HTC has announced the launch of five new Windows phone 7 smartphones, albeit its Android O.S powered mobile phones have proven to be a hit recently.

The latest range of HTC smartphones, along with new Windows phone 7 handsets from other brands including Samsung and LG will come to mobile stores later this month in Europe, and in November in the United States, as part of Microsoft’s efforts to reclaim its prominence in the smartphone market. HTC has been making Windows-based phones in the past decade even though the free Andriod operating system becomes the preferred choice of many low-end smartphone makers. “Microsoft’s advantage is on professional users and Android is popular with individual consumers,” said Arthur Hsieh, an analyst. HTC is battling for the position of fourth-largest smartphone maker with much larger mobile phone maker Samsung Electronics. HTC’s other bigger rivals are: Nokia, Blackberry maker Research in Motion and iPhone maker Apple Inc.