HTC Wildfire S Specs Pricing Pros & Cons Uncovered

Introduction to HTC Wildfire S

The HTC Wildfire S is a compact and budget-friendly smartphone that was released by HTC in May 2011. It is a successor to the original HTC Wildfire and was aimed at providing an Android experience at an affordable price point. Despite its lower price, the Wildfire S featured a range of specifications that made it a competitive choice in the market at the time.

Design and Build Quality

The design of the HTC Wildfire S reflects a typical smartphone aesthetic of the early 2010s. With dimensions of 101.3 x 59.4 x 12.4 mm and a weight of 105 grams, the device is compact and lightweight, making it easy to hold and operate with one hand. The phone is built with a plastic body, which was common for devices in this category at the time. It was available in various colors including Black, Silver, Brown, and Lilac, catering to different style preferences.

Display

The HTC Wildfire S features a 3.2-inch TFT display with a resolution of 320 x 480 pixels and a pixel density of approximately 180 ppi. While the display might not compete with modern smartphones in terms of clarity and color reproduction, it was adequate for basic tasks such as browsing the web, viewing photos, and using apps. The compact screen size contributed to the overall portability of the device.

Performance

Under the hood, the HTC Wildfire S is powered by the Qualcomm MSM7227 Snapdragon S1 chipset, featuring a 600 MHz ARM 11 CPU and an Adreno 200 GPU. This hardware configuration was modest even at the time of its release, suitable for basic smartphone tasks such as calling, texting, and using lightweight apps. However, the device may struggle with more demanding applications and multitasking due to its limited processing power and 512MB RAM.

Storage

The device offers 512MB of internal storage, which was typical for budget smartphones of its era. To compensate for the limited internal storage, the HTC Wildfire S includes a microSDHC card slot, supporting expansion up to 32GB. This allows users to store more apps, photos, and media files without worrying about running out of space.

Camera

The HTC Wildfire S is equipped with a 5 MP rear camera with autofocus and an LED flash. It provides basic photography capabilities, capturing decent images in well-lit conditions. The camera also supports video recording at 480p at 24fps. While it lacks advanced features found in higher-end models, it serves as a sufficient option for capturing everyday moments.

Software

The smartphone runs on Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) with the HTC Sense UI 2.1 overlay. This combination offers a user-friendly interface with several customization options. However, the device's hardware limitations prevent it from running more modern Android versions, restricting access to newer apps and features. Despite this, it provides a stable and smooth user experience for basic tasks.

Battery Life

The HTC Wildfire S includes a removable Li-Ion 1230 mAh battery. This capacity allows for up to 7 hours and 10 minutes of talk time on 2G and up to 5 hours and 50 minutes on 3G networks. Additionally, it offers standby times of up to 360 hours on 2G and 570 hours on 3G. The battery life is sufficient for moderate daily use, although heavy users may need to recharge periodically throughout the day.

Connectivity

The device supports GSM / HSPA network technologies, with 2G bands covering GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 and 3G bands supporting HSDPA 900 / 2100. It provides basic connectivity options, including Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n with hotspot functionality, Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP and EDR, GPS with A-GPS for location services, stereo FM radio with RDS, and microUSB 2.0 for data transfer and charging.

Additional Features

The HTC Wildfire S comes equipped with essential sensors such as an accelerometer, proximity sensor, and compass. It also features a loudspeaker and a 3.5mm audio jack for versatile audio options. The device's browser supports HTML content, allowing users to browse the internet with ease.

Market Reception and Legacy

At the time of its release, the HTC Wildfire S was well-received as a budget-friendly smartphone offering decent performance and features. It provided a suitable introduction to the Android ecosystem for users who were new to smartphones. Although it is now discontinued, the Wildfire S remains a part of HTC's legacy in making smartphones accessible to a wider audience, setting the stage for future budget devices.