HTC hasn’t released a phone in the UK for over a year, which makes the newly-launched HTC Desire 20 Pro something of a surprise entry.
Outside of a pair of niche cryptophones, HTC all-but-ceased releasing handsets across a number of once key markets, instead focusing on its Vive and Viveport virtual reality hardware and platform (as well as making a 5G hub for EE in the UK).
The Desire 20 Pro was originally unveiled back in June, alongside the company’s first 5G phone – the HTC U20 5G. On 12 August, the HTC then confirmed that the Pro would be arriving in select European markets soon and was made available for pre-order that same day.
It’s official, the #Desire20Pro is coming to the UK, France, Spain, Italy, Poland and Netherlands! The powerful device packs in premium features, like a 5-lens camera system, 5,000 mAh battery, 6.53″ display, and 128 GB of memory. Pre order now at https://t.co/JFTzcv85PP. #htc pic.twitter.com/GYj94yRQaT
— HTC (@htc) August 12, 2020
Less than a week later and the Desire 20 Pro is now on sale, costing £269/ €279 direct from HTC’s website (although it’s currently listed as ‘out of stock’ on the company’s UK site).
As for the hardware, the Pro doesn’t signal HTC’s return to the flagship market (neither does the U20 5G, for that matter) but instead sports familiar mid-range internals, with a few notable inclusions:
- 6.5in 19.5:9 Full HD+ (2340×1080) 60Hz IPS LCD
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 processor
- 6GB RAM
- 128GB storage (expandable via microSD)
- Quad main camera
- 48Mp primary sensor
- 8Mp 118˚ ultrawide
- 2Mp macro
- 2Mp depth
- 25Mp front-facing camera
- 5000mAh battery
- 15W fast charging
- 3.5mm headphone jack
- NFC
- Rear-mounted fingerprint sensor
- 4G (i.e. not 5G)
- 162×77×9.4mm
- 201 grams
- Android 10
As the specs suggest, the Desire 20 Pro isn’t built to turn-heads but a sub-£279 price tag paired with a headphone jack and 5000mAh isn’t a bad combination by any means.
Read next: Best mid-range phone 2020