Through the release of the Touch Diamond2 and Touch Pro2, we can see how HTC plans to continue the success they’ve had with the Diamond and Touch Pro, two of the best selling Windows Mobile devices of all time.

But what about the Touch HD? As a phone that is still lusted over by people both in and out of the Windows Mobile world, the Touch HD has a massive 3.8″ screen with a resolution that trumps that of the iPhone, Android G1, or most other high-end devices on the market. At first glance, it would seem that HTC would want to continue the success of this model by issuing a successor, but seeing how the Touch Diamond2 is a device so close in character to the Touch HD, that may not be the case. What do we think about the prospect of there being a Touch HD2? Read on…

You see, HTC is selling to four segments of the smartphone buying population that want a touchscreen. I’m sure you could break this down in different ways, but here is one way to look at it (and note that we are not including the Athena of Shift, as these are more “hybrid” devices than they are smartphones):

1. The budget buyers. These users don’t mind using a last-generation QVGA screen.

Device of 2008: Touch Viva/Touch 3G

Device of 2009: new Touch Cruise

2. The Professionals. These users prefer a physical keyboard, TV-out functionality, a fancy speakerphone, etc. Anything to make them feel more productive.

Device of 2008: Touch Pro

Device of 2009: Touch Pro2

3. The Advanced Consumers. These users are relatively tech savvy and want to impress their friends or coworkers with affordable, yet capable technology.

Device of 2008: Touch Diamond

Device of 2008: Touch Diamond2

4. The Enthusiasts. These users want a flashy device with every feature, and don’t mind paying high prices for their technology.

Device of 2008: Touch HD

Device of 2009: Touch HD2 (Firestone)?

See the pattern? Without the Touch HD2, or a similar device, HTC would leave a void in its Enthusiast segment.

Perhaps you could argue that the Diamond2 is the Enthusiast device for 2009, though I’m not sure that is right. An Enthusiast device, by design, will have the upper echelon of specifications, including everything from hardware connections to screen size. The Touch Diamond2 lacks a 3.5mm headphone jack. In addition, the screen is a mere 3.2″, while the Touch HD’s display is 3.8″. Considering that the Toshiba TG01 has a 4.1″ screen, it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibly that a Touch HD successor would have a screen of this size or greater (dare we say). And finally, the Diamond2 lacks the high level of sleekness and sexiness that made the Touch HD such a sought after device in 2008. It’s nice, but it lacks the “wow” factor of the Touch HD.

If we take a look at the HTC Roadmap of 2009 (which has turned out to be quite accurate), there is really only one device that fits the bill to be the Touch HD2 – the Firestone. It brings (what looks to be) a super sexy design, a screen that takes up most of the front of the device, a 3.5mm jack, and very hard, sharp edges, that is indicative of progressive design (which was part of the draw of the sexy Touch HD).

What about timing? When would the Touch HD2 land? HTC has done a pretty good job sticking with 11-13 months between releases (the Diamond was released in Spring 2008, the Diamond2 will be out in Spring 2009, etc). The Touch HD came out in October of last year, which puts the Touch HD2 at around that time in 2009. As always, we’ll keep an eye on things =D.

Do you think there will be a Touch HD2?

Update: It looks like wmpoweruser has gotten some new information about the “other” HTC leaks that have yet to be announced. And guess what – their source also implies that the Firestone will be the successor to the Touch HD, adding an 8MP camera. Nice.