HTC unveiled the Desire 600 today, the first mid-range smartphone to be equipped with dual BoomSound speakers and run its new Sense 5 Android skin, including its Flipboard-inspired BlinkFeed home screen.
The device offers a 4.5-inch super LCD2 display – no pixel resolution just yet – and runs on an unspecified 1.2 GHz quad-core processor.
Interestingly, there’s an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera that appears to forgo the new ‘UltraPixel’ philosophy bestowed upon HTC’s latest flagship Android smartphone, the HTC One . There’s also a 1.6-megapixel front-facing camera for video calls and the like, as well as HTC’s dedicated camera app for burst mode shooting and ZOE animations.
The original HTC Desire was a popular device and it therefore comes as no surprise to see the moniker carried on HTC’s next range of low and mid-end Android smartphones. We’ve already seen the HTC Desire X and HTC Desire C fill this space, which made sense last year given the refreshed HTC One X , S and V naming system – however the Desire 600 seems to stand all on its own.
That’s perhaps not surprising, given the relatively small room for maneuverability created by the refreshed HTC One branding. The Desire 600 is also notable because it supports two SIM cards, which suggests that the device is being targeted at emerging markets, or at least those with inconsistent network connectivity. It also uses HTCs “dual active” system, which means that the user can receive a call on one line, even if they’re already using the other.
They’re not as pronounced as the HTC One, but the Desire 600 is also equipped with dual front-facing speakers. These ‘BoomSound’ amplifiers were one of the stand-out features of the HTC One – we’ve never experienced sound quality like it on a smartphone – and should help to provide a clearer and more balanced listening experience.
HTC says its new mid-range smartphone runs on Android Jelly Bean, although the exact firmware version hasn’t been disclosed. It will be available in either silver/red or black “in a number of markets” from early June. When we have more specific details, we’ll be sure to let you know.
Related: HTC One review: An absolutely superb Android smartphone with software flaws
Nokia leaks its Lumia 1520 phablet via a listing and promotional poster on its official Tmall shop
After several leaks that have already surfaced, it is now expected that Nokia will unveil a Lumia phablet on October 22 at a Nokia World event in Abu Dhabi.
A listing on Nokia’s official Tmall shop (run by Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba) for the Nokia Lumia 1520 has all but confirmed this, as spotted by Engadget . The handset, which is retailing for CNY4,999 ($820) is listed as arriving in October 2013 — and at six inches with a 1080p screen, it is truly a gigantic smartphone.
The page does not have images of the Nokia Lumia 1520 at the time of writing, but a poster highlights the fact that it runs on a Snapdragon 800 processor and has a 20-megapixel Pureview camera.
➤ Lumia 1520 leaked by Nokia’s Tmall shop with PureView camera, SnapDragon 800 [Engadget]
Headline image via Stefan Puchner/ AFP/Getty Images
Acer announces Liquid Leap, its first wearable smart band
Acer today announced its latest product line which includes the Liquid Leap, a smart band that can track fitness activities and pair with smartphones. The company was quiet on details about the Leap other than that it is 17 mm wide and will be available in limited markets as a bundle with its newest flagship smartphone, the 5-inch Liquid Jade. Both the Liquid Leap and Jade are expected to launch in late July or early August, with no immediate plans to enter the U.S. market.
Along with the smart band tease, the company also announced its latest notebook lines, including the the Acer Aspire Switch 10, a 2-in-1 10-inch Windows 8.1 notebook. The Switch 10 comes equipped with an HD IPS screen, Intel Bay Trail, 2GB RAM, 64GB storage with optional 500GB, and dual front-facing speakers.
Acer also expands on its E series notebook range with the E14 and E15, complete with optional touchscreen functionality. The 15-inch notebooks come with up to seven hours of battery life and gesture-controlled touchpad. The Acer Aspire E14 and E15 are available in six colors.
The line also includes the Aspire E11 for those who want a more portable, 11.6-inch counterpart. The E14 and E15 start at $299, the E11 will go for $269, and all three will be available in the States, Europe, Middle East, and Asia in June.
In addition to the notebooks, Acer showcased its Iconia Tab 7, a quad-core tablet with voice, HD IPS display, and 3G connectivity. Acer also announced the Iconia One 7 with HD IPS display, Intel Dual-Core CPU, dual speakers and various color options, much like the Aspire E14 and E15. The Iconia Tab 7 will be available in mid-May in Europe and Asia starting at €149, while the Iconia One 7 comes to the U.S. at the end of June for $129.
The lineup expands on Acer’s existing budget product line, which includes a touchscreen Chromebook C720 and the Iconia A1 and B1 tablets .