HTC Desire 516C Review : Dual Sim CDMA launched in India Rs.12,990

HTC unveiled their latest entry-level smartphone ‘HTC Desire 516C’ at their DoubleExposure event which took place at The Grand Hyatt, Mumbai on October 17, 2014. The phone was available in Indian market for purchase on October 18, 2014 exclusively on SnapDeal.com for Rs.12,990. Recently I got an opportunity to review the device, I used it as my primary phone for about a week and below is the complete review of HTC Desire 516C.

HTC Desire 516C

HTC Desire 516C is similar to its predecessor, HTC Desire 516. It’s a Dual-Sim and CDMA enabled version of the same. The 516C packs great hardware and software combination which makes it one of the best choice in budget smartphones. It packs popular features from the HTC One family; like BlinkFeed, Video highlights etc. making it a perfect choice for people who are looking for a pocket-friendly device with all latest features and seamless performance.

HTC Desire 516C : Review & Specifications

Design

HTC Desire 516C flaunts a simple yet attractive design, similar to HTC Desire 516 phone. It weighs 160 grams, which is a bit on heavier side but manageable. The device is 9.7 mm thick and feels quite sturdy in hand. It isn’t slippery and I think that great, I felt a great grip when holding this device, the curved edges and back makes it fit comfortably in your palms. HTC Desire 516C equips a plastic body, the plastic used is of high-quality and doesn’t give a cheap feeling. The top contains microUSB port which is used for plugging charger and USB cable, there is volume rocker on the right side and power button on left side. I personally didn’t like the power button and volume rockers, they are very small and hard to press sometimes, I would’ve loved it if the buttons would’ve been a bit bigger. There are three touch sensitive keys under the display which works as back button, home button and menu button.

Back Side

Display, Hardware & Software

HTC Desire 516C flaunts a 5 inch qHD display of 960 x 640 pixels resolution. The display looks average and the colors are also quite exposed, the light source on display is easily traceable and the blacks aren’t that black, but still the display does a great job, If I compare the HTC Desire 516C Display with other phones in same budget, the Desire 516C display is clearly better than the displays of other phones. Hardware wise the phone packs Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 chip which is clocked at 1.2 GHz, it’s a Quad Core device and that means the performance will be breathtaking. HTC Desire 516C packs 1 gig of RAM and 4GB Internal storage in which only 1.7 GB is usable for storage, however you can expand the storage up to 32GB using microSD card. HTC Desire 516C is a Dual-SIM device and runs Android v4.3 JellyBean topped with HTC Sense interface and BlinkFeed.

Camera

The photography department of HTC Desire 516C is also great for this budget phones. It packs a 5 Megapixel camera with autofocus and LED Flash. It can shoot 720p HD videos at 30fps. The front camera is a basic 0.3 Megapixel shooter, I was disappointed with the camera performance. The front camera take very low quality photos, definitely not appropriate for posting them on social networks. The back camera performance is again average, the autofocus does a great job and the flash is also good. The video recording quality is somewhat better than most phones in this budget. 

Connectivity & Music Playback

HTC Desire 516C give a lot of connectivity options, you get Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi, GPS, GPRS, EDGE etc. You get 3.5mm jack on the top which supports all headphones and earphones, the music listening experience on HTC Desire 516C is pretty good, the music interface looks quite outdated but the playback quality is really good. The loudspeaker quality is also nice and punchy.

Battery

The HTC Desire 516C packs a 1950 mAh Li-Polymer battery which is removable by opening the back panel. The battery backup is very good, even though it has a 5 inch display, the battery easily lasts a day and half with moderate use. 

Conclusion

Overall HTC Desire 516C is a nice phone, it has premium looks, modern features and a pocket friendly price tag. The phone is quite comfortable and sturdy to hold, the features are good for the price range and the performance is also nice. I didn't like the camera performance but we can't complain seeing the price. The device is available in India for Rs. 12,990 exclusively on SnapDeal.com.

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About Jimmie Luthra

Jimmie Luthra is a Mariner, Tech enthusiast, Blogger and Gadget reviewer. He is fond of technology and is usually found playing with some piece of tech. He is also a Guitarist, Music lover & fitness freak.