What's good
- 4G LTE connectivity at low cost
- Decent performance speed during basic tasks
- Good build quality
What's bad
- Low res display leads to fuzzy texts and images
- Poor bright light legibility
- Poor camera quality
The Desire 510 is another smartphone in HTC's range of budget and mid-range smartphone lineup. As expected of a budget device, the 510 sports a completely plastic build with large bezels at the top and bottom of the screen. At 5.5 x 2.8 x 0.4 inches, it isn't the slimmest smartphone on the market and reviewers describe it as "chunky" but they add that it is still relatively ergonomic due to the smooth edges and additional thickness. Despite its all plastic build, critics were impressed with the overall build quality with CNET stating, "It definitely feels like it can take a few knocks and bumps."
Perhaps the most underwhelming feature of the 510 is the display. At 4.7 inches it only has a resolution of 480 pixels, which means a low pixel density of 208ppi. Experts immediately noticed some fuzziness when reading text and pixilation on images though they found it sharp enough for basic tasks like reading email and browsing the web. Unfortunately, they also noticed that viewing angles were very narrow with PC Mag noting, "…even from dead on, everything looks washed out and grainy."
The Desire 510 is the first Android phone to ship with a 64-bit processor. It comes equipped with a 1.2GHz quad-core processor and 1GB of RAM. The new chipset, however, does little to actually increase the speed of the phone. In real-life testing, experts barely noticed any different in performance when compared to devices in a similar price range. While they didn't experience too much slowdown during basic tasks and navigating the UI, they did notice slowdown when they had multiple apps open at a time. Of course, consumers might not be able to download many apps as it only comes with 8GB of internal storage. Perhaps the biggest draw of the phone is its 4G LTE connectivity. Experts were happy with the download speeds and could quickly and easily connect without any issues. Battery life varies depending on usage, but experts were able to get a full day out of it with light usage.
As for the camera, reviewers were less than impressed with the 5MP shooter calling it a letdown and pointing out that it is only good for very basic photos meant to be shared only with friends and family.
While its low cost might seem enticing, experts are hesitant to recommend it. Phone Arena says, "As a whole, the 510 is a decent entry-level smartphone to have, but we cannot recommend it…The display is borderline unusable under direct light...[the] 5MP camera is unimpressive." TechRadar adds, "…if you want your smartphone to be more than just a portal to the internet, then you'll want to look elsewhere."
What the Critics Are Saying...
- Eugene Kim, PC MagazineChoices are far more limited on Boost Mobile than Sprint, but that doesn't do much to help the HTC Desire 510's cause. It's disappointing by nearly every measure, even if it only commands $100 off contract. Stepping down to $79 gets you a much nicer display on the Moto G$74.97 at Amazon, but you los...
- GSMArena team, GSMArenaThe HTC Desire 510 is the kind of phone that's likely to be in high demand for a good while. Perhaps not the device itself, which will soon start dealing with growing competition, but the very concept of an affordable phone with the fastest network data will make more and more sense as 4G networks e...
- Eugene Kim, PC MagazineSimply put, the HTC Desire 510 is a feeble flag bearer for 64-bit on Android. Its display quality is marginal even for a low-end device, and it's hobbled out of the box thanks to nearly non-existent internal storage. The Desire 510 receives no clear benefit from its 64-bit processor. Skip this phone...
- Matthew Hanson, TechRadarIf you just want a phone for taking advantage of the new, super fast 4G network at a low price, then you'll be quite happy with the HTC Desire 510.However, if you want your smartphone to be more than just a portal to the internet, and to watch high definition media and take superb photos, then you'l...
- Manuel Masiero, NotebookcheckThe HTC Desire 510 is a good 4.7-inch smartphone which isn't really missing any features despite the low MSRP of 200 Euro. Equipped with a Quadcore SoC and Android 4.4.3, the Desire 510 offers good overall performance and a decent gaming experience as well. We appreciate the high build quality and t...
Prices (Where to Buy)
Common Questions
The Desire 510 price will vary depending on retailer, age, special offers and whether or not it's purchased with a service plan. If purchased with a 2 year service contract for example, you would likely pay much less for the phone itself up front. You can compare HTC Desire 510 prices from around the web here on The Informr.
We've got you covered! Download a free PDF copy of the HTC Desire 510 user manual here.
HTC backs up the Desire 510 with a 1 Year parts & labour warranty.
If your Desire 510 has problems and is still within its warranty period, you could contact HTC support or the retailer you purchased the phone from. You'll find HTC's contact information here. If your phone is off warranty and needs repair for a physical problem such as a broken screen or bad battery, you should visit an authorized service centre or a local phone repair shop. You can also connect with others in The Informr Community Forum to find and share answers to questions.
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