HTC Desire 825 is a midrange smartphone with Hi-Res audio

It's been a big year for HTC. We've seen the local release of the HTC 10 flagship smartphone, the Vive virtual reality headset, the Telstra Signature Premium (a rebadged HTC A9), and the cut price One X9 phablet. Now, we can add the AUD$549 Desire 825 to that list.

The Desire 825 is another midrange phablet, made unique thanks to support for High-Res audio. If you've got a library of 24-bit music (and compatible Hi-Res headphones), the Desire 825 will comfortably play it back. While Hi-Res audio may be somewhat of a niche inclusion, it's not a feature found in many high-end smartphones (Sony and HTC are the only manufacturers who’ve bothered), let alone in midrange devices.

Other specifications include a 5.5-inch 720p display, quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor, 16GB of expandable storage, 2GB of RAM, a 13MP rear-facing camera, 5MP front-facing camera, BoomSound speakers, and a 2,700mAh battery. The Desire 825 ships with Android Marshmallow.

JB Hi-Fi is currently the only local retailer ranging the Desire 825. It's available in store and online from today. No telco is offering the Desire 825 on contract.