When you think of HTC, you typically envision a high-powered, aluminum-clad, flagship smartphone. HTC has set the bar high on design in the smartphone world with its One series for the past few years. But the device we have in hand today is quite different from HTC’s flagship line. The HTC Desire 626 is one of HTC’s newest smartphones which is intended to steal the attention away from the Motorola Moto G which currently dominates the low-en market segment.
We’ll just say it, the HTC Desire 626 is a cheap phone.
The AT&T model of the HTC Desire 626 isn’t available yet, but HTC has promised that it will go on sale for less than $200. For that price, you get a 5-inch 720p display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 processor, 1.5GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, an 8 megapixel camera on the back and the all-important 5 megapixel front-facing selfie cam.
The HTC Desire 626 isn’t as powerful as the Motorola Moto G (equipped with a Snapdragon 410 processor), but it does have more RAM and double the internal storage. And then there’s the design and build quality. While the HTC Desire 626 is a budget phone, you’re have a hard time telling it apart from the HTC Desire Eye which went on sale last fall for $500. The phone feels amazing in the hand and its double-shot polycarbonate design gives is a stylish and unique look.
Surprisingly, the cameras on the HTC Desire 626 are pretty good. The 8 megapixel shooter on the back is fast and captures great detail in well light environments. Low light performance isn’t phenomenal, but it’s a lot better than you’d expect from a phone that will sell for less than $200. Anyone obsessed with selfies will be more than happy with the 5 megapixel front-facing camera. It doesn’t feature a wide angle lens like the HTC One M9, but works like a charm – producing amazingly detailed selfies.
The only real drawback of the HTC Desire 626 is its performance. Benchmark results put the HTC Desire 626 in competition with the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. The phone can handle browsing the web, checking Twitter or playing a few casual games, but you’ll be very disappointed with the phone if you load up Asphalt 8 or FIFA.
Stay tuned for our full review to get our final thoughts on the HTC Desire 626.
There is NO magnetic sensor on the HTC DESIRE 626. Any compass App won’t work.