HTC Desire 516: Another big-screen contender is here

We understand it is a competitive market. We also understand that one has to enhance one's strength by increasing visibility and offering options to the consumers. But, with new devices being released every other week, reviews for all the devices read almost the same. But what do we do about it, all the devices seem to have similar features, similar specifications, and even before you are able to admire a good device, something new is thrown at you. HTC Desire 516 is another addition to this crowded smartphone market. At first glance, it looks similar to almost all the other budget smartphones. I am not saying it looks bad, but there is nothing new. As I spent time using the device, I got to know it better and tried to understand the deeper aspects of it. Let me tell you what all I found.

Design and display
The HTC Desire 516 sports a 5-inch LCD 540 x 960 pixels multi-touch display with 220 ppi pixels density. Not the best in the range, but it manages to offer crystal clear visuals and a great browsing experience. The gadget comes in a classic full black coloured body, which is slightly slippery and one hand usage can become a pain at times. It weighs around 173 g and has a 9.7 mm-thick body.

HTC DESIRE 516

OS: Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean)

Price: Rs 14,200
Screen: 5 inch, 540x960 p LCD display
Processor: Quad core 1.2 GHz  Snapdragon

Camera (front/rear): 2 MP/5MP
Memory: 4GB internal memory, expandable up to 32GB
RAM: 1GB
Weight: 173 g
Battery:1,950 mAh, Li-ion
OS and processor
The HTC Desire 516 runs the Android 4.2 Jelly Bean platform with HTC's Sense UI on top.

The smartphone is equipped with a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor, which is clocked at a speed of 1.2GHz. The onboard memory (RAM) is 1GB which further aids to the processor speed and performance. Games such as Temple Run ran smoothly on the gadget and we did not encounter any lags in day-to-day usage.

Camera and storage
The handset is packed with dual cameras; a 5-megapixel; (MP) rear camera and a 2MP front facing camera. Like every other HTC phone, even this phone impresses with camera quality. Even though the resolutions are less, they offer good quality videos and photos. The device comes with 4GB storage which is further expandable via a microSD slot.

Connectivity and others
For staying connected with other devices, the HTC phone features Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB port, 3G etc. It is fuelled by a 1,950mAh battery, which claims to offer 9 hours of talktime and 220 hours of standby time on 3G networks. We could get through a day without charging.

Verdict
This 5-incher falls under the mid-range phablet category, yet is packed with impressive features like a powerful processor and decent cameras. The device lacks an HD display but still renders great visuals. Hence, at Rs 14,200, I would say HTC Desire 516 is a good option if you are looking for a budget phablet from a good brand.