Three UK launches HTC Desire C, available on PAYG for £150

British network Three is the first mobile operator to launch HTC's latest budget handset, the Desire C. Announced just a couple of weeks ago, the Desire C is the successor to HTC's budget-busting Wildfire range. It's got a 600MHz CPU, a 3.5-inch HVGA display and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. And being an HTC Sense 4 phone, it also ships with Beats Audio software enhancements. There's also a 5MP rear camera, though no front-facer, so video calling is out of the question. So it's not going to set the world alight, but the Desire C looks like a decent little budget handset.

Three's offering the Desire C for free on contracts starting at just £13 per month, or if you want to buy it outright, the PAYG price is an equally reasonable £150, when purchased with an initial £15 top-up. The network's selling the Desire C in black and white, and the phone is available to order online and in-store from today.

Source: Three UK; More: HTC Desire C gallery

HTC Desire C now available in the UK

As expected, the HTC Desire C is now available in the UK and will soon make its way to other countries across Europe. The HTC Desire C is the latest budget-friendly Android 4.0 handset from HTC. When you say budget-friendly, we’re talking about a free phone paired with a £13 (roughly $20) monthly contract which gives you 100 minutes, 5,000 texts and 250MB of monthly data. Anyone looking to buy the HTC Desire C off-contract can find it at T-Mobile and Orange for £169 while Three is looking to beat its competition by offing the handset for £149.

The HTC Desire C runs on Android 4.0 with HTC Sense 4.0 and features a 3.5-inch HVGA (320 x 480) display, 600 MHz Qualcomm processor, 512 MB of RAM, 4 GB of internal storage, microSD card slot, 5 megapixel camera, Beats Audio, and a 1,230 mAh battery. From what we can tell, the handset available from Orange, T-Mobile and Three is the standard model, but you will soon be able to purchase an NFC-enabled version of the Desire C for a slight premium.

Besides its looks, the HTC Desire C does not have anything in common with HTC’s flagship devices, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The HTC Wildfire and Wildfire S were very popular phones in Europe because of the value they offered and we’d expect the Desire C to at least live up to its predecessors’ successes.

Would you ever consider buying a device like the HTC Desire C as a starter phone for a family member or would you rather get them a used flagship phone from a year ago for around the same price?

HTC Desire C goes on sale at Three UK

The affordable HTC Desire C has officially gone up for sale at Three UK. Available for free on a 13 pounds per month tariff, the device features a WVGA resolution display, 4GB of internal storage, a 600MHz processor, a 5 megapixel camera, and other uninspiring specs. That doesn’t mean this one will be passed up often on the shelf, though, as I’m sure the value alone will attract people.

HTC Desire C gallery

Want a closer look at all three flavors of HTC Desire C? Look no further -- you'll find official renders of the red, white and black versions after the break.

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HTC Desire C announced – delivers Android 4.0, NFC and a 5MP camera on a budget

The HTC Desire C is official. HTC’s new entry-level Android 4.0 handset features a 3.5-inch HVGA (320 x 480) display, 600 MHz Qualcomm processor, 512 MB of RAM, 4 GB of internal storage, microSD card slot, 5 megapixel camera, Beats Audio, and a 1,230 mAh battery. For those who want to make sure they have the latest technology on their entry-level phone, HTC is also offering an NFC enabled version of the HTC Desire C. The phone will be available in white, black and red once it shows up in stores sometime in June.

The off-contract price for the HTC Desire C is set at £169.99, but UK service providers like T-Mobile, Orange and Three will be giving the phone away for free with plans starting at £15.50 per month.

While the HTC Desire C may aesthetically look like the HTC One series, the handset does not feature a dedicated imaging chip and the advanced performance of the One series. HTC has not announced any plans of bringing the HTC desire C to the U.S. market, but we wouldn’t be surprised if the phone showed up on regional carriers in the next few months.

What do you think of the HTC Desire C? Does the world really need another entry-level Android device?

Show Press Release HTC LAUNCHES Desire C, ITS LATEST smartphone WITH BEATS AUDIO New HTC Desire C – brilliant, entertaining and well connectedLONDON, UK — 15 May 2012 — Following on from the successful launch of the HTC One series, HTC, a global designer of smartphones, today unveiled its latest phone, the HTC Desire C. Featuring Beats Audio™ technology, this premium designed, yet affordable smartphone, allows you to hear your music just as the artist intended. The HTC Desire C also enables you to easily manage your professional and personal lives and share the moments that shape them.Available in red, white and black, and coming with HTC Sense 4.0 integrated with Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), the HTC Desire C is great as a first smartphone or for those upgrading from an existing one. Packing a powerful battery and offering access to thousands of apps, games, music and movies – available through Google Play – you will always be connected and entertained whether at work, home or on the move.“Listening to music is one of the most popular things people use their phones for, so it’s more important than ever that we deliver the power and emotion artists capture in the studio,” said Jason Mackenzie, President, Global Sales and Marketing for HTC Corporation. “The HTC Desire C offers customers excellent design, easy access to content and fast connectivity – making it the perfect all round device.”Authentic sound without compromiseThe HTC Desire C features a powerful, yet rich studio-quality sound experience that is enabled through the combination of optimized Beats Audio and amazing hardware. This integration enables a rich, clear audio experience to customers no matter if they’re listening to music or playing a game.Premium design taken to a new levelCombining a durable metal frame with precision engineering, the HTC Desire C is ideal for those who want a premium-designed phone. Boasting a micro-drilled earpiece for sharp in-call sound, hyper-viewing angle display and metal camera bezel, this compact smartphone offers an unrivalled level of design and user-experience for its class.Packing the latest mobile technology into a neat, eye-catching design, HTC Desire C’s vibrant 3.5-inch HVGA screen makes it easy to browse the Web, view photos or connect with friends and family. If you like to share personal experiences with your social network, HTC Desire C’s 5 megapixel camera and instant sharing capabilities will allow you to post any moment, seconds after it was captured.Through HTC Desire C’s deep integration of Dropbox and 25GB of free online space, you also have the freedom to securely back-up, browse and share thousands of photos, videos and documents, whether stored locally or in the cloud.Ensuring that HTC Desire C keeps pace with new mobile services as they become available there is also an NFC variant of this model, allowing users to make payments or access information and offers.