HTC
Heating up the so-called “smartphone patent war,” HTC has filed two counterclaims against Apple in the Southern District of Florida, claiming that the iPhone-maker has infringed on two HP patents it acquired in December last year. HTC

Ever since Apple unleashed Siri on its iPhone 4S, the voice-activated personal assistant has become the buzz of the town. We have already witnessed certain Android apps capable of providing Siri-like experiences, while many Apple fans bought the iPhone 4S or installed hacked ports, just for the sake of experiencing Siri on their devices.

Little wonder then that smartphone maker HTC has also caught the bug.

If these leaked pictures and the source code of the HTC Endeavor are right, they reveal the company's first quad-core smartphone with a 720p display, besides offering HTC Speak.

This is the interesting bit.

HTC Speak is touted to be a direct rival to the iPhone Siri's software... complete with voice control capability incorporated into the Sense 4.0 beta version, with due credits to the leaked RUU (ROM Upgrade Utility).

The leaked images hint at features including "microphone" and "listening" ports on the phone, besides speculating a Google Voice Search built into the ROM. As there is no point of having two distinct voice search apps, it is speculated that HTC Speak is indeed a voice-activated personal assistant like Siri.

However, it is not clear if HTC Speak can match up to the credentials of Apple's Siri or if it is another clone of the original. If it is the former, it may be dumped in favour of superior Android apps.

However, if it is the latter, it may invite the wrath of Apple's lawsuit gunning down its throat and land HTC in shambles. Either ways, the company will be in a fix.

Does it look to formulate the idea of a voice-activated assistant into a real-life application or not?

Must Read: Sprint's Losses Widen with More iPhone Sales?

Must Read: Apple Threatened with iPad Ban in China

Must Read: Sony Buys out Ericsson, Creates Sony Mobile Communications