HTC started upgrading HTC Legend customers on Vodafone UK to Android 2.2 aka Froyo a week after it officially confirmed the move.

Despite the fact that the update got rolled out after the official launch, the decision to upgrade branded Legend phones before the unbranded ones sounded weird because HTC initially announced that the branded versions of HTC Legend were supposed to wait longer for the update than those with unbranded one.

Vodafone seems to be the only network on which the Legend update is being provided in the UK, Germany and France though this needs to be confirmed. Vodafone UK users using the HTC Legend need to check the updates area on their handset for the upgrade.

It was in spring 2010 that the HTC Legend got unveiled in the market with Android 2.1 onboard. Powered by a Qualcomm MSM 7227 600MHz processor, the handset has a 3.2-inch AMOLED capacitive TouchScreen with 320 x 480 pixels resolution to provide 16 million colours.

The HTC Legend has HTC Sense UI, 384 MB RAM, 512 MB ROM, a microSD slot for memory up to 32 GB, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, GPS with A-GPS, HSUPA, HSDPA 7.2 Mbps, and a 5-Megapixel camera with LED Flash and Autofocus.

If you are one of those who have been awaiting the launch of the much talked about Smartphones, HTC Desire and HTC Legend then you should be feeling happy. The interesting news is that Vodafone is going to offer these two HTC handsets on Vodafone contracts starting April.

Vodafone has not yet fixed any dates for the launch nor has it shared any information related to the tariff plans for any of the devices; ahowever it has asked users to register for information on its website.

T-Mobile was the only one offering the HTC Desire earlier; however Vodafone’s entry could lead to some price war between the two service providers.

As known to most of us, HTC has built the handset Nexus One for Google and the Desire is HTC’s offering on the same lines albeit with its proprietary HTC Sense UI and a better screen. And given the fact that the face-off between the two handsets is due in April, it will be interesting to see which one has the customers’ wow.

If any of you thought that the new HTC legend is just another version of HTC Hero then I bet you guessed it wrong.  The buzz is about the latest release of the new HTC Legend mobile handset.

Though the HTC legend has a low 600MHz processor when compared to Nexus’ 1GHZ processor applications run very smooth.  Now copying photos to the memory card is quicker and simpler.

So how is the new look of HTC legend? -  It has a sleek and stylish look with a shining aluminum body, touch-screen display and is built from a single solid metal piece. Home, search, menu and back are the 4 easy to navigate buttons on the facade. This makes it easier to navigate on options like the back button which takes you one step back both in the menu and the browser.

The legend has a unique search option which is present in neither the iPhone nor the blackberry. It not only searches the application for the key word but also pulls out all the relevant hits for the key terms from Google. For all of us social networking freaks, the friend stream gives a wonderful option of managing updates on multiple sites simultaneously. ‘The G-sensor is undoubtedly going to be everyone’s favourite. It automatically lowers the ringing tone when the phone is picked up and also turns it down into silent mode when put face down’ Truly Legendary isn’t it?.

Even as there continues to be a question around the operator(s) who will support it, the HTC Legend will hit the UK market in all probability later this month. Starting 23^rd March, Clove technology will ship the HTC Legend for a price of £376 (VAT inclusive) or for just £320 SIM-free.

This is surely going to be a great news for the entire clan of gadget fans in the UK because they would be able to lay their hands on the first Android 2.1 powered smartphone earlier than the expected April release date.

The other big question playing rounds is whether it is going to be a Vodafone exclusive launch. There is no clarity yet when it comes to the operators who will be offering HTC Legend despite Vodafone being touted as the strongest contender for being the exclusive mobile service provider.

Vodafone 360 services are expected to be available in the UK. Given the fact the no other network has confirmed selling the HTC Legend off its service network (despite having gone gaga over the inimitable HTC Desire) Vodafone seems all set the grab one of the most talked about phones all to itself.

At the Mobile World Congress, HTC hogged a lot of limelight despite tough competition from Windows Phone Series 7 thanks to its stunning handsets and it would be sweet news to hear when you can lay hands on them.

Though official release dates are not out yet, Amazon has pulled an ace up its sleeve by announcing April 1^st launch date for the HTC Desire and HTC Legend and April 14^th for the HD Mini. Though rumours were adrift for earlier launch, these dates look great.

The listing of the HD Mini at £369, the beautiful Legend at £399 and the stunning Desire at a premium £528 by Amazon looks bold. More so, because we have Google Nexus One which is very much comparable to HTC Desire, sans the Sense UI – is priced as low as £349. The delta between the pricing leaves way for huge saving.

So, all you gadget fans out there would make well to cross-check the reviews of Desire, Legend and HD Mini before deciding to go sim-free. However, if you happen to lap up generous subsidies, operators with 18 and 24 month contracts may also prove well worth it.