HTC and Samsung are at the head of the line of U.S. handset vendors offering Windows Mobile 6.5 phones, the first smartphones based on Microsoft’s new OS that are meant to finally give Microsoft-powered phones features that are on par with those available in Apple’s iPhone.

At an event in New York Tuesday Microsoft also launched its Windows Marketplace for Mobile with 246 applications now available in the mobile apps online store, a small number in comparison to the tens of thousands of applications available on Apple’s App Store for the iPhone.

Windows Mobile 6.5 is the first OS to allow people to download apps for the devices, and Microsoft said that more than 753 software developers worldwide are continuing to build out the catalog.

Microsoft showcased the new phones at an “open house” event in New York that also highlighted other products Microsoft will have on sale for the Christmas holiday shopping season, the ZuneHD and XBox 360 among them. The company also quietly rebranded its new mobile devices “Windows phones,” appearing to distance them from the “Windows Mobile” moniker.

Microsoft Entertainment and Devices Division President Robbie Bach said Microsoft’s aim with all of its new entertainment and mobile devices is to provide innovation to change the way people live their lives. “The technology we are working on today is about changing lifestyles and changing industries,” he said at the event.

Bach said that while in the past, Microsoft’s Windows phones were more suitable for business users, with features geared toward that demographic, the new Windows phones are more consumer-oriented. “We’re adding to that integration with your lifestyle,” he said.

While Microsoft has been touting Windows Mobile 6.5 as an innovative technology that also will help the company compete better with Apple in the smartphone market, analysts have reacted coolly. Some have suggested Microsoft altogether abandon the OS, which has been losing market share and is more than two years behind Apple in terms of features.

For example, the new Windows phones My Phone feature — which allows Windows Mobile users to synchronize information between their phone and the Web — is akin to the MobileMe service from Apple launched last year for iPhone.

In North America, customers can now purchase Windows Mobile 6.5 on the HTC Pure from AT&T and the HTC Imagio from Verizon Wireless. The Samsung Intrepid from Sprint will be available on Oct. 11, and the HTC Tilt 2 from AT&T will be available in the coming weeks.

In Europe, HTC and Samsung also will offer phones, alongside handset providers MDA, Toshiba, LG and TMN.

Bach said that Microsoft plans to ship 30 Windows phones in 20 countries by the end of the year, featuring a range of form factors that will provide choice to customers.

The ‘Donut’ SDK, version 1.6 of the Linux-based Android operating system, introduces a number of features that will enable Android-based devices to provide the functionality that users want. The improved search feature, multi-lingual text-to-speech function (dubbed Pico), and zippier camera speeds will be welcome.

Lets take a quick look at how Android ‘Donut’ will benefit users, developers, and mobile device manufacturers.

Users: The expanded support for higher screen resolutions is arguably the standout feature from a user perspective. It would have been of particular benefit to Motorola as it developed the Cliq.

The current Android devices, including the Cliq, default to 320 x 480 pixels. Android ‘Donut’ supports QVGA and WVGA standards, allowing resolutions up to 850 x 480 pixels. We can expect that future evolutions of the Cliq (and other Android devices) will include a larger display.

The battery usage screen is a cool touch as well. Rather than just an icon of a battery with some lines on it indicating how much charge is left, the Android ‘Donut’ battery meter screen actually displays which apps are running and how much power they are pulling so the user can shut down power-hogs to conserve energy and the battery life between charges.

Developers: The new Android Market provides a more robust platform for developers to create and distribute applications. Developers can include screenshots and descriptions to help promote applications. More importantly, the Android Market store allows users to browse apps based on most recent additions, top free apps, or top paid apps.

App stores are all the rage for mobile operating system platforms. All of these enhancements create a better experience for Android Market customers and provide a more effective outlet for Android developers to distribute their apps.

Device Manufacturers: CDMA baby! Android ‘Donut’ expands the market potential for Android-based devices exponentially by adding support for CDMA (Code Division Multiplexing Access) networks.

Android devices have been well-received and proven to be quite capable with providers like T-Mobile, but the market has been limited by the lack of CDMA. With Android 1.6, the potential market broadens to include Virgin Mobile, Sprint, and Verizon- the leading mobile service provider in the United States.

‘Donut’ could be a game changer for the Android operating system. The collection of features will impress users, the improved app distribution will attract developers, and the addition of CDMA will provide device manufacturers with more incentive to create Android-based devices.

With profit margins that are typically razor-thin to begin with, an open source mobile operating system platform that can deliver features and performance on par with more expensive, commercial platforms is a win-win-win for all parties.

Searching for a phone charger that works with your phone will soon be a thing of the past, as the world’s ten major mobile phone manufacturers have agreed to produce a harmonised charger for users across Europe, with the first such chargers expected to be introduced on the EU market next year.

“Major producers of mobile phones have agreed to harmonise chargers in the EU,” the European Commission announced on Monday (29 June).

The companies in question – which include Apple (AAPL), LG, Motorola (MOT), Nokia (NOK), Samsung, and Sony Ericsson – represent 90 percent of Europe’s mobile phone market.

The phone manufacturers submitted a memorandum of understanding to the commission after Brussels had called on them to come forward with a voluntary proposal in order to avoid legislation.

The agreement is not legally binding, however.

At the moment there are more than 30 different types of chargers for phones across Europe, as specific mobile phones are sold with their specific chargers. Making the situation worse, anyone who wants to change their mobile phone needs to throw away the old charger as well.

Under the fresh agreement, a universal charger, which will use a mini-USB connection, should be made available from 2010.