Newsletter
HTC‘s smartphone division may be down, but it’s not out. The storied phone maker, which has become a shadow of its old self in recent years, keeps releasing new devices, albeit not as frequently as it did in the past. More than a year after announcing the Desire 21 Pro, the Taiwanese firm is back with a succeeding model aptly called the Desire 22 Pro. It’s a mid-range smartphone built with a focus on VR (virtual reality), the company’s core business these days.
HTC Desire 22 Pro specifications
The HTC Desire 22 Pro sports a 6.6-inch IPS LCD screen with Full HD+ resolution (1080 x 2412 pixels), 120Hz refresh rate, and a 20:9 aspect ratio. The screen comes with Corning Gorilla Glass protection. Under the hood is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 695 5G processor paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. It supports a micro SD card but shares the slot with a second SIM card.
This phone features a 64-megapixel camera at the back, with PDAF (phase-detection autofocus). It is accompanied by a 13-megapixel ultrawide camera, a 5-megapixel depth sensor, and a dual-LED flash. We have a 32-megapixel camera at the front. The HTC Desire 22 Pro can capture 1080p videos both with the front and rear cameras. It also offers a dedicated night mode, timelapse, pro mode, slo-mo, and several other camera tricks.
HTC is offering a 4520 mAh battery here, with support for 18W fast charging. You also get wireless charging and reverse wireless charging. Other notable features include a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, NFC, IP67 rating for dust and water resistance, 5G cellular connectivity, and Android 12. There’s no 3.5mm headphone jack here.
This phone is compatible with HTC’s Viverse platform
The HTC Desire 22 Pro is nothing different from the rest of the Android smartphones in this segment. The company is looking to drive its sales through its VR angle. The device comes with built-in support for the Taiwanese firm’s Viverse platform, which is its take on the metaverse. It is compatible with its Vive lineup of VR headsets, such as the HTC Vive Flow, and can run 2D and 3D content on extended reality (XR) devices.
Of course, these headsets are designed to work with any Android phone, so it isn’t a unique functionality. But built-in support for Viverse means the Desire 22 Pro is better prepared to handle the metaverse. You can quickly enter the Viverse and manage your digital assets, such as NFTs (non-fungible tokens). HTC promises exclusive NFT gifts to people who buy this phone.
The Desire 22 Pro lets you trade these assets in the Vive Market and invite friends into your metaverse world as guests. You can also manage your supported cryptocurrencies in the Vive wallet.
Price and availability
HTC has priced the Desire 22 Pro at NT$11,990 (roughly $405) in Taiwan. The device is available in gold and black colors and will go on sale in its home country from July 1st. The company is also taking pre-orders for it in Europe, priced at €459/£399 (~$490). Shipping begins on August 1st in Europe.
