Gagdet Review: HTC Desire Eye

NEW DELHI: You see it all the time – people in restaurants, markets, parties and even while on holiday – clicking selfies. So it’s only natural that smartphones evolve to better suit this trend. Some devices started improving the quality of the front camera, others started increasing the megapixel count, some included a front facing flash (or a faux flash – like a screen that flashes white), some introduced a camera that swivels from front to back and still others included software features to capture wider selfies. HTC’s stab at a selfie phone wants to do it all – it has the same 13MP camera for the front and rear and the same dual LED (dual tone; warm + cold) flash for the front and rear.

The front camera is also centrally mounted above the screen – making it easier for left & right handed users to compose a shot.

A dedicated camera shutter button on the side works with both cameras, active face tracking works with both cameras (including videogroup calls) and there are a bunch of software tweaks available (ranging from useful to downright bizarre). For instance, after you click a selfie, you can remove red eye, add filters, frames, alter lighting, smoothen skin, contour the shape of the face (to look thinner), make the eyes bigger, brighten the whites of the eye and face fusion (blends two faces into one).

The 5.2-inch screen is a 1080p unit (424 pixels per inch) covered with Gorilla Glass 3 for protection – we give it an A+ for quality of colours, saturation, brightness and viewing angles.

The device itself is finished in an attractive matte plastic unibody shell with a contrasting colour (choice of Coral Reef redwhite or Matte Blue) running around the edge.

The SIM card and micro SD slot are placed in two individual trays that you need to pry open with a fingernail. They’re not the easiest things to open but at least you don't need a pesky pin to open the tray .

Importantly , the Desire Eye is IPX7 certified this means that it rated as dust proof and water resistant up to 1 meter for a maximum of 30 minutes. This doesn't mean that you should start using it underwater (like the Sony Xperia Z2Z3) but it means that the odd splash or accidental dip in water will not affect it. The micro USB port and headphone jack are open but protected from water.

As far as hardware goes, the phone is very similar to the HTC One M8 (save for the cameras, of course). It has very loud stereo speakers, motion launch (double tap or swipe to switch on etc), is compatible with the interesting Dot View cases Performance will never be an issue and the Sense interface has long been lauded for its beauty and sim plicity. The two cameras have the same meg apixel count and sensor size but they're not 'exactly' the same. The rear camera has an f2.0 aperture and 28mm focal length (so, better depth of field and better shots in low light).

The front camera has an f2.2 aperture and 22mm focal length.Coming to the camera quality ­ both do a pretty good job capturing lots of detail and colour. The front camera packs the megapixels and excels in what it was intended for. The front flash can wash out faces though so use it judiciously. Probably the biggest downside to the phone is the all-plastic body . It's available at Rs 35,990 ­ dangerously close to the market price of much-loved One M8 and M8 Eye, which has the same design. If you value design and materials more than the camera, the One M8 is the better choice. Else, the Desire Eye is a good way to get your megapixel fix whether you shoot more with the front or rear camera!