The mid-range wars have heated up with the new entrants that have a lot to offer at a marginally lower price tag. This segment was virtually neglected for some time before it was flooded with Moto X and HTC Desire 816. Now with the Advent of Xperia C3 and Galaxy S5 the battle has been further intensified. We will today put these devices under the scanner and guide you on which one to go for.
Design and BuildThe
HTC Desire 816 is the best looking device of the lot. The metallic finished body looks premium and typically HTC. Screen blends in with the Bezel and it somewhat looks like a quasi-Edge to Edge display unit. The boom speakers rest in a circular holed grill on on either end of the screen. The fit and finish is impeccable.
The Sony Xperia C3 is quite a stunner the design lines adhere to the Xperia family. The silver colored stripe that runs along the periphery renders a premium and sleek look to the device. The rounded power keys are dripped in Chrome finish just like how it is in the Xperia Z series. The Capacitive screens are nudged inside the screen a feature we are particularly not found of.
Well the
Samsung S5 Mini Duos looks better than the other Samsung’s in this range but nothing striking in particular. The rear is graced by the Camera pod and a small square depression that houses the LED flash and the heart rate sensor. The rear adores the puckered texture similar to its elder brother the S5.
Screening itThe HTC Desire 816 has a 5.5 inch display at 720 x 1280 pixels translating into a not so impressive 267ppi of pixel density. The screen is associated with good viewing angles and has the color reproduction is fantastic. Samsung S5 Mini stays true to its name and has the smallest screen at 4.5 inch. We in fact feel that the 4.5 inch screen results in a favorable form factor. The display unit is set at an resolution of 720 x 1280pixels and being a smaller screened phone it translates into a whopping pixel density of 326ppi.
Xperia C3 again has a gigantic 5.5 inch screen set at 720p and has a pixel density of 267ppi which corresponds to the clarity in the HTC Desire 816. Frankly speaking not a great display unit but yes on the other hand nothing majorly wrong with it.
Under the HoodHTC Desire 816 is fitted with an 1.6GHz Quad Core processor paired with a 1.5GB RAM making it the fastest chipset in this lot. This Desire is best for Media consumption and it runs all the gaming titles without a fuss. Underneath the Samsung S5 Mini sits an Quad core processor clocked at 1.4GHz which we dare say might not be a Exynos in all likelihood. The 1.5GB RAM will handle multitasking with relative ease.
Xperia Z3 borrows the same Snapdragon 400 Quad Core Chipset that is clocked slightly slower at 1.4GHz. The 1GB RAM is a slight letdown but nothing that would cripple user experience. The UI flow and the ease of navigation is smooth as a butter with no signs of sluggishness.
The EyesWhenever it comes to Cameras it is necessary to always do the extra bit of Research so that you are not stuck with a phone that has a deficient Camera unit. HTC Desire 816 features a 13Megapixel primary snapper that is paired with a LED flash and the Secondary camera is a 5Megapixel unit. The Primary camera is excellent and has very less shutter lag letting you to capture moving objects easily. The detailing is perfect and there are no signs of murkiness or grains in the images even in low light condition. The secondary camera will be bliss for the selfies fan with its high end sensor.
Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini plays host to a 8Megapixel primary sensor and a 2.1Megapixel Secondary sensor. The 8Megapixel sensor is good but not something that we could write home about. The S5 Mini camera unit is a letdown with respect to the other phones. The 2.1Megapixel secondary camera is good only if you are not a Selfies fan but in any case if you are then steers away.
Xperia C3 as we all know is a selfies centric phone and there is no denying that it has one of the best camera units of the lot. The C3 plays host to a 8Megapixel primary sensor that is a notch better than the S5 Minis. The Camera manages to capture well lit pictures in low light and darkness. The flash is also such that it doesn’t over expose the subject. The Bombshell is the 5Megapixel Wide lens secondary camera along with an LED Flash! Yes the C3 does feature a front flash. Sony has also stuffed the C3 with plethora of selfies editing features. Take our word; If you need the best Selfies camera then get yourself the Xperia C3 period.
Connectivity and BatteryAs usual all of these phones feature almost the same connectivity options 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and and a MicroUSB v2.0 . Xperia C3 comes with a 2500mAh battery pack that juices it up for an entire day. The HTC Desire 816 has the biggest battery in the form of 2600mAh. Desires battery is non-removable as it employs a unibody design.
Samsung S5 Mini has a 2100mAh battery which again helps it to survive mixed usage for an entire day. Battery wise there is not much of a difference and again if you are a heavy user you can always carry a Power bank.
Pricing and VerdictThe HTC Desire 816 is currently priced at Rs23899 and the Xperia Z3 at Rs 22249. The Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini pricing details are yet to be announced but we have a feeling it will fall in the same price range. The price difference between the devices is marginal and we advise not to take a price dependent decision.
The HTC Desire 816 is a no nonsense phone and it does what it claims to do. If you are looking for a large screened mid segment phone which reeks of elegance and is the best for Media Consumption then it would be best to bet your money on the HTC Desire 816.
Are you a Selfies fan? Are you obsessed with taking your picture along with your pals regularly? If the answers to the above two questions is yes than go for a Xperia C3 as it’s by far the best Selfie Centric phone we have come across. The thing is it also strikes a good balance between the other features.
Source From http://www.knowyourmobile.in
