HTC launches metaverse phone with Ethereum, Polygon support

HTC launched metaverse phone “Desire 22 Pro” on Tuesday, which comes with a digital assets wallet and virtual reality (VR) headset pairing feature, as part of the Taiwanese firm’s Web3 expansion.

Fast facts

• HTC preloaded its 6.6-inch phone with applications from its metaverse arm Viverse, offering users what it calls a rich metaverse experience without a VR headset.
• With Viverse apps and Vive wallets built into the phone, users can create virtual avatars and manage crypto assets, including non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and cryptocurrencies on Ethereum and Polygon, the company said in a press release.
• The 8GB RAM and 128 GB storage device is priced at NT$11,990 (US$403) in Taiwan and £399 (US$487) in the U.K., and will be available for purchase in Taiwan, Japan and Europe, according to the company.
• HTC has not disclosed availability of its metaverse phone in other regions, but a spokesperson told Forkast the company is evaluating distribution.
• The consumer electronics firm shifted its focus to VR gear production, with its last phone release dating back to January 2021.
• In 2017, Google bought a US$1.1 billion slice of HTC’s smartphone hardware business.
• HTC is among the early phone makers to experiment with blockchain technology.