If you're a dedicated Cricket customer looking for something new and shiny (without breaking the bank), hang on to that Christmas bonus for a little while longer. The prepaid carrier announced today that the HTC One SV, itself only just debuting in the UK, will be available on January 16th. The mid-range ICS phone will run $349.99 on Cricket's non-subsidized 3G and LTE plans.

To refresh your memory, the One SV appropriately sits between the One S and One V models. From the S it takes a 4.3-inch LCD screen, dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, and 1GB of RAM. A resolution of 800x480, a mere 8GB of MicroSD-expandable memory, and a 5-megapixel camera keep it firmly out of the high end. Stylistically, it looks a lot like a shrunken-down One X, and unfortunately it's not as svelte as the One S. (Confused yet?) Cricket's PR says that the phone's accents will be "finished in a vibrant Flame color", which should be a little different from the black and white models we've seen thus far.

The One SV's LTE radio will make it an attractive choice for HTC fans on Cricket, since they haven't had much to talk about since the 3G-only Desire C hit the carrier last year. That said, there are options above (like the Galaxy S III) and below (like the Huawei Mercury) the stiff $350 price that are worthy of consideration.

SAN DIEGO and BELLEVUE, Wash., Jan. 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Cricket Wireless and HTC today announced the upcoming launch of the HTC One SV, the latest model in the award-winning HTC One® series. This new smartphone, initially available in the United States only at Cricket Wireless, combines the speed of 4G LTE, an amazing 5 megapixel camera, and studio-quality sound with HTC's stunning signature design. Running HTC Sense® 4 on Android™ 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), it is designed for those who want their smartphone to keep pace with their busy lifestyle. The HTC One SV will be available beginning January 16 at Cricket company-owned stores and dealers nationwide and onwww.mycricket.com for $349.99 (MSRP).

"We are excited to be the first U.S. carrier to make the HTC One SV available to customers," said Matt Stoiber , senior vice president, devices for Cricket. "The HTC One SV is the perfect addition to our growing and robust device portfolio that offers great features at value pricing. The HTC One series is extremely popular and we believe Cricket customers will appreciate the combination of outstanding design, great features and power that the One SV provides."

"The HTC One SV joins our award-winning HTC One series to bring an affordable superphone to U.S. customers," said Mike Woodward , president, North America, HTC. "The HTC One SV combines sleek contours and a vibrant color with superfast performance courtesy of the dual-core processor and 4G LTE technology."

Designed To Perform

Featuring a Qualcomm® Snapdragon® S4 processor with a dual core 1.2GHz CPU and taking full advantage of the latest mobile network technology, the HTC One SV offers exceptional performance, enabling high-quality video streaming, gaming and seamless multitasking.

Users can avoid running out of space for documents, movies, pictures and apps, as the HTC One SV has expandable storage through a microSD® card slot with support for up to 32GB cards and integration with Dropbox®. Thanks to the latest NFC technology and Android Beam™, users can also share content with a simple tap of the phone to another NFC-enabled device.

The HTC One SV is available on Cricket's 4G LTE Android rate plans that offer, for a limited time, double the monthly full speed data allowance offered in Cricket's 3G rate plans. The $50 4G LTE Android Double Data Rate Plan allows up to 2GB of full-speed data; the $60 plan allows 5GB of full-speed data and the $70 plan offers up to 10GB of full-speed data.

Amazing Camera, Authentic Sound

The HTC One SV offers the amazing camera synonymous with the acclaimed HTC One series. Advanced functions, including one-press continuous shooting and HTC VideoPic™ combine with advanced low-light performance for beautiful shots in challenging lighting conditions. The HTC One SV's 5 megapixel, f/2.0 back side illuminated main camera with panorama and 1080p HD video recording is complemented perfectly by a 1.6 megapixel front facing camera, which also features backside illumination, and an f/2.2 lens. Whether at sunset or in candlelight, the HTC One SV's front camera promises a self-portrait to treasure.

Exclusively available on HTC smartphones, Beats Audio™ transforms the listening experience of the HTC One SV, offering studio-quality, authentic sound across all music, gameplay and video playback. New HTC Sync Manager also makes it easy to manage and sync your music collection from your computer to your smartphone to ensure your entire library is as mobile as you are.

Signature design true to HTC's heritage, the HTC One SV, with its 4.3 inch super LCD-2 touch screen, is perfect for those who like to have ample screen to play games, watch streaming video, and browse the web. Customers will also appreciate the brilliant 16 million colors, scratch resistant Corning® Gorilla® Glass and the fact that the display is fingerprint resistant. The bold styling of the phone is finished in a vibrant Flame color.