Press render of the HTC Desire 500.
HTC has just unveiled a brand new mid-range phone, named the HTC Desire 500. The new phone comes on the heels of the HTC One Mini launch which in itself was supposed to be the lower-end alternative for HTC fans.
Specs, for your enjoyment:
- Screen: 4.3-inch, 480 x 800 resolution
- 1.2 Ghz quad-core processor + dedicated image chip
- 1GB RAM
- Camera: 8 Megapixel rear facing, 1.6Mpx front facing
- 4GB of internal storage ,supports microSD cards of up to 64GB.
- Will support NFC in select markets
There’s no info on what Android version this will ship with but it’s safe to assume it will be 4.2.2 Jelly Bean.
In terms of design we can clearly see HTC reuse some of their classic elements though the accent colors are definitely a nice touch. The phone also sports HTC software enhancements such as Blinkfeed and Video Highlights. Peter Chou, the company"s CEO said:
It is perfect for people who are always-on-the-go, it enables powerful multitasking and live-streaming of important and interesting information, and it boasts an excellent camera and that bring your important moments to life
HTC had some major problems a couple of years back when they kept releasing scores of undifferentiated devices in an effort to saturate the market. That strategy proved unsuccessful and the One X and later the One were HTC"s attempts to deliver only a few high-quality devices per year. Now with the launch of this new handset it seems like the company is either going back to their old way or trying some kind of middle path by releasing a few devices every quarter.
The HTC Desire 500 will launch this month in the UK with larger availability to follow later. There’s no exact word on pricing yet but some retailers are listing the phone at £229.99 so it"s likely that the price won"t stray too much from that.
Note: This article was updated with new spec and pricing information as it became available.