A bit more than two weeks ago,
HTC introduced the Desire 20 Pro and U20 5G. Before you get excited, we should point out that the phones are available in Taiwan only. This certainly won’t help the company that much. HTC’s books have so much red ink that we wouldn’t be surprised if the firm’s accounting department looks like a set from one of the
Saw movies. It’s hard to believe that HTC was at one time the company behind such handsets as the
T-Mobile G1 (the first Android phone in the U.S.), the
HTC Touch Pro, the
Nexus One, the fabulous
HTC HD2, the
Sony Xperia X1,
HTC One (M8) and more.
Is HTC attempting a Motorola-esque comeback
But the company’s unwillingness to improve its rear cameras, hike its battery capacities, and keep its promises about upgrades prevented HTC from taking on Samsung and others in the flagship department. Things got so desperate that in 2018
HTC released the blockchain-supporting Exodus 1 and a year later it launched the Exodus 1s. Both models were created for cryptocurrency investors. The narrow focus of these handsets guaranteed that they would not be big sellers.
Today, HTC released an official new product video for the Desire Pro 20. As we said, the device is limited to Taiwan for now although the company
did say in a tweet that other markets will follow. Those markets might not include the U.S., but that doesn’t mean that we should ignore this phone. If HTC plans on becoming an important smartphone brand again, we should take a look at what the manufacturer is doing now.
First, the Desire 20 Pro is a mid-range device sporting a 6.5-inch LCD display and the Snapdragon 665 chipset. It features 6GB of memory and 128GB of expandable storage. On the back, you’ll find a 48MP primary camera, a 118-degree 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera, a 2MP Macro camera for 25mm close-ups, and a 2MP depth sensor. There is a portrait mode and a night mode that allows photos to be shot in low-light environments without a flash. And in the front of the device, there is a 32MP selfie snapper. The handset comes with a 5000mAh battery as HTC has finally given in to the idea of equipping its phones with enough juice to last over one day.
The HTC U20 5G is also limited to Taiwan for now but could be launched in other markets eventually. A video released by HTC on the date the handset was unveiled mentions the 6.8-inch tall and thin display with a 20:9 aspect ratio. Under the hood is the Snapdragon 765G chipset that features an integrated 5G modem chip, 8GB of memory and 256GB of expandable storage. The rear camera setup is exactly the same as the one found on the HTC Desire 20 Pro and there is a 5000mAh battery inside this model as well.
Perhaps HTC is taking the Motorola method to get back into the flagship game. The latter conquered the budget and mid-range markets before shocking the Android community by releasing a competent and competitive top-shelf device.
Another interesting video released by HTC shows some of the iconic devices that the company has made over the years, including some of the models we mentioned at the beginning of this article. That includes devices dating back to 1998. Other models shown include the 2007
HTC Touch, the 2008
G1 (the first Android phone in U.S.), 2012’s
EVO 4G, and 2014’s
HTC One (M8). That was arguably the peak for HTC as far as phones are concerned which is why the next device mentioned in the video is the Vive VR headset. But as we get to the end of the video, the HTC U20 5G appears.
Is this the beginning of a legitimate comeback for HTC? If so, the company needs to come with something-anything-that can differentiate its new devices from the competition’s.
