HTC Desire 610

“Budget-friendly is no longer synonymous with low quality—even dipping down into the free-with-contract realm nets you a perfectly usable phone these days. But while lower-end phones like the Lucid 3 feature designs that are simply tolerable, the HTC Desire 612 is distinctive and, dare I say, desirable. Strong battery life and a high-quality display sweeten the deal, but you'll have to settle for mediocre camera quality. Between this and the also free-on-contract Lucid 3, I'd take the Desire 612. It's one of the best low-cost phones on Verizon Wireless. Just be sure to scope out deals on last year's flagship phones that still outperform entry-level devices. For example, you can grab the LG G2 for $29.99 with a contract at the time of this writing.”

“The HTC Desire 610 is one of the most affordable, modern Android smartphones on AT&T at the moment. It offers good performance for the price and has some useful features that aren't a given in the budget realm, like nice front-facing speakers and up-to-date Android software. That said, there are some shortcomings here worth mentioning, most notably a painfully low-quality display. Right now you can get the Amazon Fire Phone for the same 99 cents—it's not perfect by any means, and not really a true Android phone, but it's supremely well built and a significantly nicer device than the Desire 610. And if you're not tied to any ecosystem, AT&T is also offering the Apple iPhone 5c for free on contract, which delivers a far more polished software experience with appreciably better hardware.”

“HTC mixes up the mini-smartphone segment with their Desire 610. The phone is equipped with a sufficiently bright and evenly lit 4.7-inch TFT display with a very good viewing angle stability. The touchscreen is a delight, as it is very exact and works well even in the corners. We also like the build quality, although the glossy and somewhat slippery back doesn't quite fit in. Other positive aspects are the fast quad-core SoC, which allows for great overall as well as gaming performance. The smartphone runs the current Android 4.4 KitKat. The internal flash drive is also quite fast, although 4 GB of usable space isn't really generous - but at least it's easy to expand storage using a microSD card. While on the road, LTE/4G allows for fast downloads. The reception quality as well as the GPS signal strength are also very good. The stereo speakers up front and the decent voice quality also contribute to our overall very positive impression. The WLAN reception is below par, although that's only noticeable at larger distances from the router. The battery is also permanently integrated - but at least the phone lasts through a normal work day. The two cameras neither elate nor disappoint and snapshots are decent enough, albeit a bit overexposed.”

“The HTC Desire 610 is available now from AT&T for just 99 cents with a two-year contract, but can also be picked up at its full price of $200, which is a price point that gives the Moto G a run for its money. While the display may not be as good, the Desire 610 does offer LTE connectivity, which makes it stand out in the crowd of similar low-end smartphones.So there you have it – our review of the HTC Desire 610! If you’re in the market for the latest and greatest, this certainly isn’t what you’re looking for. But if you’re looking for a device at a reasonable price point that just works, while offering solid build quality, decent battery life, and LTE connectivity, you should definitely give the Desire 610 a chance.”