Yes, HTC’s smartphone business is still alive! HTC U20 5G and HTC Desire 20 Pro officially unveiled

• Nick Gray
• 4 years ago

HTC is still making smartphones, though you’ll have a hard time buying one if you’re interested in the new HTC U20 5G or the HTC Desire 20 Pro.

The more interesting of the two is the HTC U20 5G which is using Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 765 SoC. Unlike the flagship-tier 865 chipset, the 765 features integrated 5G capabilities, allowing for improved thermals and power efficiency. While this would technically make this phone a mid-range device, it still offers 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage and a generous 5,000 mAh battery which supports 18W fast charging with Quick Charge 4.0.

HTC is using an LCD panel with a hole-punch cutout for the 6.8-inch display which explains why the fingerprint sensor is mounted on the back of the phone rather than below the display itself. For its cameras, the HTC U20 5G is equipped with four sensors on the back which include a 48MP main camera, 8MP ultrawide and two 2MP sensors for the phone’s macro and depth cameras. As for its front-facing camera, the phone features a 32MP sensor that peeks through the hole-punch cutout in the top left corner of the display. Color options for the hone include Mirage Green and Opal White with a frosted finish on the back to reduce fingerprints.

The HTC Desire 20 Pro is a successor to last year’s HTC Desire 19 devices with a 6.5-inch FHD+ LCD display, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 chipset. The phone also has a 5000 mAh battery, Quick Charge 3.0 support, a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, 3.5mm headphone jack, and the same quad-camera setup as the HTC U20 5G, though its front-facing camera has been downgraded to 25MP with an f/2.0 lens. The phone’s color options include Crystal Blue and Onyx Black with a diagonal striped pattern along the back.

The pricing of the two phones isn’t amazing, but it’s in-line with what major players in the space are charging. The HTC Desire 20 Pro will set you back NT$8,990 ($303 USD) while the HTC U20 5G will cost NT$18,990 ($640 USD). As of right now, the availability of the two phones is limited to Taiwan with a June 18th launch of the Desire 20 Pro and a July 1st pre-order date for the HTC U20 5G. The devices HTC has unveiled aren’t going to turn the tide for its failing smartphone business, especially if the company limits availability to Taiwan or a handful of Asian markets.

If HTC has managed to make improvements to its software and the cameras on the phone are decent, the HTC U20 5G sounds like it would be a decent smartphone if it sold for $600 here in the US.

HTC U20 5G & HTC Desire 20 Pro specs