HTC Desire 650 release date, specs news: HTC officially rebrands Desire A17

Promo image for the newly-launched HTC Desire 650.HTC Taiwan

HTC has just released another iteration as it made the previously-rumored Desire A17 official. However, the new handset has been rebranded as the Desire 650.

The new iteration is already added to the devices list for the Taiwan-based tech maker. As part of the Desire lineup, the new addition is a direct follow-up to the Desire 630, and will be the newest budget smartphone in the series. However, there are new features in its design and specs.

One noted improvement is the change in the body design for the new device. While the body of the Desire 650 is primarily plastic, the bottom half of its back panel features grooves, a direct contrast to the smooth finish of the upper part. The quirky design also has an interesting functional feature, since the grooves act as grips for the user. Other design features include a 5.0-inch display with 720p resolution, as well as a 13-MP main camera at the back and 5-MP selfie shooter.

Under the hood, the new iteration features a yet-unnamed Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset, though some observers believe that it is an SD 610 SoC. The chipset is paired with 2 GB of RAM and there is 16 GB of onboard storage. The internal memory is expandable for up to 2 TB via microSD support. Other specs and features include 2,200 mAh battery and Android 6.0 Marshmallow via the Sense UI 8.0 interface. Being a recent release, it is expected that the Desire 650 will be updated to Android Nougat platform by next year.

Meanwhile, although the new iteration is already official, HTC has yet to come out with global release details for the Desire 650. It is revealed though, that the new device will release in Taiwan for about $170 next month. With some devices in the Desire lineup making it in other markets, it is expected that the Desire 650 will come out of Taiwan by next year.