What is by far the most important requirement of an average consumer in a mobile phone? The Answer to this question is pretty simple, in this age of selfies and Instagram, camera has become one of the most if not “the” prominent feature in the phone. HTC thinks it has read the market well, that is why it aims to bring optical image stabilization – a feature which is generally reserved exclusively for the top brass, to a mid-range price (which is yet unknown).
Perhaps, the Company doesn’t want us to compare this handset with other phones which feature in the vague mid-range category and thus shied away from announcing the final price till availability.
Leaving its price aside, let us dive more into the details and share our first impression of the HTC Desire 828 Dual SIM with you:
Key Specifications and Features:
| Model | HTC Desire 828 Dual SIM |
| Display | 5.5-inch, FHD (1920×1080) IPS LCD, 401 ppi |
| Processor | Mediatek MT6753T Octa-core 1.5 GHz with Mali-T720MP3 GPU |
| RAM | 2GB |
| Internal Storage | 16GB, microSD, up to 2TB |
| Software | Android 5.1 Lollipop with HTC Sense |
| Primary Camera | 13MP, F/2.0 aperture, BSI sensor, autofocus, OIS, LED flash |
| Secondary Camera | 4MP Ultrapixel, F/2.0 aperture, autofocus, dual tone flash |
| Dimensions and weight | 157.7 x 78.9 x 7.9 mm and 148 grams |
| Battery | 2800 mAh |
| Others | Micro USB, Dual SIM, 4G LTE |
| Price | 19,990 INR |
Not so ‘Desire’able design:
Unlike HTC One A9, which flaunts a sizzling slim waistline, its fellow HTC Desire 828 Dual SIM more or less follows the same design ethos. The company claims it is inspired from modern sports car design which according to them gives it a sleek and thin demeanor. Unlike other Desire series phone, this Desire 828 has a plastic body and it still includes the signature BoomSound speaker grills that sandwich the display, are plastic made and placed at level with the glass (that should keep dust and grit at bay for a while).
Also Read: HTC One A9 First Impression: Worth buying?
On the right side, it has a flat power button and a volume rocker. Two nano SIM cards and a microSD can be inserted inside in the slim tray on the left side which is covered with a plastic flap. The soft mate finish on the back ensure a firm grip and doesn’t feel cheap when held in the hand. The top edge sports a 3.5 mm audio jack while at the bottom it has a micro USB port for charging and data transfer.
Performance expectations:
The HTC Desire 828 gets a full HD 5.5-inch display which appears sharp. The colors on the display looked quite natural and real unlike low-grade superficially saturated AMOLED displays. However, while viewing from extreme angles we noticed a purplish tint, the text was still readable. Overall, the display ranks well on our chart with good response time and touch sensitivity.
The display on this new HTC dual SIM phone is powered by a 1.5GHz octa-core MediaTek MT6753T which is coupled with Mali-720T GPU. Phone comes with 2GB when most of the manufacturers are gunning for 3Gigs or even 4Gigs of RAM. Having said that, during out limited usage time phone felt zippy and didn’t show any lag. Video playback was smooth without any frame drops. Phone didn’t show any signs of heating. We are not sure whether it will remain that cool when pushed by intense graphic games.
HTC gets its Sense 7 running in the Desire 828 which is based on Android V.5.1 Lollipop. Like all Sense powered phones, this too comes with all the Sense signature features including Blinkfeed. For the first time, HTC has introduced themes in its phone. The Dual SIM phone comes with a pre-loaded theme app which will allow users to download themes and change the appearance of the phone. For the delight of music lovers, HTC has placed its well tested BoomSound tech speakers with Dolby Audio on the front.
UltraPixel camera:
HTC is banking upon its camera hardware to draw consumer attention. According to the company, the camera sensor is equipped with its registered UltraPixel advanced imaging technology which accommodates 300% more light from other mobile cameras. The primary camera is capable of snapping images at 13-megapixel resolution. The camera module also adds dual tone flash and BSI sensor.
Compare: HTC Desire 828 vs. OnePlus X vs. Moto X Play
What makes this Camera lead above all other Desire series phones is the OIS (optical image stabilization). Thanks to optical image stabilization, camera mitigates the effect of jerks or shakes and ensure the image is not blurry. But, OIS in itself doesn’t promise great camera experience, as it is governed by a series of hardware and software factors. The interface of the camera app is pretty simple and straightforward. Switching between front and back camera is easy. Various modes including HDR, Night, Portrait or Landscape and you can switch between them via a small tap on the icons on the viewfinder.
Conclusion:
In this price-sensitive and extremely competitive Indian market, price is always in the backdrop while evaluating a mid-range or budget handset. The HTC Desire 828 is missing that key detail and thus we are not sure what devices to pitch it against. Will it fight the OnePlus X and Vibe S1 or in the big league with phones like Honor 7 and OnePlus 2? We will know ‘Soon’ as per HTC. On its own, HTC Desire 828 doesn’t have that elusive X factor, but if the camera works as advertised, and if the price is right, it could be worth recommending for brand conscious buyers.
Companies came out with different names but they all pack the same thing under the hood. Nothing so spectacular in this handset. I am damn sure OnePlus X will be better than this phone.