HTC launches two new Desire smartphones
The Taiwanese handset maker has shown off two new mid-tier phones at MWC, the Desire 816 and the 610.
Samsung and Sony may have used MWC to show off new flagship phones, but like Nokia, HTC has aimed for the mid-tier with its showing.
The Desire 816 resembles the HTC One but has a plastic frame available in high-gloss colours rather than a metal-unibody.
The 5.5-inch HD (1,280 x 720 pixels) is clear but it seems that the phone is a very early model – CNET journalists attending MWC were told that the interface "wasn't ready" to be tried out.
The 816 has LTE capabilities as well as dual SIM. It's expected for a Q2 launch.
The Desire 610 also has an HTC One-style design ethos, but with a 4.7-inch (960 x 540) screen. It's a quad-core processor and, again, looking at a Q2 launch.
With profits becoming very slim on flagship phones given the high manufacturing expense, mid- and low-tier phones built for the so-called emerging markets make a lot of sense for manufacturers. For HTC, this will depend on what pricing levels the company goes for and what countries will get the initial launch.