HTC unveils 4.3-inch Rezound: 1.5GHz dual-core, 1GB RAM (live coverage)

At an event in New York City today, HTC is set to unveil the latest Android handset to its lineup: the Rezound. Based on data leaked just before the announcement, we’re expecting to see a 4.3-inch touchscreen, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, and 1GB of RAM. Whether that’s accurate or not, we’ll know soon enough. See our constantly-updated live coverage below:

KEY FACTS: Rezound will have a 4.3-inch, 720p display; a 1.5GHz dual-core processor; 1GB of RAM; 4G LTE connectivity; and an 8MP/f2.2 camera capable of shooting slow motion. The Rezound will be available through Verizon for $299 with a two-year contract, starting Nov. 14.

MORE COVERAGE: To learn more about the Rezound, check out our hands-on impressions and photo gallery as well as our video on HTC Sense 3.5 and The Rezound Beats & Camera features. 

Original live text below:

3:45pm
HTC Chief Executive Peter Chou opened the presentation by boasting that his company was recently named a “Top 100 global brand” buy brand consultancy agency Interbrand. Most company’s take 20 years to make it into Interbrand’s Top 100, Chou said, but HTC reached it in just 5 years. HTC, which grew an impressive 163 percent this year, is currently ranked at number 98 on the list.

Coca-Cola is the No. 1 brand in the world, but seven of the top 10 contenders are technology companies. IBM sits in No. 2, followed by Microsoft and Google. Intel ranks in at No. 7, Apple at No. 8 and HP comes in at No. 10, just above Disney.

3:55pm
The Rezound is red and black, and looks similar to a Droid Incredible. The back is translucent, giving users a “peak” at the internals of the device, which, as expected has a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, and 32GB of storage, half of which is internal, the other 16GB are on a microSD card.

4:00pm
The Rezound will come “Ice Cream Sandwich ready,” and HTC promises to update as soon as possible. The device also sports a 720p high-def display — a first for HTC. The Rezound also includes what is “the best camera somebody can own,” an 8MP lens capable of shooting at an f-stop of 2.2 (very fast for a phone camera). The camera can even shoot slow motion.

4:06pm
Sound is a big part of the Rezound (thus, the name). The smartphone comes with a pair of Beats headphones that include volume buttons on the chord. Also, they’ve confirmed that the Rezound runs HTC Sense 3.5 user interface.

4:09pm
Rezound owners will also be able to watch NFL games live, for free. The device will be available on November 14, for $299 (with contract), through Verizon.

4:15pm
Presentation is over — time for some hands on! Check back with us later for our first impressions of the HTC Rezound.