Camera and Internal Storage
HTC Desire 526G+ seems to do nothing extravagant in this segment and sticks to market standard 8 MP rear shooter and a 2 MP front facing camera. The rear camera can record 1080p full HD videos and the front camera can record 720p HD videos as well. You can find 13 MP cameras in this price bracket, but that is no reason to write Desire 526g+ off just yet as we have seen some great 8 MP cameras in last few months from phones like Zenfone 5. Camera software includes Video highlights, which works like Google’s Auto Awesome and can combine your still images to form a video film. There are two internal storage variants available. The 8 GB internal storage model will be available exclusively on Snapdeal.com and the 16 GB internal storage model will cost you 1000 INR more. Since extra internal storage is always a good thing, we recommend you to opt for 16 GB variant, although both models support 32 GB MicroSD card expansion.
Processor and Battery
The processor used is 1.7 GHz MT6592 cortex A7 based octa core chipset with 1 GB RAM. This is a very capable processor, though most users won’t require all 8 cores to work simultaneously. We would have liked at least 2 GB RAM in the device for long term performance assurance. Battery capacity is 2000 mAh, which doesn’t sound impressive, considering the octa core chipset and 4.7 Inch display. HTC hasn’t shared usage statistics as of now and we expect the battery to last for one day with moderate usage. If long battery backup is a high priority for you and if you are not around charging ports through your day, better consider other options.
Display and Other Features
The display is 4.7 Inches in size, which makes it more manageable. The qHD resolution will also be usable on the display, but won’t be as sharp as HD resolutions. HTC has also not included Gorilla Glass 3 protection on top. The IPS LCD display is flanked by dual speaker grills. The front facing speaker at the bottom will ensure that your audio doesn’t get muffled when the phone is resting on its back. Other features include dual sim with dual standby, Smart SIM Switch, 3G, BT4.0, WiFi and GPS. Desire 526G+ is running Android 4.4 KitKat based Sense UI software out of the box. HTC Sense is one of our favorite Android skins and since Android KitKat is the most popular Android version these days, you won’t have to fear being ostracized by developer community. HTC hasn’t confirmed Lollipop update for this smartphone.
Comparison
HTC Desire 526G+ will compete against phones like Yu Yureka, Xiaomi Redmi Note, Moto G 2nd Generation and Zenfone 5.
Key Specs
What we Like
Octa Core ChipsetFront facing Speaker
What we don’t Like
Only 1 GB RAMA juicier Battery would have been better
Conclusion and Price
The HTC Desire 526G+ shows significant improvement by HTC standard, but it still needs to match the hardware muscle offered by online retailing devices like Yureka. If you don’t want to consider online only retail options, HTC Desire 526G+ is worth considering at 11,400 INR. A bigger battery and more RAM would have made it an easier recommendation.
