HTC Desire 816
Screen: 5.5-inch, 720p display
Processor: 1.6GHz Snapdragon 400 quad-core
Ram: 1.5GB
Cameras: 13MP f/2.2 rear- and
5MP front-facing camera
Internal Storage: 8GB with microSD card
Operating System: Android 4.4.2
HTC's latest offering pushes all the right buttons at a great price point
Not everyone is willing to pay 20,000 baht-plus on cutting-edge masterpieces such as the HTC One or Samsung S5. This is where the HTC Desire 816 comes in.
The HTC Desire 816 promises a quad-core processor, a large-screen display and 4G LTE support at an affordable price.
The body is made of plastic, unlike its flagship, the M8, which uses the unibody aluminium frame and a brushed metal backing. The 816 looks cute more than premium, and its design garnered a lot of praise from my colleagues. The 816 design reminds me of a 2009 MacBook design, which is one of my favourites, too.
It uses a mid-range Snapdragon processor to power the system. The overall experience is good with no signs of lag. It's only when playing 3D games that you wish you had more power. Cookie Run plays smoothly on the device though.
Although the 720p resolution isn't cutting edge, I was quite happy reading websites, watching movies and playing games on it, mostly because the 5.5-inch display gave me the feeling that an iPhone screen is now too small.
The 4G LTE support is the 816 highlight. Sadly, in Thailand we only have a limited 4G coverage. In my office I got only three out of five bars on the signal, so every time I tested it the speed was always equivalent to 3G. Later, I tested the 4G speed in the heart of Bangkok and the results were better. I got an average of 17.55/7.78Mbps download and upload speed. While the maximum 4G download speed is 100Mbps, this is only a start.
It also comes with only 3GB of user-accessible space. I didn't even begin shooting photos or videos — I installed one game along with a few benchmark apps and I was already running out of space, so, once you've got the device, it's highly recommend you buy a microSD card.
Even though it comes with a 2600mAh battery, which it is enough for a day of normal usage, playing games and watching movies is going to quickly drain the battery and the battery isn't removable. It is wise to bring an external battery pack with you.
In a worst-case scenario, you can use the extreme power-saving mode. This limited-functionality mode will give you nine more hours when the battery has only 10% left.
The Desire 816 has the same BoomSound series speakers as its big brother. The BoomSound still delivers a great entertainment experience and listening to music on a mobile phone can't get any better. This confirms my love towards the stereo speaker HTC has provided over the last two years.
The HTC M8 introduced the dual camera for a 3D-like effect and uses the 4MP Ultrapixel for better low-light images. The cheaper Desire 816 has switched to 13MP rear- and 5MP front-facing cameras.
HTC made the right choice — the images look like they're from an iPhone (a compliment, of course). However, it is good only when taking pictures in daylight. In low-light, it is a different story, especially compared with the superior M8. If you're into the whole selfie thing, the 816 camera works!
HTC includes Android 4.4.2 and its Sense 6.0 skin. That means you get essentially the same look and feel as you do with the flagship handsets. All the features such as car mode (simplified interface for when you're driving), BlinkFeed (gathering news and social media feed) and fast user interface are in the 816 — the same as the flagship. This is a good strategy. Once you’re used to the user interface, all HTC phones are the same.
Pre-loaded apps such as Polaris Office for creating and editing Microsoft Office documents, or Scribble for taking notes, could come in handy and save 300 baht on buying apps.
For me, the phone is too big. In fact, I can't sit properly while riding a motorcycle. It didn’t fit into any of my pockets.
Remember 2013’s Samsung Galaxy Grand big-hit? Who cares about the specs? They just want an affordable large-screen phone. The HTC 816 follows that path.
This phone delivers what it promises: a big-screen display, a fast-enough performance and 4G support. With a good promotion, you can get this phone for 9,900 baht. It is something definitely worth shortlisting.
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