HTC Desire 610 review

Image 1 of 5

This mid-range smartie packs 4G, NFC and BoomSound speakers. Is that enough to beat the competition? Find out in our HTC Desire 610 review

HTC is launching an all-out assault on the mid-range smartphone market right now - hot on the heels of the HTC Desire 816 comes this, the HTC Desire 610.

With its 4.7-inch screen and sub-£250 price tag, it's taking aim at the likes of the Google Nexus 5 and the OnePlus One. But how does it stack up?

HTC Desire 610: Size and build

If we think of the HTC One M8 as like the iPhone 5S, then the HTC Desire 610 is a bit like the iPhone 5C - it has a plastic casing instead of premium aluminium. It's slightly smaller than the HTC One M8 as well - 4.7 inches, compared to 5 inches for the One M8.

Much like the HTC Desire 816, its plastic body is a magnet for fingerprints, though it feels well put together, like it'll withstand a few scratches.

It comes in three colours - red, white, and dark blue - and at 143.5g, it doesn't weigh much more than the smaller iPhone 5C. It's only a fraction of a millimetre fatter too, with dimensions of 143.1x70.5x9.6mm.

It is rather large for a 4.7-inch device, though. It's a full 1mm taller than the 5.1-inch Samsung Galaxy S5, and almost 10mm taller than the 4.7-inch Google Nexus 4. Really, it's a lot bigger than it needs to be.

HTC Desire 610: Features

Part of the reason for this extra bulk is the BoomSound speakers above and below the screen. These are the same found on the HTC One M8, and they blow most other smartphones' out of the water.

Like the HTC One M8 and HTC Desire 816, the HTC Desire 610 runs Android KitKat with HTC Sense 6 UI over the top. Sense 6 brings features like a news feed called Blinkfeed.

It also has NFC, for pairing with another device just by tapping them together, and 4G, all of which is impressive at this price.

HTC Desire 610: Screen

The 4.7-inch screen has a qHD resolution, which means it's 960x540 pixels. That gives it a pixel-per-inch count of 234, which isn't fantastic, but it's one of the sacrifices if you're only willing to spend this much on a phone.

Images look a little grainy, especially compared to a high-end device with a pin-sharp screen, like the Samsung Galaxy S5.

HTC Desire 610: Camera

The 8-megapixel camera is decent for a mid-range offering, though it lacks some of the features of higher-end devices like the HTC One M8. There's no uFocus, for example, so you can't change your focal point after you've snapped.

But image quality is decent, with accurate colours and plenty of detail. Like the HTC Desire 816, it has a selfie mode, so you can pose and pap away at yourself without having to turn the camera around.

As well as stills, it records video in 1,080p resolution, which is clear and sharp.

HTC Desire 610: Performance

Under the bonnet, a quad-core, 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 chip powers things, and along with 1GB of RAM, it keeps things moving nicely. Games only slowed down during the most intense periods of action - for the most part they ran without a hitch.

The processor whips through menus too, and apps are quick to open. It might not be as fast as more expensive phones, but for most of us it'll be more than adequate.

The Sense 6 UI is a doddle to get to grips with, and it's good to see it doesn't come with anywhere near as much bloatware as the Sony Xperia Z2.

HTC Desire 610: Battery

HTC claims the battery will last just shy of 16 hours of talk time over 3G. We got a full day out of it, involving web browsing, watching video, and a few calls and texts. This is pretty par for the course with smartphones nowadays.

HTC Desire 610: Verdict

The HTC Desire 610 is a solid all-round effort. It's well put together, has a big screen, and is fast enough for basic tasks. There are much cheaper alternatives, though, like the Motorola Moto E and Nokia Lumia 630, so you really have to weigh up how much you need extras like a big screen, LTE and 4G.

HTC Desire 610 release date: June

HTC Desire 610 price: £249.99