HTC announces entry-level Desire 500 will be available in UK

Last month, HTC announced that its mid-range Desire 500 device would be exclusively headed to Taiwan, but that has changed, as the phone will soon be available in the UK as well. The phone features a 4.3-inch screen powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 quad-core processor running at 1.2 GHz, has 1GB RAM, and only 4GB of internal storage, which is of course expandable up to 64GB via microSD. The phone comes with an 8MP shooter which can take 720p video, and HTC has loaded up their Sense UI as well as BlinkFeed.

As for data speeds, you’ll max out at 7.2Mbps HSDPA— this means there’s no 4G LTE, or even HSPA+. The phone will come in two colors, including “Lacquer Black” and “Glacier Blue,” and HTC says a dual-SIM version with NFC support will also be offered later on.

It’s certainly nothing to write home about, but it does provide a good option for those not looking to spend that much on an Android device. Check out the press release after the break.

 HTC unveils new, mid-range Desire 500

HTC packs amazing camera with Video Highlights into quad-core-powered HTC Desire 500

London, 7 August 2013 – HTC, a global leader in mobile innovation and design, is launching the recently-announced HTC Desire 500 in Europe. The Desire 500 is a powerful mid-range model featuring a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, HTC BlinkFeed and Video Highlights, which collates your images into a 30-second themed video reel. Available in the UK, with full details including stockists and launch date to be announced in due course, the HTC Desire 500 is designed for those who demand a superior mobile experience at an affordable price. The HTC Desire 500 will be available in Lacquer Black and Glacier Blue giving it a sleek and sophisticated look.

“The Desire range has become renowned for bringing a premium mobile experience to the mass market.” commented Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corporation. “This particular model, the Desire 500, is no different. It is perfect for people who are always-on-the-go, it enables powerful multitasking and live-streaming of important and interesting information, and it boasts an excellent camera and that bring your important moments to life.”

Your life through a mobile lens
Shoot and share every moment with the Desire 500’s 8MP camera, which combines with the dedicated HTC ImageChip processor to create spectacular stills and HD video. A 1.6MP front-facing camera also makes high-quality self-portraits easy. Capture the perfect smile automatically with face and smile recognition, transform your shots with a selection of creative filters, then share them immediately with friends, family and followers on your favourite social networks – all without needing to connect to a PC.

Changing the way we share special moments forever, Video Highlights also takes your stills and videos from one event or days’ shooting and compiles them into a 30-second reel, set to music according to one of six themes. By working with professional music editors, the image transitions for each theme are specifically timed to the tempo to ensure a professional result with zero effort.

Your favourite content live on your home screen
The HTC Desire 500 brings HTC’s acclaimed BlinkFeed to the Desire range. Transforming the home screen into a customisable stream of live information, HTC BlinkFeed is displayed on a stunning 4.3inch display and aggregates social streams and news, providing the freshest content at a glance.

Drawing on local and global content, BlinkFeed links to more than 10,000 articles per day from some of the world’s leading media companies including AOL, ESPN, MTV, The Financial Times and Reuters.

Smartphone performance that keeps up with the busiest lifestyle
Sporting a 1.2 GHz quad-core processor, the HTC Desire 500 offers high-speed multitasking, super-fast web browsing and graphic-intense gaming on the move and, with support for microSD cards of up to 64GB, you need never run out of space for the photos, videos, apps and games that matter most.

EMEA Availability
The new HTC Desire 500 will be available with mobile operators and major retailers in select markets from August 2013.

The HTC Desire 500 will also be available with dual SIM support and NFC in select markets.

For more information visit www.htc.com.