Tech for Less: HTC Desire C offers Android 4.0, Beats audio in an entry-level package

If you’re looking for a cheap smartphone that offers Android 4.0 in a compact package that shares the One X’s design cues, HTC just unveiled one. The HTC Desire C is an entry-level smartphone way down the ladder compared to HTC’s One series, but shares the same styling. Fronted by a 3.5-inch capacitive touch screen with a 320 x 480 resolution, the phone also comes with Android 4.0 out-of-the-box (layered with HTC’s Sense 4.0 I) and Beats Audio processing.

The rest of the spec includes a  5-megapixel camera at the back and NFC connectivity. To keep the price down, the phone will only run on a 600MHz processor and pack in 4GB of memory. Yes, it’s a bit short on premium tech, but it still looks pretty good for the price. Available in red, silver and black colors, the HTC Desire C is expected to cost between $200 and $250 off-contract, and will include 25GB of free cloud storage from Dropbox.

No word on exact release dates yet, but it’s due out in Europe in June.