HTC Wildfire S
Verdict
Following in the footsteps of the original Wildfire, the S edition has a higher resolution touchscreen display for crisper onscreen imagery and improved web browsing.
It also has a five megapixel camera with LED flash, Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity and a plucky 600MHz processor. Its dinky size and excellent functionality means that it continues to fly the flag for affordable Android phones.
If you like the look of the HTC Desire S but want to get something a little cheaper, this is the mobile for you.
Key specs
Critic consensus
“There’s no question HTC needed to update their lower midrange lineup. Maybe they could’ve done better than the Wildfire S and probably they’re already working on it. Meanwhile, they’re ready to give a good enough deal to users who don’t necessarily need to squeeze every last drop of speed and performance out of their phone. The Wildfire S is a charming little handset that will rather be friends with than try to impress its potential users.”
“The Wildfire S improves on the previous model by boosting the screen resolution and offering a more up-to-date operating system. It's very much the same beast, however, and the sluggish CPU -- which was just about forgivable when the original Wildfire launched last year -- feels behind the times in 2011.With a flood of low-cost Android smart phones hitting the market -- including the superb Samsung Galaxy Ace -- HTC has a fight on its hands at this end of the market. Still, unless you're expecting a top-of-the-range device, the Wildfire S is worth a shot. Especially if you're not keen on gigantic, pocket-rupturing phones.”
“Unfortunately, the Wildfire S does not get a speed boost in this upgrade. It retains a 600MHz processor, which is fine for a bit of multitasking and short video watching, but I wish HTC would have given the Wildfire a little more juice this round.”
“The HTC Wildfire S is a neat, compact smartphone. Naturally, with the small form-factor comes some loss in functionality, specifically applying to the usability of a virtual keyboard on its 3.2 screen. The other drawback comes in the form of the underpowered processor resulting in lag. On the flip-side, screen quality benefits from decent resolution while Gingerbread with HTC Sense serves up a user-friendly treat. This makes for a good phone that could have been better.”
Watch before you decide
What people say
Only a few ratings so far, not enough to show a trend yet.
1 rating so far
Problems with the phone from day one. Started a few weeks after getting the phone, garbled calls and dropped calls even when sitting down. I would make a call and it would keep ringing on my end when the other party as answered and could hear me. I never Could get the missed call notification to ...
In Depth
The HTC Wildfire S was released in May of 2011 to replace its popular predecessor, the Wildfire. The phone received some minor tweaking in its overall appearance, and the new version is slightly thinner and lighter than its previous incarnation, but not by much.
The major improvements the Wildfire S offers over the previous generation are in the hardware and software departments. The Wildfire S boasts an improved, higher-resolution 320 x 480 TFT capacitive touchscreen and an upgrade to Android 2.3.3 (Gingerbread). However, unlike most phones running the Gingerbread system, the Wildfire S does not have a secondary front-facing camera to take advantage of the operating system’s new video conferencing capabilities.
The phone’s internal hardware underwent a few changes as well. The WiFi 802.11n standard was added to the Wildfire S for faster performance on home and business networks, and its Bluetooth capabilities were updated from 2.1 to 3.0. The phone also got a small boost in available RAM to 512 MB and a slightly faster 600 MHz processor.
Other than these changes, most everything else remained unchanged in the Wildfire’s new incarnation. The phone still sports its 5 megapixel digital camera with autofocus capabilities and LED flash, though its video capture capability has improved to 720 x 480 over its predecessor’s maximum of 352 x 288. The Wildfire S also includes the microSD memory card expansion slot, the stereo FM tuner, and GPS navigation capabilities that were present in the original Wildfire.
Overall, the added features may make the phone more attractive to a new buyer. If you’re an original Wildfire owner, the Wildfire S probably doesn’t offer enough new pizzazz to entice you to spend the money on an upgrade, even if you’re happy to be out-of-contract.
What people actually want to know
When was the HTC Wildfire S released?
The HTC Wildfire S was released on April 24, 2011.
How long does the battery last on the HTC Wildfire S?
The HTC Wildfire S has a 1,230 mAh battery.
Does the HTC Wildfire S have a headphone jack?
Yes, the HTC Wildfire S has a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Does the HTC Wildfire S have NFC?
No, the HTC Wildfire S does not have NFC. Contactless payments and tap-to-pair will not be available.
Where can I get support for the HTC Wildfire S?
Visit HTC's official support page for warranty info, repairs, and troubleshooting.
Where can I download the HTC Wildfire S manual?
You can view and download the HTC Wildfire S manual on our dedicated manual page.
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