HTC Desire 820 Hands-On: Big Numbers, Small Price Tag

The HTC Desire 820 is all about appealing to specification geeks, there really isn't any point in hiding it. Android's first 64-bit, octa-core chipset (Snapdragon 615), a 13MP camera, an 8MP selfie camera, and a big 5.5" screen. This is a phone for the hardware geek on a budget, and budget it is: the 820 will retail in Europe for just 329 Euros.

We had the opportunity to sit down with the 820 at IFA, and while the numbers are big, the phone still feels well-within its price bracket. The plastic, shiny casing of the 820 definitely doesn't evoke much "premium" sentiment, if anything it's a bit cheap to the touch, reminding me that this is, indeed, a phone built to a price.

That aside, the 820 seems like a pretty good high-end-of-the-mid-range sort of phone. The Snapdragon 615 chip has it moving along quickly, and given that the screen is 720p, I have to imagine that the octa-core processor will be able to chew through just about anything you throw at the 820. We didn't have a chance to test the camera, but frankly, almost anything is better than HTC's Ultrapixel / Duo Camera at this point - those megapixels are badly-needed, and it's a good thing the 820 has them. Whether the pictures it produces will impress, though, remains to be seen.

The 8MP camera at the front, though, is probably more attractive to the budget-minded buyer the Desire line is looking for. The wide-angle lens and high resolution will produce crisp and sharp selfies, a feature apparently in high demand in Asian market, as are the many colorful colors the Desire 820 will be available in.

HTC says a Dot View case specific to the 820 is coming, too, if that's something you're interested in. Overall, the 820 seems like a totally respectable phone for the frugal spec junkie, but that's probably the reason you'll never see it in America: there isn't much of a market for that here.

  

source: androidpolice