The Google Nexus One was probably the most anticipated device of this year so far (apart from the iPhone 4G of course), and although manufactured by HTC, it still shied away from the HTC Sense interface and other HTC-centric features.

Now HTC has decided to take the Google Nexus One one step further and release an almost identical device under the moniker HTC Desire.

The HTC Desire has been no stranger to the rumor mill, originally appearing under its official codename, the Bravo.

HTC's Desire looks the same as the Nexus One, but the first thing you'll notice about its hardware is the optical trackpad below the screen, replacing the trackball on the Nexus One.

As seen on the Legend, the trackpad is a much more efficient way of navigating around the Desire. With its optical trackpad in the centre of a raised, clickable ring, it's a much faster and responsive option compared to a trackball.

Another key addition to the HTC Desire is HTC Sense. Google obviously barred this in its own-brand device, but here is the newest version, complete the extra widgets, Helicopter View that allows you to view mini versions of all your homescreens in one place, tapping on each to bring it up full size.

One massively impressive feature on the Google Nexus One is the new browser. It's HTC's own browser, but now supports Flashlight 4 - meaning you can watch flash video.

The browser also includes many of the features from the Hero's browser including pinch to zoom and text freeflow, which enlarges text and re-wraps around images when you zoom in. Because it's on a large screen, it's much more comfortable to read.

You can also long press on portions of text to look them up in Wikipedia or the dictionary, or translate the text.

What you will find missing if you compare the Google Nexus One to the Desire is that noise cancellation is missing. We didn't get to check this out, although we can't see it making a huge difference. Besides, HTC made the choice to try and cut the price of the phone, which is better for all of us, isn't it?

The screen, just like on the Nexus One, is a stunning 3.7-inch, 800x400 pixel AMOLED capacitive touchscreen. The Snapdragon 1GHz processor ensures everything is super-speedy. The device feels just as comfortable in the hand as the Nexus One and there really is little else to set them apart.

Like its Google-branded twin, the Desire is a stunning handset, sitting at the top of HTC's portfolio tree. However, we're hoping it'll be available on more than one network, unlike the Vodafone or SIM-free options on the Google phone.

HTC hasn't given us a firm US release date yet for the HTC Desire, although we we expect it to happen in Q2. Verizon is likely to be one of the US carriers taking this beauty, too.