HTC yesterday announced plans to make its mid-range HTC Desire line of smartphone more widely available in the U.S. The HTC Desire 816 and Desire 610, first announced at Mobile World Congress back in February, will be offered alongside the flagship HTC One (M8) in a move that gives consumers a wider selection of HTC devices in a wider price range.
“Design and innovation are what we’re known for, and now we’re taking that to new segments of the market with our HTC Desire line,” said Erin McGee, Vice President of Marketing of HTC America. “We thought it was time that consumers had better smartphones to choose from across price points and payment options. We have partnered with a number of retailers to ensure that these HTC Desire line of products are not only affordable, but also accessible.”
In fact, the HTC Desire 610 has already been available from AT&T since late July. The HTC Desire 816 is available as of today through Virgin Mobile for US$299. Both will also available for purchase on HTC’s U.S. website.
HTC Desire 816 specifications:
- Processor: 1.6GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400
- Operating system: Google Android with HTC Sense
- Cellular connectivity: LTE/HSPA+
- Other connectivity: GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
- Display: 5.5-inch HD (720×1280)
- RAM: 1.5GB
- Internal storage: 8GB
- External storage: MicroSD cards up to 128GB
- Rear-facing camera: 13MP with LED flash and f/2.2 aperture
- Front-facing camera: 5MP
- Battery: Non-removable 2,600mAh
- Dimensions: 7.99 millimeters thick
- Weight: 165 grams
- Other: Front-facing BoomSound speakers
HTC Desire 610 specifications:
- Processor: 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400
- Operating system: Google Android with HTC Sense
- Cellular connectivity: LTE/HSPA+
- Other connectivity: GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
- Display: 4.7-inch qHD (540×960)
- RAM: 1GB
- Internal storage: 8GB
- External storage: MicroSD cards
- Rear-facing camera: 8MP with LED flash
- Front-facing camera: 1.3MP
- Battery: 2,040mAh
- Other: Front-facing BoomSound speakers
HTC’s plans do not stop here. It promises that these are but “the first of many HTC Desire smartphones coming to the US market this year.” Perhaps the rumoured HTC A11 will be among them.