Manufacturer breaks cover in UK for the first time since patent dispute
HTC has launched the Desire 20 Pro smartphone in the UK, its first smartphone in the country for almost two years.
The mid-range device is currently available through HTC’s website for £269 in Onyx Black. HTC announced the device for release in Taiwan back in June alongside the U20 5G device. There are currently no plans to launch the U20 5G in the UK.
We’re bringing two new smartphones to Taiwan – the HTC #U205G, which supports both standalone & non-standalone #5G networks; and the HTC #Desire20pro, a powerful device that packs in premium features. Both sport 5 lenses with a whopping 48-megapixel main camera. #htc pic.twitter.com/xiqr4dj4Mo
— HTC (@htc) June 16, 2020
Running Android 10 on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 chipset, it comes with 6GM RAM and 128GB storage. According to its official specifications, it has a microSD slot that can take an SDXC card, allowing up to 2TB extra storage.
It has a 6.5-inch screen and a 5,000mAh battery, and comes with a 3.5mm headphone jack. On the back, there is a fingerprint sensor and a pattern gradient design for extra grip.
The camera is a rear quad display, with a 48MP main lens, 8MP ultra-wide lens, 2MP macros sensor and 2MP depth sensor. It shoots 4K at 30fps. The front camera is a 25MP wide lens.
Patent dispute
The Desire 20 Pro is HTC’s first new device since the U12 Life, and the first since it suspended sales of all of its smartphones in the UK last August following a patent infringement dispute with IPCom.
Mobile News has reached out to HTC and IPCom for an update on the patent infringement situation.
Currently, the Desire 20 Pro is the only smartphone available to buy in the UK through HTC’s website, with all other devices listed as “unavailable in the UK”.
However, the firm’s blockchain-centric devices are available for sale either in euros or cryptocurrency.
HTC has also launched the device in other European territories. It is available through the manufacturer’s website in Spain, Italy and France, and has launched with local retailers and operators in the Netherlands and Poland.