MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS — When the HTC Desire smartphone makes its debut next month, it might not carry the Nexus One name, but it will remind you a lot of Google’s new phone.

HTC made the Nexus One for Google; now comes a device that looks much like the Nexus One, but is new and improved with a different name.

Both phones have a brilliant 3.7-inch AMOLED display, use Android OS v. 2.1, use 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets, include 5-megapixel cameras with flash and have almost identical dimensions. But you’ll find some new things to play with on the Desire, including an optical joystick – rather than a trackball, like on the Nexus One – that can be used instead of the touchsreen.

The Desire also has an update to HTC’s Sense user interface – which allows for better social networking, e-mail and Internet browsing – and an FM radio.

HTC is also debuting the “Legend” at MWC this week. It has a smaller AMOLED touchscreen, but also uses Android v. 2.1. It looks a little different, thanks to forged aluminum casing.