Despite being out of the competitive smartphone market for a while, HTC has launched a new phone called the Desire 22 Pro and the trick is that it’s designed for the metaverse.

For those who don’t know, the Desire 22 Pro is the successor to the company’s metaverse-focused smartphone lineup, the Desire 21 Pro. It is sold as the “perfect companion” to the recently introduced HTC Vive Flow VR headset. As the name suggests, the headset gives users the opportunity to experience virtual reality based on the metadatabase. Note that the headset is compatible with any Android smartphone, but the Desire 22 Pro may offer some special features or functionality.

Some of these new features include access to a digital wallet that helps manage cryptocurrencies and even comes with free NFT. Talking about the features of the device, it is equipped with a 6.6-inch FHD+ display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a cutout on the front panel for 32-megapixel selfies. Under the hood, the device is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 processor paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal memory. Desire 22 Pro is equipped with a 4520mAh battery that also supports wireless and reverse charging.

On the back, there is a triple camera consisting of a 64-megapixel main sensor, a 13-megapixel wide-angle lens and a 5-megapixel depth sensor. The device has IP67 protection against water and dust and runs Android 12 right out of the box. The smartphone currently costs £399 (about $490).