HTC Desire Eye InDepth Review Specs and Pricing

Introduction to HTC Desire Eye

The HTC Desire Eye, announced in October 2014 and released in November the same year, was a smartphone that aimed to redefine the selfie experience and provided users with a balance of performance, design, and photography capabilities. With a bold focus on camera technology, this device was geared specifically towards photography enthusiasts. Although it is now discontinued, its features still offer insights into the evolution of smartphone technology.

Design and Build

The HTC Desire Eye measures 151.7 x 73.8 x 8.5 mm and weighs approximately 154 grams, making it a medium-weight device that feels substantial in hand without being overly heavy. It features a nano-SIM slot and was released in vibrant colors including Blue, Red, and White, which appealed to users who enjoy a pop of color in their tech devices. The device is wrapped in a robust plastic shell with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protecting the front, ensuring a level of durability against scratches and occasional drops.

Display

The smartphone comes with a 5.2-inch IPS LCD display, which provides rich color reproduction and wide viewing angles. The screen occupies approximately 66.6% of the front surface, offering a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels and a pixel density of around 424 ppi. This high-resolution display was perfect for detailed viewing, making it a strong point for media consumption like videos and image viewing.

Performance

Underneath the hood, the HTC Desire Eye is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 chipset, built using a 28 nm process. It features a quad-core 2.3 GHz Krait 400 CPU and an Adreno 330 GPU, which was considered high-performance hardware for its time. While it came pre-installed with Android 4.4.4 (KitKat), it was upgradable to Android 6.1 (Marshmallow), paired with HTC's Sense UI 7. This setup provided smooth performance for a wide array of tasks, from gaming to multitasking.

Camera Capabilities

Arguably, the crown jewel of the HTC Desire Eye is its camera system. The front and rear cameras each feature 13 MP sensors, which was unusual at the time as front cameras typically had lower resolutions. The rear camera has f/2.0 aperture, 28mm wide-angle lens, and autofocus. It supports panoramic capture and HDR capabilities. Dual-LED dual-tone flashes are available for both front and rear cameras, enhancing low-light photography and video recording capabilities. As a selfie-focused device, this made the Desire Eye stand out, especially for social media enthusiasts.

Battery Life

The device is powered by a non-removable Li-Po 2400 mAh battery, supporting 18W fast charging. It advertised a standby time of up to 538 hours and a talk time of up to 20 hours on a 3G network, indicating that it can last through a full day of regular use without the need for recharging. The efficiency of the Snapdragon 801 also contributes to overall battery life, ensuring users remained powered through their day.

Storage and Memory

The HTC Desire Eye was equipped with 16GB of internal storage and a microSDXC card slot allowing for expandable storage, catering to users who require more than the base 16GB. Additionally, it came with 2GB of RAM, which was adequate at the time for multitasking and running apps smoothly without noticeable lag.

Connectivity Options

This smartphone supported an array of connectivity options including GSM, HSPA, and LTE networks, ensuring global compatibility for calls and data. It offered Wi-Fi a/b/g/n with dual-band capability, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, and hotspot functionality. Bluetooth 4.0 with A2DP and aptX provided seamless audio connections to other devices, while NFC capabilities and GPS with GLONASS improved location services.

Additional Features

The HTC Desire Eye included stereo speakers, offering loud and clear audio quality with measurements like 65dB for voice and noise levels and 74dB for ringing. It also maintained a 3.5mm headphone jack, providing connectivity to various audio peripherals. Moreover, it featured several built-in sensors such as an accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor, and compass, which extended its functionality through various applications.

Conclusion

The HTC Desire Eye was an innovative device at its time of release, blending high-performance specifications with advanced camera technology. The focus on dual 13MP cameras, along with its solid build and bright design choices, made it a popular option for smartphone photographers and selfie enthusiasts. While the Desire Eye may not compete with today's smartphones' specifications, it represented an essential step in the journey towards more sophisticated mobile photography solutions.