HTC might be setting the pace for Windows Mobile development right now, but it better watch its back -- especially on the low end of the range. China's ZTE, which has somehow silently risen through the ranks to become the world's number six phone manufacturer by volume, is said to be prepping a renewed global assault that will see it move beyond its typical role as a provider of low-end dumbphone fare to occupy the low-end smartphone niche, a market with traditionally limited choice. Windows Mobile and Linux are apparently both high on ZTE's hit list, with a contract already underway to supply Vodafone with a carrier-branded device next year (to fill the void left by the 920's killing, perhaps?); Symbian's not getting quite as much love, though they're said to have their eye on that camp, too. The firm commands a 30 percent market share in China's nascent TD-SCDMA market, and hey, you can only be a massively successful manufacturer in your domestic market before trying your hand elsewhere, right?

Details on this one are about as light as can be at the moment, but The Wall Street Journal has it that HP is aiming to expand its iPAQ smartphone line into the consumer market with a new model that it'll market to both average consumers and corporate users alike. According to "people briefed on the plan," the phone will have both a touchscreen and a keypad and, naturally, it'll run Windows Mobile 6.1 -- oh, and it'll be able to "send and receive emails, and access the Internet." While there's no indication of a price just yet, word is the device will be available in Europe first within the next two months, with a worldwide release to follow sometime thereafter.

Who can wait for the iPhone 3G to hit market? I guess no one now. As the price has dropped and it is going to be more economical for the people. It seems most of the US smartphone consumer market is thinking along those same lines. RBC Capital Markets has just released the results of a study that indicates a majority of consumers in the market for a new smartphone are seriously considering the iPhone 3G as their handset of choice.

The study, which surveyed 3,600 RBC Technology Adoption Panel members after Apple's iPhone 3G unveiling at WWDC earlier this month, showed that a full 56% of mobile consumers looking to buy a new smartphone in the next 90 days planned to buy and iPhone 3G after its July 11 launch.

The results offer a glimpse in to the blooming smartphone market in the US. Just this past March, RBC conducted a similar survey to estimate potential iPhone 3G interest. The study was conducted prior to Apple revealing the surprisingly low iPhone 3G price-point - and showed that only 35% of consumers planned to buy the iPhone 3G.

It seems that the $199 admission price for the iPhone 3G-show has hit a sweet spot among consumers. With an entry-level iPhone 3G costing little more than a few tanks of premium gas, interest has increased significantly.

And, more encouraging for Apple, the RBC study showed that only 23% of smartphone buyers were waiting it out for a new BlackBerry handset in the next 90 days. Palm limped in with a 3% planned buying-share. HTC, Nokia, and Samsung managed to swing 2% of the votes their way, while Motorola barely managed to convince 1% of respondents that theirs was the smartphone to own.

So, the iPhone 3G is set to take the US smartphone market by storm - that much is clear - but why? The lower price-point and faster 3G data access were indicated as the most compelling reasons to buy the Apple handset, with 67% and 63% of survey respondents indicating such aspects as most-important in their buying-decision. The addition of GPS was listed as most-important to 47% of survey participants, while 35% and 20% place a premium on enterprise support and third-party applications, in that order.