Review: HTC Desire C

HTC Desire C
Price: Rs 14,999
Specs: Android v4; 3.5 inch display; 600 MHz processor; 512MB RAM; 4GB internal memory, 32GB expandable; Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS; 5 MP camera; 96 grams; 1230 mAh battery.

Till recently, Android smartphones running on Ice-Cream Sandwich were not available for under Rs 18,500. Not any longer. HTC's latest, the Desire C on Android v4.0, is available for Rs 14,999. The Desire C has a 3.5-inch capacitive touch display. Its curved corners give the phone a compact look, somewhat like a miniature version of the HTC flagship, the One X. The three touch keys prominently visible on the HTC One Series (back, home, multitasking) can be found on the Desire C as well. Even though the power key is placed on the top with volume control on the right and charging jack on the left, the side panels feel neat and clean. While the phone felt light and was convenient to hold, the red bezel and the back cover made it a girl's gadget.

Like many other HTC phones, the Desire C too has the Sense UI onboard. Four apps appear on the locked screen that can be launched directly from the homescreen. The main menu is divided into three- All, Frequent and Downloads. When we tried configuring our Gmail account, the phone took a few seconds to detect whether any account has been added to the device or not. Once configured, it quickly fetched the emails to the phone. While the preloaded apps included xBuddy and Polaris Office, we downloaded a few apps from the Play Store as well. Browsing the web over the phone's default browser was very slow. The 5MP camera produced good results. The Desire C also has Beats Audio onboard. While okay with light games, the phone hanged with heavier games.

BAG IT OR JUNK IT? The puny 600MHz processor is a spoiler for the HTC Desire C.

Courtesy: Gadgets and Gizmos