The launch of the HTC U series was seen as the company’s exit from the budget market with an increased focus on midrange and high-end devices, but it seems we are in for a surprise.
The Taiwanese company is reportedly readying a budget phone codenamed HTC Breeze and believed to be the HTC Desire 12. This phone is said to bring over some features from the high-end market, but don’t get too excited just yet. Given that the information we have is not official, it’s also incomplete. But it’s enough for any smartphone enthusiast to smell that something is cooking.
So, what is HTC actually cooking? Let’s find out.
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HTC U12 2018 flagship: Specs and release date
HTC Desire 12 specs and features
- 5.5-inch HD+ 18:9 display screen
- Quad-core MediaTek processor
- 3GB RAM and 32GB ROM
- 12/5MP camera
- Android Oreo expected out of the box
According to Evan Blass, the person responsible for the HTC Desire 12 leak, the phone will be the first from HTC to bring the trending 18:9 design to the entry-level market. Given that the screen size will be at 5.5 inches, you can expect a fairly compact phone. Unfortunately, the phone will only manage an HD+ (720 x 1440 pixels) resolution, which says a lot about the device in question.
https://twitter.com/evleaks/status/963665623590023168
On the inside, the HTC Desire 12 will be powered by a Quad-core MediaTek processor mated with 3GB RAM and 32GB of internal storage, but there should be an entry-level 2/16GB variant. Keeping it alive will be a fairly low-powered 2730mAh battery unit that will possibly be charged via a microUSB port, but don’t expect fast charging.
Despite HTC’s push for a 3.5mm audio jack-free smartphone world, it’s possible the budget Desire 12 could still end up with this much-loved feature.
On the back of the Desire 12 will be a 12MP sensor with PDAF and supports recording up to 1080p videos while the front will get a 5MP unit for selfies. Software-wise, Android Oreo is expected to power the phone out of the box.
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HTC Desire 12 price and release date
- MWC 2018 launch on the cards
- Sub-$250 pricing expected
HTC is not expected to unveil the flagship U12 at the upcoming MWC 2018 event. Rather, the company has a special event scheduled for March/April, but the HTC Desire 12 could see an early launch, perhaps even at the MWC later this month.
As for the pricing, Blass says that it should be reflected in the specs of the phone. Looking at what the HTC Desire 12 has to offer, we see it as a sub-$250 smartphone. But knowing HTC, you might want to ready yourself for a major surprise in the pricing department.
It’ll be interesting to see how the Breeze fares on against the likes of Huawei Honor 7X, Honor 9 Lite and Xiaomi Redmi Note 5, all of which have much better specs and decent price tags.
The company’s OnePlus 5T competitor in the HTC U11 EYEs looks pretty good actually, going toe-to-toe with the best in the top-end budget segment, so we have hopes that HTC is able to shake things up in the low-end budget segment too with the Desire 12.
Are you looking to buy the HTC Desire 12?
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