Taiwanese sources are reporting on some interesting future plans for smartphone maker HTC.

The handset manufacturer has joined forces with Intel to develop what the chip-maker recently dubbed as "Mobile Internet Device" products.

According to "sources in Taiwan's handset industry" the new offerings, due to launch in 2008, are said to have "handset functions" and will rival products like Nokia's N800.

Even with the addition of voice functionality, the insiders see the new MIDs, said to be "competitively" priced, "squeezing" the market share currently enjoyed by UMPCs.

As well as the MIDs planned, HTC will also launch its "Diamond-series" smartphones in the second quarter of 2008.

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