HTC Desire 626G+ Reviews

Description

The HTC Desire 626 is a mid-range Android smartphone that HTC released in 2015. It comes in single SIM and dual SIM versions.

Design

Plastic makes up the whole body of the HTC Desire 626. The 5.0-inch display has pronounced bezels. The front-facing camera, earpiece grill, and sensors are located in the upper bezel, and the "HTC" logo and speaker grill are located in the lower bezel. A SIM card/microSD card tray, a power button, a volume rocker, a 3.5 mm headphone jack, and a micro-USB port are all located on the side frame, which is accented with a colorful stripe. The rear-facing camera, LED flash, and "HTC" logo are all located on the polycarbonate back panel. The phone measures 146.9 x 70.9 x 8.2 mm and weighs 139 grams. Dark blue and white are the color possibilities for it.

Hardware

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 system-on-chip that powers the HTC Desire 626 has an Adreno 306 GPU and a quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 64-bit CPU running at 1.2 GHz. It has 16 GB of internal storage that can be expanded using the microSD card slot, and it has 1 GB of RAM. The phone features a 5.0-inch Super LCD 3 display with a pixel density of 294 ppi and an HD resolution of 720x1280 pixels. It has a 5 MP front-facing camera and a 13 MP BSI back camera sensor with an f/2.2 aperture, both of which can capture 1080p movies at 30 frames per second. A non-removable 2000 mAh battery powers the gadget.

Software

With HTC's Sense user interface pre-installed, Android 4.4 KitKat powers the HTC Desire 626. The device can be upgraded to Android 5.1.1 Lollipop.

Announcement & Initial Release

On February 9, 2015, the HTC Desire 626 received an announcement in Taiwan. Soon after, rumors started circulating that American carrier Sprint would also offer the smartphone, expanding its potential market reach.

Verizon Release

Verizon, an American carrier, announced on August 12, 2015, that they would offer the HTC Desire 626. However, this specific model was drastically different from the original in terms of specs. It included a Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 system-on-chip, an 8 MP rear camera, a quad-core ARM Cortex-A7 32-bit CPU running at 1.1 GHz, an Adreno 304 GPU, 1.5 GB of RAM, and 8 GB of internal storage. The gadget cost 192 USD and went on sale at that price on August 27, 2015. This model was also available by AT&T.

Indian Release with Dual SIM

The HTC Desire 626, a Dual SIM variant, debuted in India on February 5th, 2016. The MediaTek MT6752 system-on-chip in this iteration had an ARM Mali-T760 MP2 GPU, an octa-core ARM Cortex-A53 64-bit CPU running at 1.7 GHz, and 2 GB of RAM. It was offered for 14,990 INR and came in the color options Blue Lagoon and White Birch.

Review

The HTC Desire 626 is a smartphone that, although it seems promising on paper, falls short in practice since it is deficient in several key aspects. Although it is a good phone, there are better options at the same price.

Design and Build Quality

The HTC Desire 626 comes in two color options: a unique light blue edge or a more subdued edition with a light brown edge. For a low-cost phone, the design, which is reminiscent of earlier HTC models, is not awful. The soft-touch plastic, however, has a somewhat slick feel, is grippy, and readily absorbs fingerprints and smudges. Additionally, there is a minor creakiness in the phone, which indicates poor workmanship. However, it feels cozy in hand and has buttons that are simple to reach.

Display and Audio

The 5-inch, 720p screen of the phone provides a clear, colorful display. However, the phone is less small than anticipated due to the wide bezels above and below the screen. Despite looking like HTC's BoomSound speakers, only the bottom speaker is used for playing back media. Although it has a respectable volume, the audio misses the clarity of more expensive HTC devices.

Battery Life and Performance

Battery life and performance are inconsistent in the HTC Desire 626. Despite having significantly improved specs over its predecessor, including a better camera, more RAM, and more storage space, it falls short of these advancements. The battery life is low, and the camera is subpar. Its disadvantage for daily use is that users could frequently need to recharge.