Can the Desire 816 save HTC? Mid-range mobile comes complete with an upmarket 13MP camera

By: Unknown on 13:42

• HTC announced the new device at Mobile World Congress
• The HTC Desire 816 has a 5.5-inch screen 
• It has a 13MP rear-facing camera, with a 5MP camera on the front
• The phablet runs on Android KitKat 4.4 with a HTC Sense 6.0 skin
• It will launch in China in March before rolling out worldwide
• Prices have not yet been announced for the device
• HTC is rumoured to be saving the launch of a flagship device for an event on March 25

HTC ended 2013 on a low with a drop in profits and sales, so it’s hoping to start 2014 on a positive note with today’s handset launch. 
The HTC Desire 816 is a 5.5-inch phablet, with a 13MP rear-facing camera, and a 5MP camera on the front. 
It runs on Android KitKat 4.4 with a HTC Sense 6.0. It’s powered by a 1.2GHz Snapdragon processor with 1.5GB of RAM and has 8GB of storage.
The mobile will launch in China in March before being rolled out worldwide from April.

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HTC didn't announce the price for the Desire 816 (pictured), but as a mid-range device, it is expected to cost between £150 and £250. When HTC launched the Desire X in 2012 it cost £230, yet had a much lower-resolution 5MP rear-facing camera

DESIRE 816 SPECIFICATIONS

The HTC Desire 8 has a 5.5-inch display with a 720p resolution. 
It has a 13MP rear-facing camera, and a 5MP camera on the front. 
The Desire 8 runs on Android KitKat 4.4 with a HTC Sense 6.0 skin.
It’s powered by a 1.2GHz Snapdragon processor with 1.5GB of RAM and has 8GB of storage.

HTC didn't announce the price for the Desire 816, but as a mid-range device, it is expected to cost between £150 and £250. 
When HTC launched the Desire X in 2012 it cost £230, yet had a much lower-resolution 5MP rear-facing camera. It is expected that the Desire 816 will be priced around the same.

 

Other mid-range phones on the market, including the Moto G and Nokia Lumia 620, similarly only offer 5MP rear-facing cameras.
While the front-facing cameras on these devices are 1.3MP for the Moto G and just VGA on the Lumia, which works out at approxiately 0.3MP.

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LV Qianhao, ZTE's head of handsets strategy (pictured) told MailOnline, this trend for an improved front-facing camera in particular is being driven in China by people who want to be able to take better selfies

HTC’s Desire handsets were once the company’s bestselling devices, yet sales slowed and the HTC One was launched in a bid to refresh the firm.

Previous Desire handsets, notably the most recent Desire X, had a 4-inch screen and 5MP camera.
The improved cameras on the Desire 816 follow a growing trend for high resolution photography capabilities.

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The new handset runs on Android KitKat 4.4 with a HTC Sense 6.0. It¿s powered by a 1.2GHz Snapdragon processor with 1.5GB of RAM and has 8GB of storage

HTC AND RUMOURS OF ITS FORTHCOMING WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY

Reports last week claimed HTC was additionally working on a smartwatch to rival Samsung’s Galaxy Gear and latest Gear 2 and Gear Neo devices.  
A source ‘familiar with the plans’ told Bloomberg the Taiwanese firm would be giving previews of at least one smartwatch during this week’s Mobile World Congress show in Barcelona - but only to network operators.
HTC is said to be working on three variations of a smartwatch or similar wearable device. The first is said to have been based on Qualcomm's Toq device.
HTC is additionally believed to be working on a bangle-type device that plays music and tracks the wearer’s fitness in a similar way to Fitbit and Nike’s Fuelband.
The third rumour states HTC is working on a Google Now smartwatch. Google Now is similar to Apple’s personal assistant app Siri. 
Reports earlier this year claimed a Google Now watch would be released at some point this year, and HTC may lead the way.

ZTE launched its Grand Memo II LTE this morning with the same camera combination and Samsung is rumoured to be launching a similar 13MP camera on its Galaxy S5 device, set to be announced later this evening. 

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ZTE launched its Grand Memo II LTE this morning with the same camera combination

LV Qianhao, ZTE’s head of handsets strategy told MailOnline, this trend for an improved front-facing camera in particular is being driven in China by people who want to be able to take better selfies.
This focus from leading smartphone firms on camera quality is a direct challenge to Nokia’s range of Lumia phones, a number of which use advanced photo features as the unique selling point. 
For example, the Nokia Lumia 1520 phablet features a 20MP camera, while the Lumia 1020 still leads the market with a 41MP shooter. 
However, with the launch of Nokia X earlier this morning, the Finnish firm is already looking at alternative markets and customers.
HTC was rumoured to launch a flagship, second-generation version of its HTC One, called M8 with a 5-inch screen.  
However, this is now likely to be released at a special HTC event scheduled for March 25.
HTC also used today’s event to launch its Power To Give Initiative. It lets smartphone owners share their phone’s processors to power research, communities and more through a dedicated app.  

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Despite the HTC's impressive number of meagpixels, Nokia's Lumia (pictured) still leads the market in phone photography with its 41MP camera

MAILONLINE'S FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF THE NEW PHONE

Build-wise the Desire 816 feels much more expensive than other mid-range phones.
It has a mixture of soft and smooth textures on the sides and back, and although this may sound odd, it gives the handset quite a unique quality - and adds to the feeling of holding a premium device.
The screen does looks unmanageable at first glance and stretching from one corner to another to open a menu feels alien.
The display itself is sharp, noticeably so. Even more noticeable on a device priced so low and the extra size, coupled with this sharpness does HTC's BlinkFeed a lot of justice.