HTC today announced the new One Mini, a more petite Android phone with a similar design to its flagship design, the One.
The Taiwan-based smartphone manufacturer has been struggling over the past year, with profits last quarter down 83 percent from the previous year. It would seem that this cheaper, smaller phone is an attempt to stop the market share hemorrhaging and grow the customer base.
But downsizing the One into the One Mini means that HTC had to downsize the new phone’s capabilities as well. The display on the Mini is 4.3 inches, down from the One’s 4.7 inches. It also takes a hit in processing power, with the Mini using a dual-core 1.4 GHz CPU, compared to the One’s quad-core 1.7 GHz chip. Several other features that were included on the One are missing, including the IR blaster, NFC chip and optical image stabilization.
It’s unclear yet how those changes will affect the phone’s performance.
If you’re looking to get your hands on the Mini, HTC says it will be out in select markets in August, with a worldwide release coming in September.
Previously on GeekWire: HTC revenue, profits down for another quarter
