Vertical Divider

The New HTC U20 5G Shows A Tragic Lack Of Ambition
June 21, 2020

Former smartphone contender HTC is back, with the Desire 20 Pro and U20 5G, two new models in search of regaining relevance, announced at an event in Taipei.
HTC is only releasing these two new mid-range phones into the Taiwanese market, for now.

• The HTC U20 5G, HTC’s first 5G model, will be manufactured in-house, and while it’ll be priced at NT$18,990 (or about US$640), it doesn’t scream flagship. The phone packs the Snapdragon 765G chipset similar to the LG Velvet
• It has a 6.8” LCD, with a punch hole for the front camera, a rear fingerprint reader, and 5,000 mAh battery, and 48MP quad-camera setup that looks average in terms of specs.
• The Desire 20 Pro is budget oriented, at NT$8,990 (or about US$303), and won’t be made in Taiwan. It’s a 4G phone using aging, cheap Snapdragon 665 platform, and has a 6.5-inch LCD, and more basic quad camera setup.

Neither device is particularly ambitious in any facet. They’re not going to compete on price, cutting edge features, or a combination of the two.

• The best feature might just be their potentially long battery life. 
• This is exactly what HTC was doing when sales tanked to new lows. After a brief hiatus, returning with more of the same uninspiring offerings at a price that hurts doesn't make much sense.
• Consumers may still want a new 2020 HTC flagship phone! 63% of people voted they were ‘psyched’ about a new HTC flagship, but this isn’t it.