The Chinese arm of Taiwanese smartphone-maker HTC has released details of three new Android-based devices that are planned for launch in China later this year. According to an IDG News interview with Jackie Zhang, marketing director at Dopod, HTC’s Chinese distributor, the three phones are the HTC Hero, a low-end device called the HTC Click, and a version of the HTC Magic adapted for China’s homegrown TD-SCDMA standard. The devices will be the first Android-based phones to launch in China – the world’s largest mobile market – and Zhang said that Dopod is planning to offer as many as seven further Android phones next year.

The HTC Click, which has yet to launch anywhere else in the world, will launch in China in 4Q09 at a price point around JPY3,400 (US$500), Zhang said. It will come with two detachable front covers that let users change the colour of the handset. The phone supports WCDMA, the 3G standard used by second-placed operator China Unicom. Meanwhile, the HTC Hero, which has already been launched by HTC in North America and Europe, will cost around JPY5,600 and will also work with Unicom’s network. According to Zhang, the phone could start shipping in China late this month if it passes China’s testing and security procedures. Meanwhile, the TD-SCDMA-based version of the HTC Magic is set for launch either late this year or next. The phone is designed for China Mobile’s TD-SCDMA network and will use OMS (Open Mobile System), the operator’s own Android-based mobile platform.