HTC Desire Eye

“HTC Desire Eye is the most capable smartphone the Taiwanese manufacturer has to offer. Only its Desire moniker, the plastic body, and the smaller marketing budget prevent the newcomer from taking the HTC One (M8) spot as the company's Android flagship smartphone in the second half of 2014.We believe that many will find the capable duo of 13MP cameras and the IPX7 rating that HTC Desire Eye has to offer are well worth it over the metal body of the M8. The argument is especially valid for those who are into selfies.The Taiwanese manufacturer has opted for a curious product strategy for the second half of 2014. Rather than launch another flagship device like it did in past years, HTC released a characterful mid-ranger with top-end specs and rather unique feature set. Such a combination should keep the manufacturer under the spotlight without stealing too much attention from the metal-clad M8 halo range.”

“HTC's Desire Eye is yet another flagship smartphone that is not clad in elegant aluminum. However, it features an IP certification for the first time making it dust and waterproof. The selfie handheld thus not only shoots decent pictures in every situation and under adverse conditions, it also meets the demands of hardware buffs.A very swift SoC in the form of the Snapdragon 801 is integrated, which ensures smooth utilization of Google's Android 4.4 KitKat. An update to Lollipop is also in the works. High-speed LTE is also installed, though not in the latest version. Besides that, we miss the latest ac Wi-Fi standard. The GPS antennas additionally sometimes lose the network connection, which leads to a somewhat inaccurate localization. Furthermore, the available storage capacity is a bit tight.”

“If it’s a selfie-centric smartphone you’re after, HTC’s Desire Eye is an easy choice, unless you’re willing to import Oppo’s N3, with its motorized, swiveling 16-megapixel camera when it arrives, reportedly in December, for $650.But even if you don’t care that much about selfies, the Desire Eye is a fine mid-range phone with plenty to like, including nearly top-notch specs, an attractive, though slippery, water-resistant shell, and cameras that, while they aren’t the best you’ll find in a smartphone (the iPhone 6 and the Note 4 take better low-light photos), are still great for a phone that costs $150 with a two-year contract, or $550 without a new agreement.”

“Rather than pushing the camera features, HTC should have focused on the fact they've crafted a handset with great build quality and specifications approaching most flagship phones.The front-facing camera doesn't cope as well in low light as the HTC One M8 or the iPhone 6. But then the polycarbonate casing looks good, the phone won't break if you drop it in a sink full of water and it's not as expensive as the flagships. It's difficult to know exactly where to put the Desire Eye because of this. It's certainly one of the best mid tier handsets I've ever seen. Don't believe the marketing HTC is pushing on you, but do consider it if you want a good all-rounder at a reasonable price.”