Verizon's New HTC Rhyme Smartphone Developed with Women in Mind

Verizon's latest mid-range smartphone is the HTC Rhyme, which offers some features calculated to appeal to women. This includes a small charm intended to be hung on a purse that glows to indicate a call is coming in.

It has a 3.7-inch WVGA (800 x 480) display and a 5 MP rear-facing camera. There's also a front-facing camera for video conferencing.

The Rhyme runs Android 2.3 on a single-core 1GHz Qualcomm CPU, with a new version of the Sense UI layered over the top. It comes with the standard suite of communication and entertainment apps, as well as access to the thousands more that are in the Android Market.

Verizon is bundling this smartphone with several accessories. In  addition to the aforementioned "Charm Indicator", a workout armband and a wireless dashboard speaker for the car are standard equipment.

The device supports Verizon's 3G EV-DO network, and Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS. Other features include a microSD expansion slot and a non-removable battery.

The HTC Rhyme launched today, and is available only in a purple casing to match the Charm Indicator. It is selling for $200 with a two-year contract. A silver version will be arriving in Asia and Europe next month.