HTC Desire 22 Pro is a mid-ranger disguised as a ‘metaverse’ phone

HTC has teased a ‘metaverse’ phone for a while now, promising a device focused on AR and VR functionality. Now, the company has finally launched the phone, but it’s no flagship device at all.

In terms of core specs, the newly announced Desire 22 Pro sounds like your typical mid-range proposition in 2022. There’s a 6.6-inch FHD+ 120Hz screen (presumably LCD), a Snapdragon 695 chipset, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of expandable storage, and a 4,520mAh battery with 18W wired charging.

These features come together to deliver a phone that’s more in line with mid-rangers from the likes of Motorola, OnePlus, and Xiaomi in theory. At least there’s wireless charging support and an IP67 rating as well, which are rare features for mid-rangers. You should probably consider an older flagship if you want these features on a budget, though.

As for camera capabilities, you should expect a 64MP primary rear shooter, a 13MP ultrawide camera, and a 5MP depth sensor. A 32MP shooter is available in a punch-hole cutout for selfies.

What about the AR/VR focus?

Of course, we can forgive the Desire 22 Pro for being a mid-range proposition if the ‘metaverse’ focus pays off. So what should you expect in this regard?

Well, HTC says the phone can be paired with the Vive Flow headset for VR functionality. But it’s worth noting that the headset already works with a variety of devices from other manufacturers. In other words, the Desire 22 Pro is no more of a ‘metaverse’ phone than Flow-supported devices like the Galaxy A32 5G and OnePlus Nord.

The company’s Taiwanese site (h/t: The Verge) also claims that the phone has a tool to manage personal digital assets and NFTs. It certainly sounds like HTC is ticking the unnecessary trend boxes with this device, then.

The HTC Desire 22 Pro is currently available on pre-order for £399 (~$490) with an August 1 dispatch date. In any event, the phone might be a disappointment for people who were expecting a flagship-level product akin to 2018’s Exodus 1 blockchain-focused phone. Even those hoping to see HTC offer more on the AR/VR front might be disappointed as the ‘metaverse’ features aren’t exclusive to the device.