HTC has made the anticipated update to its mid-range devices with the launch of the HTC Desire 10 Pro and HTC Desire 10 Lifestyle.

The biggest thing that stands these two handsets apart from other devices already available is design. HTC always likes to make its mark on design and here the Desire 10 picks up on a classic deco contrast design, in some very classic colours.

Pairing with gold detailing, the Desire 10 handsets comes in four colours: royal blue, black, polar white and valentine lux. These colours are designed to be emotive and break away from the normal run of silver or rose gold, but still carry some of the feel of the namesake, the HTC 10.

So far these devices are the same: both offer a 5.5-inch display and land with Android Marshmallow with HTC Sense and have Micro-USB, rather than USB Type-C, but there the similarities end. 

HTC Desire 10 Pro: Hitting hardware highpoints

The HTC Desire Pro fits its name with the better specs of the pair, in most areas. The 5.5-inch display is 1920 x 1080 pixels (400ppi), and is powered by an octa-core MediaTek Helio P10 chipset, with 3 or 4GB RAM and 32 or 64GB storage (configuration varies by territory). MicroSD is supported for storage expansion. 

The rear camera is a 20-megapixel sensor with f/2.2 aperture and it offers laser autofocus. HTC says this is the best Desire camera ever, although it sounds like it has the camera from the old HTC One M9.

The front camera is 13-megapixels, offering a wide 150-degree mode for wide selfies.

There's a fingerprint scanner on the rear that can unlock the phone, as well as acting as a shutter for the camera. 

There'a no BoomSound speakers however. You get the BoomSound profile for your headphones, but you only get a mono speaker on the bottom.

HTC Desire 10 Lifestyle: Graced with audio goodness

Although the Pro and Lifestyle handsets look similar, you'll notice that there's a slight difference in design, as well as the Hi-Res Audio logo on the back. The Lifestyle's big push is in music, offering support for Hi-Res, as well as featuring BoomSound Hi-Fi speakers. 

Outside of that, the Desire 10 Lifestyle takes a step down the specs ladder. The 5.5-inch display makes a move to 1280 x 720 pixels, it's powered by an entry-level Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 chipset with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage. 

The camera moves to a 13-megapixel sensor with f/2.2 aperture and the front camera drops to 5-megapixels. The Lifestyle doesn't get the fingerprint scanner, either.

So, although these handsets look similar, there's a big difference. The Desire 10 Pro sits in the lower mid-range, while the Desire 10 Lifestyle is closer to an entry-level spec, aside from the boosted audio offering. We've given the two devices the full comparison treatment, if you want to know more.

The HTC Desire 10 Lifestyle will cost £249 available at the beginning of September. The HTC Desire 10 Pro pricing will be confirmed closer to launch in November.