HTC has typically unveiled forgettable mid-range devices at IFA, but the company is changing things up this year by announcing the HTC Desire 820. Yes, the Desire 820 is still considered a mid-range device, but HTC has packed in some incredible features which will make the phone stand out from the competition.
The HTC Desire 820 is the first phone powered by the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 which features a 64-bit architecture with an octo-core big.LITTLE CPU setup running four cores at 1.5GHz and four cores at 1.0GHz. The Snapdragon 615 on the Desire 820 is paired with 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage and 128GB of microSD expandable storage. The optics on the phone include the same 13 megapixel shooter and f/2.2 lens on the back that HTC has used on the HTC Desire 816, One mini 2 and one (E8), but the Desire 820 is the first smartphone in HTC’s lineup to sport an 8 megapixel front-facing “selfie” camera with a wide-angle lens. The display is a 5.5-inch 720p Super LCD3 panel with HTC’s front-facing BoomSound speakers above and below it. The HTC Desire 820 has the same 2,600mAh batter as the Desire 816, but the handset should keep its charge for longer thanks to efficiency improvements in the new Snapdragon 615 processor. The HTC desire 820 also comes with Category 4 4G connectivity at speeds of up to 150mbps (currently only supported in a few countries).
At first glance, the HTC Desire 820 doesn’t look much different from the HTC Desire 816. The basic size and shape of the two phones are the same, but the Desire 820 features a much larger camera lens on the back and the polycarbonate uni-body shell of the phone comes in an array of “double shot” (two-tone) color options. HTC is planning to bring the HTC Desire 820 to markets across the globe starting in late September. Pricing details have not been shared, but we expect the HTC Desire 820’s price tag to be at least $50 more than the HTC Desire 816.
The Desire 820 does have the benefit of being a new phone, however, and as such it’s right up to date with the latest HTC Sense UI, with an update to Lollipop planned to take advantage of its equally new internals. In any case, if you’re in the market for relatively inexpensive phone with a huge screen, a fun design and a ton of features, the HTC Desire 820 is definitely worthy of your attention.