With Verizon’s DROID DNA searing eyeballs and driving grown Android fans to tears, HTC lovers outside of the US have been eagerly anticipating the global edition of the 5-inch 1080p phone. That’s looking like it might be nearing, if a leaked promo shot of the HTC Deluxe – the international version of the DNA – courtesy of arch insider evleaks is anything to go by; the device is obviously free of Verizon branding, but it also lacks any indication of whether it will be a 3G or 4G device outside of the US.
Instead, there’s just a WiFi network signal, not a 3G or 4G status indicator in the notification bar. While Verizon’s LTE coverage is increasingly complete, 4G networks in Europe are less comprehensive, and there are several different bands in use which can make creating a single phone to satisfy all carrier needs frustrating.
Still, given the flagship allure of the Deluxe/DNA, we’d be very surprised if there wasn’t an LTE version for at least some locations. HTC already provides UK carrier EE with a 4G model – the HTC One XL – and has been cagey about the potential of a One X+ LTE version, telling us back at the smartphone’s launch that there were no current plans for adding 4G to its abilities.
That could well be because the next EE 4G HTC will be the Deluxe, and that’s not a prospect we would necessarily argue with. In addition to the 5-inch Full HD display there’s a quadcore Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 2GB of RAM, and cameras tuned for the sort of photos phones are called upon to capture: f/2.0 on the back for improved low-light performance, and an 88-degree wide angle lens on the front for fitting more people into group shots.
When, exactly, HTC will come clean with the global version of the DROID DNA is still a mystery; in the US, it will hit shelves on November 21. More details in our hands-on and in the video below.
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HTC Deluxe aka global DROID DNA leaks is written by SlashGear.
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