HTC attempts to stage comeback to with U20 5G and Desire 20 Pro

HTC has been largely absent from the smartphone scene in the latter half of 2019, which led many to believe it has gone out of business. The brand has previously been lauded for its innovative integration of the Android operating system. Moreover, its catalogue of unique and stylish handsets was considered innovative for their time. It seems the Taiwanese company has taken a short break and is now ready to make a comeback. The US20 5G and Desire 20 Pro are both slated to launch next month.

HTC U20 5G

As hinted by the name, this device is HTC's first 5G-ready smartphone ever. It is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G SoC paired to 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal storage. If that's still not enough for users, a microSDXC slot is available for expansion. The mobile phone is expected to retail for approximately $640 and is available in green and white colours.

It sports a 6.8-inch 2400 x 1080 display with a 20:9 aspect ratio and curved edges. There are minimal bezels on each side except for the bottom chin which is a little thicker than the rest. Meanwhile, the 32-megapixel wide-angle front-facing camera is set within a hole-punch cutout at the upper-left corner of the screen.

As for the main imaging setup, it uses a 48-megapixel wide-angle, 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle, 2-megapixel macro, and 2-megapixel depth sensor. Unlike some mid-range models, the HTC U20 5G opts for a more traditional rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. Perhaps its most notable feature is the 5,000 mAh battery supported by 18W fast charging via Quick Charge 4.0 technology.

HTC Desire 20 Pro

Next up is another mid-range model with slightly lower specs than the HTC U20 5G. The Desire 20 Pro is running on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 chipset with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB internal memory. Similar to its cousin, storage is expandable via the microSDXC slot as well. The manufacturer is offering it in Smoky Black and Pretty Blue colourways.

The front is dominated by a sizeable 6.5-inch 2340 x 1080 19.5:9 aspect ratio IPS LCD display. The bezels are surprisingly thin except for the one on the bottom. A hole-punch cutout is likewise available on the top-left corner which houses a 25-megapixel wide-angle sensor.

Its main camera array holds a 48-megapixel wide-angle, 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle, 2-megapixel macro, and a 2-megapixel depth-sensing unit. Just beside the imaging modules is the fingerprint sensor that sits above the branding. The HTC Desire 20 Pro is powered by a 5,000 mAh battery with up to 15W fast charging via Quick Charge 3.0 technology.

HTC has not been a major contender in the telecommunications market for a while now, but it still retains a loyal consumer base in some territories. As reported by Ars Technica, the company shifted its focus from smartphones to virtual reality when it collaborated with Valve to produce the Vive VR headset. Given its failure to compete in the 4G era of mobile phones, it remains to be seen how it plans to stand out with 5G technology on board.