If you are looking for Android phablet from a tier one manufacturer around 25,000 INR and are not willing to compromise on the large display real estate, your path will definitely cross, the hot selling Sony Xperia T2 Ultra. HTC has now put forward a worthy competitor HTC Desire 816, with 5.5 Inch Display and impressive mid range spec sheet. Let’s put both of these phones head to head.
Display and Processor
Both of these phones push the portability issues to their respective LCD phablet displays featuring 720p HD resolution. The HTC Desire 816 features 5.5 Inch IPS LCD display with narrow bezels and the display is quite bright and crisp.
The Sony Xperia T2 Ultra with sleek and stylish Omni Balance design language from Sony has a bigger 6 inch TFT LCD display with similar HD resolution. The display looses most of its glamour when you switch to auto brightness or lower brightness levels.
In case, you find biger displays alluring, T2 Ultra will entice you more, but the HTC Desire 816 comes with slightly better display quality if you are willing to settle for 5.5 inches instead of 6 Inches.
Both of these smartphone are powered by Snapdragon 400 chipsets with Cortex A7 based cores. The T2 Ultra has all 4 cores ticking at 1.4 GHz, where as HTC Desire 816 scales the frequency to 1.7 GHz making the cores faster. It also comes with more 1.5 GB RAM (Vs 1 GB) to aid with smooth multi tasking.
Camera and Internal Storage
The primary camera in Xperia T2 Ultra has a 13 MP sensor capable of full HD 1080P video recording; the front 1.1 MP shooter can also record 720p HD videos for good quality video recording. Desire 816 also features a 13 MP f2.2 shooter with 28 mm lens capable of full HD video recording.
The secondary camera has more pixels (5 MP) with 720p HD video calling ability which makes it for suitable for selfies. Overall, both of these camera’s won’t hamper your user experience. You don’t have much to choose from in this regards.
The Internal storage in again same at 8 GB for both smartphones, but Desire 816 comes with some extra MicroSD storage (32 GB VS 128 GB). Both of the storage will be sufficient for most users, but HTC Desire will provide the option for some additional microSD storage should you need some.
Battery and Features
Xperia T2 Ultra Dual comes with 3000 mAh battery and a stamina mode, which will last one day with moderate usage. Desire 816 on the other hand feature 2600 mAh battery which has to power a slightly smaller display. It’s hard to tell for sure which one will provide with better battery backup for now.
Both of these phones come with glossy plastic back and dual SIM functionality. HTC Desire 816 has the advantage of dual frontal speakers and HTC Boom sound which will enhance your multimedia experience. It also comes with latest Android 4.4 Kitkat with Sense UI on top, whereas T2 Ultra features comparatively older Android 4.3 jelly bean, customized by Sony.
Key Specs
| Model | HTC Desire 816 | Sony Xperia T2 Ultra |
| Display | 5.5 inch, HD | 6 inch, HD |
| Processor | 1.6 GHz Quad Core Snapdragon 400 | 1.4 GHz Quad Core Snapdragon 400 |
| RAM | 1.5 GB | 1 GB |
| Internal Storage | 8 GB, Expandable up to 128 GB | 8 GB, Expandable up to 32 GB |
| OS | Android 4.4 KitKat | Android 4.3 Jelly Bean |
| Camera | 13 MP/ 5 MP | 13 MP/ 1.1 MP |
| Battery | 2,600 mAh | 3000 mAh |
| Price | Rs 23,990 | Approx 24,000 INR |
Conclusion
HTC finally has a worthy competitor in mid range price segment with a competitive price. Both of these phones are meant for those looking for an extra large display from a tier one manufacturer and the choice will vastly depend on individual taste. We like the HTC Desire 816 a tad bit better based on its body design, chipset and display. Other options include Nokia Lumia 1320, HP Slate 6 and Gionee Elife E7.
