For the last two years HTC’s flagship One devices have been so firmly in the spotlight that it’s easy to forget that the company does make a range of more wallet-friendly handsets. The HTC Desire 510 is the latest addition to the company’s lineup, and while most of what the device has to offer is in line with what we expect from a low-end smartphone in 2014, there’s one big tick on the spec sheet in the form of LTE connectivity.
Most low-end smartphones tend to make do with 3G radios, so the inclusion of LTE connectivity here is a big plus. But how does the rest of the handset measure up? Well, it’s a bit of a mixed bag.
The Desire 510's quad core 1.2 GHz Snapdragon 410 processor is the first 64-bit-capable chip we've seen in an Android smartphone. You'll want to note that Android L will be the first version of the OS that actually takes advantage of the technology, meaning you'll only see the benefits of 64-bit processing when (or if) HTC sees fit to upgrade the 510's software.
While the CPU offering is solid, the handset’s 854 x 480 display resolution is low for a 4.7-inch panel. That’s 208 pixels per inch (PPI), significantly less than some key competitors, perhaps most notably Motorola’s Moto G.
If you can look past the mediocre display resolution, then there are other things to like about the handset. The device is fairly thin and light at 9.9 mm (0.39 in) and 158 g (0.35 lbs), and it runs on Android 4.4 KitKat complete with HTC’s Sense UI. There’s only 8 GB storage on-board, but thanks to the inclusion of a microSD card slot, this isn’t such an issue.
The HTC Desire 510 is scheduled to launch in Europe, Asia and the United States. The device will hit the UK in September for £149 (US$247), but thanks to differing global pricing, we expect it to come in a little cheaper than that when it hits shelves in the US.
Source: HTC