Verizon’s HTC Desire 612 with XLTE now available for free (on contract)

Another of Verizon’s XLTE phones is now available for purchase, though it’s not particularly exciting on its other merits. It’s the HTC Desire 612, an entry-level smartphone with Qualcomm’s 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor. It’ll sport a 4.7-inch 720p display, front-facing BoomSOund speakers, comes with 8GB of internal storage (128GB can be added through microSD) and has Android 4.4 KitKat loaded up out of the box.

If you’re not sure what XLTE is, it’s Verizon’s pet name for their LTE network running on the AWS spectrum. Benefits include faster peak download speeds and more reliability, among other improvements over their existing 700MHz installation.

Many of Verizon’s popular smartphones from the past year and a half are already compatible, including their new Moto X and the latest DROID phones, the Samsung Galaxy S4 and Samsung Galaxy Note 3, the HTC One M8 and LG G3, and we imagine the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 4 will also be ready to go.

As for the Desire 612, it’s free with a two-year contract, though you do have the option of going with either a $300 off-contract price tag or $15 per month for 24 months on Verizon Edge. The carrier’s website right here should get you going in the right direction if you feel like this is the phone for you.