HTC announces Desire 601, 300, BoomBass speaker and blue HTC Ones

New entry-level and mid-range phones, a bassy Bluetooth speaker and the HTC One and One Mini in 'vivid blue'

HTC has taken the wraps off a slew of new devices this morning, including new smartphones, accessories and additional color options for the HTC One series.

Pictured above, the HTC Desire 601, pictured above, is a new mid-range device, positioned towards the upper end of the "Desire" family. The Desire 601 has a 4.5-inch qHDLCD display, and runs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 dual-core CPU at 1.4GHz, same as the One Mini. As such, it's inherited many of that phone's software features, including the most recent version of HTC Sense, the BlinkFeed home screen experience, HTC Zoe and video highlights.

Around the front are two large "BoomSound" front-facing speakers, while the back houses a 5-megapixel camera. The Desire 601 is also the first Desire phone to ship with LTE support. We've got more on the 601 in our hands-on report; a European release is expected in September.

Next up is the Desire 300, a new entry-level smartphone. Similar in design to the Desire 601, the 300 packs a 1GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, 512MB of RAM. Other notables include a 4.3-inch WVGAlaminated display andHTC'sBlinkFeed home screen software. It's a basic smartphone designed to replace last year's Wildfire C, and HTC's promising an affordable price point when the Desire 300 lands in "select markets" including the UK in October.

There's also a new HTCaccessory on the way -- the HTC BoomBass is a cube-shaped Bluetooth speaker that pairs with HTC phones over USB, and includes a slide-out shelf for your phone. You'll find more details and photos in our first look post.

Finally, the frequently-leaked blue HTC One is official today, and it's joined by a similarly-colored HTC One Mini. The 'vivid blue' One and One Mini will arrive in select markets in Q4; we've got lots of photos in our gallery post.

Today's presser can be found down below. And you'll want to check the links below for our hands-on coverage of today's new HTC devices.

More coverage:

• HTC Desire 601 hands-on
• HTC BoomBass hands-on
• In pictures: The blue HTC One and One Mini
• HTC Desire 601 and Desire 300 specs

Category-changers: HTC introduces new mid-range Desire 601 and entry-level Desire 300
New HTC BoomBassTM supercharges BoomSoundTM for the ultimate HTC One audio experience

London, 3 September 2013 HTC, a global leader in mobile innovation and design, today announcedthe addition of the HTC Desire 601 and HTC Desire 300, to its popular smartphone family enablingconsumers to enjoy a premium experience at any price point. Changing the face of the mid-range,the HTC Desire 601 introduces LTE speeds and innovative features from the flagship One family,including HTC ZoeTM with Video Highlights and HTC BoomSound. Setting a new standard for entrylevel smartphones, the HTC Desire 300 offers a powerful, large-screen browsing experience and HTC BlinkFeedTM

In addition to extending its range of affordable Desire smartphones, HTC is also bringing new choiceand performance enhancements to its acclaimed HTC One family. HTC BoomBass, a Bluetooth subwoofer, combines with the One familys HTC BoomSound to offer a fully-immersive audio experience like no other. A new Vivid Blue HTC One and One mini also introduce a bold new option for those who want a handset that stands out from the crowd.

For the last 17 years HTC has challenged the mobile industry to develop innovations that change the way in which people use their mobile phone. Now were not only changing the way people view the mid-range and entry-level market but setting the bar even higher when it comes to our premium devices and capabilities, commented Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corporation. We are committed to offering the most innovative portfolio of products on the market. Our Desire family has become synonymous with affordable quality. Offering some of the most advanced capabilities of any smartphone, these phones truly represent premium quality in a more affordable price bracket.

HTC Desire 601: A powerful value smartphone for everyone

The HTC Desire 601 comes complete with many of the features that have led the HTC One to becrowned the best phone in the world. HTC BlinkFeed, HTC Zoe with Video Highlights and HTC BoomSound make this the most advanced mid-range smartphone available on the market today

The rear-facing 5MP camera captures HTC Zoes, bringing images to life in three-second videos. Thesimple editing capabilities of HTC Zoe support advanced features such as Sequence Shot, AlwaysSmile and Object Removal, making it easy to achieve incredible results with minimal effort.

Video Highlights takes the camera experience to the next level by creating highlight reels displayedon the HTC Desires 601s 4.5" qHD screen. Accompanied by a range of pre-set themes for a morepersonal memory, these stunning 30-second video montages are simple to create and instantlysharable.

Superfast streaming, sharing and browsing

The HTC Desire 601 combines a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400, dual-core, 1.4GHz processor and LTE connectivity to enable superfast HD video and music streaming with no compromise on quality.Changing the way you experience media on the go, dual, front-facing HTC BoomSound speakers joinwith the large screen to create a completely immersive audiovisual experience. Delivering richer,sharper tones, the raw power of the speakers lets you take the big screen, big sound homeentertainment experience with you, wherever you go.

HTC Desire 300: A personal and powerful entry-level smartphone

The HTC Desire 300 enhances the entry-level browsing experience with HTC BlinkFeed making personal and up-to-date content and social media updates available instantly on your home screen. Its stunning 4.3, full lamination display is perfect for reading your customised HTC BlinkFeedupdates, watching videos, viewing photos and surfing the web, whilst the Qualcomm Snapdragon dual-core, 1GHz processor means that youll never be short on performance.

Boosting the bass for HTC One

In the HTC One, HTC redefined the smartphone sound experience with HTC BoomSound and has now raised the bar again with the introduction of a new accessory for the HTC One family. HTC BoomBass, a compact, Bluetooth-enabled subwoofer with a dedicated amplifier, provides clearer, more powerful bass when combined with the HTC One familys BoomSound. The subwoofer enables HTC BoomSounds speakers to produce enhanced quality of lower range frequencies so, no matter what music youre playing or video youre watching, you are guaranteed immense and exceptional sound that can travel with you.

Availability

The new HTC Desire 601 will be available with mobile operators and major retailers in select markets across EMEA from September 2013. The HTC Desire 300 will be available in select markets from October 2013.

The new Vivid Blue HTC One models will be available in select markets from Q4 2013 and HTCBoomBass will be available from the HTC Accessory Store from mid October 2013. (http://www.htcaccessorystore.com) For more information visit www.htc.com.

Via: HTC announces Desire 601, 300, BoomBass speaker and blue HTC Ones