Within the increasingly homogeneous offer of smart phones, the part that we identify with the mid-range category is especially similar if we compare the different proposals available on the market. That is why manufacturers strive to provide their equipment with points that help to differentiate them and, in this way, make them stand out from the rest. The HTC Desire 500 is especially interesting in this regard. Technically, it is very similar to other terminals on the market, although in the design it has a distinctive factor that helps to focus the eyes of users. While the HTC Mini One and HTC Desire 601 play to approximate the line of the flagship (the HTC One), this HTC Desire 500stands out with a striking, carefree appearance and combining the tradition of the Taiwanese firm with care and innovative details.
And is that put to highlight something of the HTC Desire 500, the first thing that jumps out is the finish of the terminal. Right from the first moment we take it out of its box, the aesthetic visual proposal draws our attention, which we like from the moment we take a look at it. Holding it in hand confirms the sensation. It is not particularly light or thin, but it is really comfortable when we manipulate it. The housing is made of plastic, polished and with a glossy finish. The 4.3-inch screen determines a total size that makes it very manageable.
Put to highlight something in the field of its design we would have to point out the side band that gives the HTC Desire 500 some color. In addition, from HTC they have managed to take advantage of this detail, so that in the right area it is used so that, without closing completely, the ends that surround the contours of the equipment end up acting as the volume controls. It may be a minor detail, but those who give importance to the design on their smartphone will see this with good eyes.
As soon as we turn it on and start using it, we verify that we are facing a mid-range. There is not much to blame in terms of loading speed, at least, as long as we always keep in mind the condition of the HTC Desire 500. Those who are used to using more advanced devices will perceive verifiable latency times, although it is not something alarming. The first steps in the configuration are comfortable ”” HTC is one of the manufacturers that makes things easier for users, whenever we want to migrate data from another phone or from an online account ”” and since we start using it already in full operation we can enjoy the Sense layerthat the firm has designed so that we can handle the Android options.
Repeat with some utilities released on the HTC One, such as BlinkFeed, the news and social networks hub that informs us of all the news that may interest us from the home screen. As we say, its operation is not as fluid as it occurs in the company's flagship, but let's not forget that we are facing a mid-range equipped with a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor "" the Snapdragon 200, in fact " ”. Generally speaking, the menus of the HTC Desire 500 move quite smoothly, and the loading times are within reason.
On the multimedia level, the use of the HTC Desire 500 with great solvency is also described. Your camera is the first thing that interests us. This mobile equips an eight megapixel sensor with LED flash. No ultra-pixels or large photoreceptors. The technology used is more conventional than what we have known in the HTC One and HTC One Mini. Perhaps it is one of the highlights of your technical profile. The level of quality of photos and videos is very worthy, since we are normally in this category with five megapixel cameras. Unfortunately, the footage remains at the 720p standard. However, it is not something that is particularly reprehensible. The presence of a good catalog of filters and effects to give a special touch to the photos follows the line of what is seen in other phones of the firm.
Regarding the music and video player there is little to say. Now practically any phone from the big manufacturers ”” although HTC has been registering a worrying drop in sales and market share for several months, it is always one of the classic companies in the smartphone scene ”” is capable of recognizing a multitude of files, and the HTC Desire 500 does not fail in this regard. In addition, the presence of the Beat profile to boost the bass frequencies will delight those who store a good music library on their phone. However, the internal storage fund is somewhat scarce "" only four GB, in fact "". Luckily, this HTC Desire 500allows you to install up to an additional 64 GB with the help of a microSD card.
When using the device's online options, we verify that the behavior is more than correct. It does not allow browsing in 4G networks, something reprehensible, given that more and more mid-range phones have an LTE profile on the market, and although 3G adheres to the HSDPA standard with maximum download rates of 7.2 Mbps, the performance offered by the HTC Desire 500 is good. Those looking for a little more speed may come to notice that the loading times are above what we would see with other smartphones, but we will only notice that on mobile networks. Using it over Wi-Fi networks, whether it's downloading apps, visiting web pages with your native browser, or using Chrome, the experience is reasonably good.
Finally, it should be noted that the autonomy reached by the HTC Desire 500 falls within the estimates given by the manufacturer. This type of valuation is difficult to specify, although while giving it reasonable use we have been able to verify that it is possible to achieve more than one working day in use and rest. Recall that according to HTC the HTC Desire 500 can support a little more than twelve hours in use with active data connections, stretching up to 435 hours when idle. In our experience, and depending on the combination of both, it has managed to last a full day between loading and loading. By the way, it's not that it's particularly fast when it comes to fully powering its 1,800 milliamp battery, although it's nothing really alarming.
Posts to make global evaluations about the HTC Desire 500, we are left with its design. We liked it very much, both for the comfort that comes from its use and for the resources used. In this sense, the color band that surrounds the lateral contours of the case to culminate in the volume controls has seemed to us that, being a discreet detail, it is sure to delight those looking for a device that is distinguished first of all by their appearance.
For 280 euros, which is what the HTC Desire 500 costs in free form, this phone has practically everything. However, perhaps it suffers from some shortcomings of other competing terminals that supply similar or perhaps lower prices, such as 4G data sensors or the NFC proximity communication chip. Those who are fans of HTC equipment and want to access any of the available offers for this device "" Vodafone has it in its catalog with financing and cash payments "", can access it with advantageous formulas. However, as we say, other terminals, such as the Nokia Lumia 625, could be seen as more balanced solutions and with more competitive prices.
