will also get a free Xbox 360 console game and can choose from Halo: Reach, Kinect Sports, and Lode Runner.

Measuring 4.67 inches tall by 2.42 inches wide by 0.47 inch thick, the Trophy is a compact handset with a solid construction and soft-touch finish.

The Trophy features a 3.8-inch WVGA touch screen along with the requisite three hardware buttons below the display: back, Start, and search. Windows Phone allows you to customize the Start screen with live tiles that act as shortcuts to hubs, your favorite contacts, Web sites, and much more.

On top of the phone, you'll find the power button and 3.5mm headphone jack.

Just to mix things up, HTC made the insides of the phone red. On back, you'll also find the Trophy's 5-megapixel camera and LED flash.