Into the ever-swelling ranks of mid-priced smartphones comes the HTC Desire 526G, a dual SIM 3G handset with a 4.7-inch display and an 8MP rear-facing camera. Priced at about Dh545, the handset goes head to head with the likes of the Motorola Moto E and the Lumia 535. So how does the Taiwanese manufacturer's new contender perform?
Design-wise, the 526G is nothing to write home about, sporting a plastic body (available in “Stealth Black” and “Glacier Blue”) that is functional and not particularly inspiring. A touch heavier than some of its peers, it gets the job done inoffensively, but can’t match the colourful stylings of Lumia’s mid-range offerings.
The HTC’s 4.7-inch qHD display is slightly bigger than that of the Moto E but a touch smaller than the Lumia 535.
The quality of the display is consistent with other peers in its price bracket, understandably lacking the definition and brightness of flagship devices. That said, while images and videos have a slightly grainy and dull look, video clips such as the Jurassic World trailer render surprisingly smoothly, even when compared with some higher-priced rivals.
Similarly smooth are the 526G’s cameras, with a relatively zippy shutter speed.
The rear-facing 8MP camera is, on paper at least, more powerful than the 5MP cameras of the Moto E and the Lumia 535, even if its 2MP front-facing camera falls short of the Lumia’s 5MP.
That smoothness sadly does not extend to the 526G’s user interface, with a small but noticeable lag, even compared with its price peers, when scrolling up and down web pages and between screens.
Overall there’s nothing to dislike about the 526G; it’s a solid phone with the right specs in place.
But its rear-facing camera is its only feature to even slightly raise the pulse, with design and general user experience nothing to shout about.
All in all it’s a decent mid-ranger, but one that doesn’t distinguish itself from its peers in any meaningful way.
q&a a wide range of choices
John Everington reveals more about the new HTC Desire 526G:
I thought HTC handsets were renowned for their high-quality design?
Yes, but mostly for their flagships. The HTC One M9 is a beautifully crafted handset, but then again it sells for nearly four times as much as the slightly less inspiring 526G.
And how have those higher end models been selling?
Not as well as it hoped. On June 5, HTC said it was revising down its revenue forecasts for the second quarter of the year, due partly to slower demand for high-end Android devices. By contrast, the mid-priced Desire range (which includes the 526G of course) appears to be selling healthily, at least across Asia, according to comments last week from the brand’s North Asia chief executive.
Back to the 526G. What do its rivals offer that it doesn’t?
As previously mentioned, the colourful Lumia 535 has a nicer design and larger screen, if you’re comfortable in a Windows Mobile environment. The latest iteration of the Moto E, meanwhile, is 4G-enabled, offering faster downloads.
Is it worth spending a bit more money on a higher spec model?
That all depends on your budget. It’s worth looking out for discounts on slightly more expensive handsets though, which can end up being better value for money. At the time of writing, Motorola’s Moto G, one of our favourite mid-range handsets, is being offered by some online retailers for less than Dh500.
jeverington@thenational.ae
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