HTC have announced that they will bring Microsoft’s next generation of Windows phones – ‘Windows Phone 7 Series’ to the market later this year.

Unveiled at Mobile World Congress 2010, the new software for ‘7 Series’ offers a fresh approach to smart phones, by bringing together applications and content from the web to give the user a very personal and relevant experience. With this news, HTC builds on its Windows Phone leadership and extends its commitment to offering customers the most innovative mobile phone experiences available.

“Windows Phone 7 Series is a significant milestone for Microsoft, the industry and ultimately people looking to do more on their phones. HTC is working closely with Microsoft to bring the unique HTC experience that customers love,” said Peter Chou, chief executive officer of HTC Corporation. “Microsoft has clearly listened to feedback from people and brought a new, fresh approach to the smartphone experience that is beautiful, powerful and compelling.”

For the first time ever, Microsoft will bring together the Xbox LIVE games and the Zune music and video experience to the mobile phone, exclusively on 7 Series phones. The design for Windows Phones 7 Series concentrates on every aspect, from its visually appealing layout and motion to its function and hardware integration.

On the Start screen, dynamically updated “live tiles” show users real-time content directly, breaking the mold of static icons that serve as an intermediate step on the way to an application. Create a tile of a friend, and the user gains a readable, up-to-date view of a friend’s latest pictures and posts, just by glancing at Start.

Every Windows Phone 7 Series phone will come with a dedicated hardware button for Bing, providing one-click access to search from anywhere on the phone, while a special implementation of Bing search provides intent-specific results, delivering the most relevant Web or local results, depending on the type of query.

“People are moving faster than ever, juggling more priorities and turning to technology to manage it all. Windows Phone 7 Series simplifies common tasks by bringing together related content from the web, applications and services into a single view to make life easier,” said Andy Lees, senior vice president of Mobile Communication Business at Microsoft. “We are pleased to work closely with HTC, a global leader in mobile phone technology and design, to bring new Windows phones to customers around the world.”

Keep an eye on the blog for further information on 7 Series handsets and release dates.