HTC has unveiled an upgraded version of its mid-tier Desire 820 smartphone that hopes to capitalize on consumers' passion of taking "selfies." Announced Monday at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the Desire 826 brings UltraPixel technology to the front-facing camera of an HTC phone for the first time, helping users take sharp self-portraits in any light condition.

The handset comes equipped with a 5.5-inch full-HD display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 octa-core 64-bit processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage capacity, a micro-SD card slot for memory expansion and 4G LTE connectivity.

Also, HTC is integrating Dolby Audio surround sound technology into its BoomSound front-facing speakers on the Desire 826 to deliver a multi-channel audio solution.

HTC said the Desire 826 will be available with mobile operators and major retailers in the Asia-Pacific region at the end of January and will roll out in other regions in subsequent months.