GADGET GIZMO REVIEW................... HTC Desire 816

GADGET GIZMO REVIEW HTC Desire 816

 

SPECIFICATIONS 

5-inch super amoled (1920 x 1080 pixels) display, 1.7Ghz octa core processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB storage, 13MP rear camera, 5MP front camera, WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, Android 4.2, 2,300mAh, 133 grams Super-slim unibody design, fantastic display, great camera, loud audio Body is prone to scratches, slow UI, non expandable storage

For reasons unclear, HTC has largely avoided the phablet segment. The only phablet in their portfolio is the HTC One Max and this, the Desire 816, is now the second.

The Desire 816 shares some design elements with the premium HTC One -dual front speakers, rounded edges and metallic volume/power keys. It weighs 165 grams and has a plastic body with a matte finish which makes the phone look good.
The only issue we had was with the placement of the power button ­ on any large phone, a power button placed on top will not be easy to reach with one hand. Up front is a gorgeous 5.5-inch display with great viewing angles and vibrant colours.
The dual SIM slots are on the right side ­ both are nano SIM slots and we wish that HTC had stuck to the more common micro SIM ­ there certainly is no shortage of space.

Thanks to the 1.6Ghz quad core Snapdragon processor and 1.5GB RAM, the phone is generally smooth. However, we did notice that the phone tends to get a bit sluggish if there are too many apps open in the background.

We were very impressed with both cameras on the desire 816. The 13MP rear and 5MP front camera both take excellent images with good details in most scenarios. The wide-angle front camera is especially great for selfies. In terms of audio, the in-ear speaker as well as the front stereo loudspeakers offers great output ­ loud with good clarity .

Battery life is one area in which the Desire 816 failed to impress. On a full charge, the phone struggled to deliver one full day of backup. HTC has included an ultra power saving mode, which adds another hour to the batter life, but we were expecting more considering the power efficient Snapdragon 400 processor and Android 4.4. If you like large displays, consider Sony's T2 Ultra (dual SIM) ­ it is priced about the same and has a larger 6-inch display . You could also consider Gionee's E7 which has a much better display, camera and hardware for the same price.

KARAN BAJAJ