HTC Desire 616 unveiled today is HTC’s first octa core smartphone priced in the lower mid range segment at 16,900 INR. This price segment is more competitive than ever with Xiaomi Mi3 docking on Indian shores and will an octa core chipset let HTC desire 616 steer through? We got to spend some time with HTC Desire 616 in India and let’s take closer look at Desire 616 hardware
6Camera and Internal Storage
The primary camera used is an 8 MP unit which can record full HD videos. Several manufacturers will offer you a more detailed 13 MP camera sensor, but it wouldn’t be just to write it off just because of the Megapixel count. The camera performance in our initial testing wasn’t any great either, its an average 8 MP shooter. The camera App however is the standard mediatek The 2 MP front selfie camera can also record 1080p HD videos.
Internal storage is paltry 4 GB which is disappointing at this price range. With several phones offering 16 GB native storage in this price segment, HTC has no excuse to stick to trite 4 GB storage model expandable by another 32 GB using microSD card. We would have liked 8 GB internal storage better in this device.
Processor and Battery
The processor used is MT6592 octa core clocked at 1.4 GHz. Clock frequency is lower than what we generally see on other octa core devices (1.7 GHz or 2 GHz) but aided with Mali 450 MP4 GPU it still packs enough grunt to take on day to day tasks efficiently.
Most octa core units we have seen so far heat up when they are over loaded, it remains to be seen if lowering the clock frequency will help Desire 616 in this regards. In the chipset department, Xiaomi Mi3 with Snapdragon 800 Quad core is a more appealing option.
Battery capacity is also quite modest at 2000 mAh. Panasonic P81 with similar chipset and slightly larger display is selling in the same price range with 2500 mAh battery. HTC hasn’t provided with battery stats yet, but we expect the battery to last about a day with low usage.
Display and Other Features
The IPS LCD display is 5 inches in braced with 1280 x 720 pixels. The display is good in terms of color reproduction and brightness but viewing angle’s are not to great. With phones like Zenfone 5 and Xiaomi Mi3 you can get better display at lower price range, but HTC Desire 616 display won’t be a deal breaker.
HTC Desire 616 comes with dual SIM connectivity as it has been designed for Asian markets. Operating system is quite dated with Android 4.2.2 Jelly bean at the helms. Android OS is customized with HTC Sense 5.5 UI but retain several stock features like the camera app, quick settings menu and more.
Comparison
HTC Desire 616 will compete against the likes of Xiaomi Mi3, Moto G, Alcatel One Touch Idol X+, Zenfone 5, Zenfone 6, Panasonic P81 and Karbonn Titanium Octane in Indian market. With the arrival of Hexa core devices which are already under works, the competition will further intensify.
Key Specs
| Model | HTC Desire 616 |
| Display | 5 inch, HD |
| Processor | 1.4 GHz Octa Core |
| RAM | 1 GB |
| Internal Storage | 4 GB, Expandable up to 32 GB |
| OS | Android 4.2 Jelly Bean |
| Camera | 8 MP/ 2 MP |
| Battery | 2,000 mAh |
| Price | 16,900 INR |
What We Like
- Octa Core Chipset
What we Don’t like
- Cheap build quality
- Only 4 GB Storage
Conclusion and Price
HTC Desire 616 is not a well built HTC smartphone and features hardware that isn’t exactly dazzling. With phones like Xiaomi Mi3, Moto G and Zenfone 6 already launched in India, nothing but the best will suffice. HTC has made some grave compromises like Android 4.2 jelly bean and only 4 GB internal storage, which further make HTC Desire 616 a mediocre device. HTC Desire will be available for 16,990 from 12th of July 2014.
