TL; DR
- HTC has announced the Desire 22 Pro smartphone.
- This is the company’s “Metaverse” phone that was previously teased.
- This phone is a mid-range product starting at $ 490.
HTC teased the “Metaverse” phone for a while, promising a device focused on AR and VR features. Now the company has finally launched a phone, but it’s not a flagship device at all.
When it comes to core specs, the newly announced Desire 22 Pro sounds like a typical midrange proposal for 2022. It has a 6.6 inch FHD + 120Hz screen (probably LCD), a Snapdragon 695 chipset, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of expandable storage. 4,520mAh battery with 18W wired charging.
These features combine to provide a phone that is theoretically more consistent with midrangers such as Motorola, OnePlus, and Xiaomi. At the very least, it also has support for wireless charging and an IP67 rating. This is a rare feature for midrangers. However, if you need these features within your budget, you probably should consider the old flagship.
For camera features, you’ll need a 64MP primary rear shooter, a 13MP ultra-wide camera, and a 5MP depth sensor. The 32MP shooter is available with punched hole cutouts for selfies.
How about AR / VR focus?
Of course, if the focus of the “Metaverse” works, we can allow the Desire 22 Pro to be a mid-range proposal. So what should we expect in this regard?
Well, HTC says you can pair your phone with a ViveFlow headset for VR capabilities. However, keep in mind that the headset is already working on various devices from other manufacturers. In other words, the Desire 22 Pro is no more “metaverse” phone than Flow-enabled devices such as the Galaxy A325G and OnePlus Nord.
HTC Desire 22 Pro: Is it hot?
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The company’s Taiwan site (h / t: The VergeIt also claims that the phone has tools for managing personal digital assets and NFTs. Indeed, HTC seems to be checking for unwanted trend boxes on this device.
The HTC Desire 22 Pro is currently available for pre-order for £ 399 on the August 1st shipping date. In any case, this phone may be disappointing to those who were hoping for a flagship-level product similar to the 2018 Exodus 1 blockchain-focused phone. Even those who want HTC to offer more features in terms of AR / VR may be disappointed because the “Metaverse” feature isn’t device-specific.