HTC's new Desire phones are inspired by 'streetwear fashion'
If that doesn't win over the kids, nothing will.
HTC's Desire phones have never been the most thrilling. Sure, the low- to mid-range devices fill a purpose for those who can't afford (or don't want) the latest and greatest smartphone, but ... it's difficult to get excited about them. Perhaps with this in mind, the Taiwanese manufacturer has spiced up the range with three new devices inspired by "streetwear fashion."
As you'll no doubt have noticed, the new Desires -- named the 530, 630 and 825 -- are peppered with a "micro splash effect" popularized by various sportswear companies over the years. The result has divided the Engadget news team -- Nick Summers says he's down with the black-and-gold colorway, which he describes as "like a sunset starry sky." The white version probably gets the closest to HTC's design brief here, successfully evoking the now slightly tired fashion trend with aplomb. Whether that's a good thing, though, is a matter of taste.
But looks are only one aspect of a phone: What's inside these things? Well, they're pretty basic. The 530 is the cheapest of the three: It's got a 5-inch 720p display, a quad-core 1.1GHz Snapdragon 210 processor, 1.5GB of RAM, 16GB of storage (expandable by microSD), an 8-megapixel camera, a 5-megapixel selfie cam and a 2,200mAh battery.
The 630 keeps the 5-inch 720p display but opts for the more powerful quad-core 1.6GHz Snapdragon 400 paired with 2GB of RAM. Everything else is the same apart from the rear camera, which is a 13-megapixel unit. Oh, and it's also a dual (nano) SIM device, while the 530 is single-SIM.
The 825 shares most of the 630's specs, although you can choose between single- and dual-SIM versions. There are some noticeable improvements, though, namely a 5.5-inch 720p display, BoomSound stereo speakers and a larger (2,700mAh) battery.
All three devices run Android 6.0 with HTC Sense on top. They should be out starting in March, but availability will vary from market to market.
