HTC ChaCha & Salsa officially launched in Malaysia

HTC has officially announced the HTC ChaCha and HTC Salsa in Malaysia which aims to offer greater Facebook experience. Running on the latest Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread with HTC Sense UI, both Chacha and Salsa also comes with a dedicated Facebook button prominently placed at the front. This makes sharing on Facebook easy with a press on the button, be it status update, photos or even the title of the song that you’re listening to.

When HTC ChaCha and Salsa was announced at MWC, both devices had 600MHz processors. Today HTC has upgraded both to 800MHz and it comes with 512MB of RAM and 512MB of ROM.

The ChaCha has a full QWERTY keyboard with a 2.6″ touch screen with 480×320 resolution while the Salsa is a full length touch screen device with a 3.4″ display supporting 480×320 resolution as well. Both has 5MP camera at the back and a VGA camera in the front. In terms of connectivity, the rest are pretty much the same with your usual Bluetooth 3.0, GPS, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n with hotspot capabilities and microSD expansion.

The HTC ChaCha is available in 3 colours – Modern White, Phantom Black and Amethyst Purple, and it is priced at RM1,099. Maxis will also be offering this on contract beginning early July which is just a few weeks away. Meanwhile the HTC Salsa which is available in Blue will be priced at RM1,499. Both devices are available at all authorised HTC resellers. Earlier on, the HTC Salsa had an early appearance through DiGi’s FB contest.

Full press release after the jump.

HTC UNVEILS TWO SOCIAL PHONES WITH
ONE-TOUCH FACEBOOK® ACCESS

HTC raises the bar for mobile social phones with the HTC ChaCha™ and HTC Salsa™

MALAYSIA – 21 June, 2011 – HTC Corporation, a global leader in mobile innovation and design, today announced two new phones built entirely to be social, combining the simplicity, ease-of-use and depth of HTC SenseTM with the power and connectivity of Facebook®. Unveiled at Mobile World Congress held in Barcelona, Spain earlier this year, the HTC ChaCha and HTC Salsa feature a dedicated Facebook® button for one-touch access to the key functions of the Facebook service that are integrated throughout the HTC Sense experience.

“The new HTC ChaCha and HTC Salsa offers a new unique way to experience Facebook on a mobile device to communicate with your circle of friends on a brand new level,” said Lennard Hoornik, President, South Asia Pacific, HTC Corporation. “With more than 500 million active users worldwide, Facebook has become synonymous with the social web and we wanted to create the ultimate socially connected phones with mass market appeal.”

“We have worked closely with HTC for several years on bringing Facebook to their devices and HTC ChaCha and HTC Salsa are the next stage,” said Henri Moissinac, Head of Mobile Business for Facebook. “HTC has brought Facebook to the new device in an innovative way enabling people to connect and share easily whenever they want, wherever they are.”

The Facebook button on the HTC ChaCha and HTC Salsa is context-aware, gently pulsing with light whenever there is an opportunity to share content or updates through Facebook. With a single press of the button, you can update your status, upload a photo, share a Website, post what song you are listening to, ‘check in’ to a location and more. For example, you can take a photograph of friends on your phone and upload it instantly to Facebook by simply pressing the button. Or let your friends know what song you’re listening to by pressing the button while listening to music on the phone. The track is automatically identified and shared on Facebook.

The new device features Android Gingerbread 2.3.3, the latest version, and use the latest iteration of HTC Sense to integrate Facebook throughout the HTC Sense experience. When you make a phone call, the dialer screen displays your friend’s latest status and photos, and even tells you if their birthday is approaching. The same updates are also displayed when you receive a call from a Facebook friend. You can also use your phone’s existing contacts to help you connect with them on Facebook or personalize your handset further with a number of new, Facebook-branded widgets.

The HTC ChaCha and HTC Salsa make it simple to stay in touch with your friends using Facebook Chat and Messages on your phone. Your Facebook messages and conversations are integrated within your phone and appear within your text and email inboxes alongside your regular conversations.
Stay connected with the smartphone for the Facebook generation – HTC ChaCha

The HTC ChaCha is designed to provide a seamless, social experience by enabling you to stay in touch with your friends anytime, anywhere. The unique tilt design shapes the display and physical QWERTY keyboard so it is easy to view and comfortable to type. Capture special moments in crisp details using the dual cameras, including a 5-megapixel color camera with auto focus and LED flash and a VGA front-facing camera. The ChaCha smartphone also brings the Internet to your fingertips with a 2.6-inch, 480 x 320 resolution landscape touch screen.

Your Facebook friends never felt closer – HTC Salsa
Boasting the same deep Facebook integration as the HTC ChaCha, the HTC Salsa provides a fast, high-performance smartphone experience. Capture the moment with the 5-megapixel camera or the front-facing VGA camera and immediately share it with friends on the generous 3.4-inch, 480 x 320 resolution touch display. Upload your photos to Facebook at the touch of a button.

Availability
The new HTC ChaCha comes in stunning shades of Modern White, Phantom Black and Amethyst Purple; and will be available at all HTC authorized resellers at a suggested retail price of RM 1,099. Maxis will have a subsidized contract price which will be available in all Maxis Centres and Maxis Exclusive Partners nationwide in early July 2011.

The HTC Salsa will be available in Blue through all HTC authorized resellers at a suggested retail price of
RM 1,499.

About HTC
HTC Corporation (HTC) is one of the fastest growing companies in the mobile industry. By putting people at the center of everything it does, HTC creates innovative smartphones and tablets that better serve the lives and needs of individuals. The company is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange under ticker 2498. For more information about HTC, please visit www.htc.com.