Unlike its “M8” cousin, which remains a puzzle in many ways, the HTC Desire 8 is basically an open book after a couple of appearances in the rumor game and an official confirmation/tease from HTC China.

First things first, the 5.5-inch phablet is apparently indeed called Desire 8. Not Desire 800, to maybe connect with existing Desire 500, 600 and 700 handhelds, but Desire 8 to probably establish a family bond with the oft-rumored high-end One sequel.

Only the two have very little in common. A subtle design resemblance, if you choose to ignore the metal – plastic build material discrepancy, and that’s pretty much it. Whereas the One Plus (One Two?) no doubt packs cutting-edge hardware, the Desire 8 keeps things sufficiently modest to fall in the booming cost-friendly, mid-range niche.

According to notoriously accurate insider LlabTooFer, a fairly modest quad-core 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 chip runs Desire 8’s hardware show, aided by 1 GB RAM. As expected, the massive display will only sport 720p resolution for sub-par 267 ppi pixel density, and Android 4.4.2 KitKat is to pair up with Sense 6.0 UI for hopefully a silky smooth software experience.

Aside from competitive pricing, we expect HTC to focus its marketing efforts on outstanding imaging capabilities, thanks to sizzling hot 13 and 5 MP (not UltraPixel, thank God) cameras. Also, 4G LTE connectivity, as the phablet is apparently due for high-speed releases in Europe, Asia, as well as on stateside carriers Sprint and AT&T.

One last tidbit: HTC plans to unveil the Desire 8 on February 24 in Beijing, China. Odd timing and location, as that’s when all eyes will turn to Barcelona, for the start of this year’s Mobile World Congress.

Via [HTC Weibo] and [LlabTooFer]