![](https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/a361df44856c08bc7453cca54f220004e5b607e5/hub/2011/02/07/23752baf-cbf2-11e2-9a4a-0291187b029a/htc-desire-2.jpg?auto=webp&width=644)
HTC’s original Desire smart phone was one of the big news stories at Mobile World Congress 2010, but now it seems the HTC Desire 2 could be taking the plaudits at this year’s show, which takes place in Barcelona next week.
The Android-based Desire 2 has appeared on Vodafone Germany’s inventory system, according to local site HTCInside. While that leak involves no images or specs, separately a poster on Phandroid’s Android forums claims to have the new handset already.
The forum post includes the image above, and claims the HTC Desire 2 is known internally at HTC as the ‘Passion 2’, following the codename of the original Desire. The poster says the device has a Super AMOLED screen, is running the Gingerbread 2.3.1 flavour of Android, and is “about 0.5cm smaller than the Desire with a front camera and better battery system”.
Rastaman-FB’s claim that the Desire 2 is “rather quick” hints that it may be packing a dual-core processor too. Thankfully, the final version won’t come with a Phandroid forum poster’s handle plastered over it in bright yellow. At least, you’d hope not. Also, the crazy twirly bit at the bottom-right of the device isn’t a new design element — it’s Photoshop trickery to hide the NDA code that would reveal which company has leaked the information.
This isn’t the first information about an HTC Desire 2, it’s worth noting. Last month, images leaked of a pair of mysterious new HTC smart phones, including one that was the spitting image of the original Desire, except with a new front-facing camera.
It’s shaping up to be a big MWC for HTC, based on rumours of other devices. Last week, we heard about the upcoming HTC Pyramid, which is tipped to include a 4.3-inch display and dual-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon processor. We’re also anticipating the announcement of two HTC Facebook phones, and possibly the public unveiling of its HTC Scribe Android-based tablet too.