Because a 5-MP front-facing camera can't quite facilitate the perfect selfie, HTC is launching the Desire 820 with a 8-MP chat camera and a suite of touch-up tools just six months after releasing the previous entry in the line.
The HTC Desire 820 raises the bar just a little higher for HTC's midrange line of smartphones, bearing the company's flag for the handset's tier. The 820, a refresh on the Desire 816, was launched at IFA 2014 in Berlin and the smartphone delivers on what media fanatics care about most, according to HTC CEO Peter Chou.
"Our new HTC Desire model gives entertainment lovers exactly what they are looking for -- a powerful, fast, stylish smartphone that delivers their favorite content on a big screen at a competitive price," says Chou (PDF). "With the HTC Desire 820, we've combined the most-advanced technology with the best possible entertainment experience and bold, distinctive design to deliver a handset that is both desirable and affordable."
The Desire 820's 8-MP selfie cam is supported by HTC's Live Makeup, Photo Booth and Face Fusion software.
Live Makeup offers a box of tools to touch up selfies, such as skin smoothing, while Photo Booth captures a stream of images. The whimsical Face Fusion software merges the facial features of subjects in different photos, which could lead to some interesting or appalling portraits.
On the back of the Desire 820 rests a 13-MP camera with a f/2.2 aperture, sizable for a smartphone. Further enhancing the camera's light intake, the Desire 820 features a backside illumination to grab more rays of light and produce more vibrant photos. All of which users can see well on its 5.5-inch HD screen.
Under the hood, the Desire 820 is powered by a Snapdragon 615 processor. The 64-bit processor evenly distributes the workload over its four cores, enhancing performance and preserving power.
As a selfie-centric smartphone aimed at the masses, unlike a rival's perfume-influenced product, the HTC Desire 820 will be available in a variety of colors and trims to suit the personalities of its users.
"In true HTC style, quality doesn't stop at performance. Bold, bright and sleek, the newest addition to the HTC Desire range features HTC's double shot color technology, which allows us to create a two-tone color unibody that is not only perfect for reflecting both personality and style but that also improves device quality, strength and tolerance," says HTC (PDF). "With distinctive color trims around the camera, buttons and flash, the two colors merge seamlessly into one another, creating a slick look that really stands out from the crowd."
HTC says the Desire 820 will be available at major retailers sometime during the fall of 2014. Here's a trailer for the Desire 820:
