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HTC Desire 601 shows up at the FCC, likely headed to Sprint or Virgin Mobile
While we've already spent precious quality time with the HTC Desire 601, we still weren't sure where exactly this mid-range smartphone would be available. Well, if this FCC listing is any indication, it could be arriving stateside some time soon, and with Sprint's LTE bands in tow. The documents show a HTC handset with the 601's "Zara" codename in the build number (as seen above) as well as support for LTE band 25, which seemingly points it in the Now Network's direction. This also lends credence to an @evleaks tweet posted two weeks ago that claimed the Desire 601 was headed to Virgin Mobile, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sprint. Other tidbits revealed from the FCC filing include Android 4.2.2 as the firmware and features such as WiFi, Bluetooth and NFC, most of which we already knew. Alas, we don't yet know the pricing and availability of the device, but we're guessing it'll show up any day now. In the meantime, treat yourselves to our in-depth hands-on to see if it's worth the wait.
HTC announces the Desire 601, we go hands-on (video)
It's a weird time at HTC, where its flagship smartphones earn so much praise, but the bottom line continues to evaporate at an alarming rate. It's the mid-range and low-end that the company now needs to improve in the hope of recouping some of Robert Downey Jr.'s fee. That's what the Desire 601 is for, a second-tier smartphone that shares more than a little of its DNA with the company's highly-lauded flagships. We got to spend a couple of minutes with the device, the first Desire handset to ship with LTE, and we'd like to share with you our very first impressions.
