HTC might be planning its next midrange phone series to be released by late September, based on its newest flagship carrier, HTC 10.
Recent news reports have detailed how the HTC 10, while capable of going head to head against phones by formidable brands such as Samsung's Galaxy S7 and LG's G5 in terms of performance, has been making unsatisfactory coverage in the market. Despite its highly impressive specs, the flagship carrier has been flopping in the mobile industry.
Reports suggest that the problem lies not in its offered specifications — a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, 4 GB RAM, 5.2-inch quad-HD display, 3,000 mAh battery and an expandable memory of up to 2 TB — but in its price range and generally "safe designs with lackluster features."
Retailed at about $700, consumers supposedly would rather opt for the more popular Chinese brands in the market (Oppo, Huawei and Vivo) than settle for an HTC 10 handset.
In an effort to save the HTC 10's dismal sales of only 1 million units for the rest of the year (Samsung's latest flagship phones, the S7 and S7 edge, have been sold 26 million times from March until recently), the company may be offering a slightly cheaper and refurbished version of the flagship carrier in the form of the HTC Desire 10. The unofficial news was first spotted and released by known (and trusted) mobile leaker Evan Blass on Twitter.
What's an HTC 10 without a Desire 10?
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) July 10, 2016
In the past, Desire series models have mostly borrowed specs from current HTC flagship handsets to offer midrange and lower-end alternatives for consumers who want a taste of the new smartphone generation but at the same time need affordable options.
In direct contrast to how other brands handle smartphone releases, Apple usually releases a low- to midrange phone first before its improved and upgraded model (iPhone 6 to iPhone 6s). HTC is actually bound for an HTC Desire 10 release, rumored or not, if past HTC trends prove to be reliable references.
Currently, available Desire models were announced way back at the Mobile World Congress, including the HTC Desire 830, which recently shipped to the United States for $179. There have been no new Desire models since then, as the company is seemingly pulling all focus on its highly successful HTC Vive VR headsets.
While there isn't enough info to properly speculate what the HTC Desire 10 may have to offer, reports are betting that it will likely borrow most of the core features and functions that the HTC 10 carries while maintaining a wallet-friendly price.
We'll keep you posted.
Photo: Osman Kalkavan | Flickr
