A little earlier today HTC announced the latest handset to join their Desire lineup, the HTC Desire 310, which is to sit in the mid-range level for HTC and likely the entry level for everyone else.
- HTC Desire 301 in Orange
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- HTC Desire 301 in White
What’s really interesting about the HTC Desire 310 however is the fact that, for the first time since 2009 when HTC Sense debuted on the HTC Hero, there will be no HTC Sense on an HTC handset. It’s difficult to say what prompted this move to drop HTC Sense though as the handset will ship with other HTC favourites such as Blinkfeed and Video Highlights.
Another surprise move though is the addition of a MediaTek MT6582M 1.3GHz quad-core processor to the phone. You may wonder why this is a surprise, well it’s commonly known in tech circles that MediaTek are well-known for dropping support of their chips fairly quickly which often stops handsets receiving the latest Android update.
We took to social media earlier to try grabbing some opinions on this latest handset before posting the news about the release and find out what others thought about having no Sense on the device.
@landofdroid I do wonder: Is it no sense because of MTK driver update concerns? Easier to keep it stockish?
— Stu Alsford (@captainstu72) March 6, 2014
@captainstu72 @landofdroid @HTC_UK if they go moto route then updates without full Rom releases.huge advantage in keeping handsets current.
— Gary Weldon (@UbuntuBhoy) March 6, 2014
Whether or not we will start to see this strategy on future mid to low range HTC’s is questionable however we do know that the HTC One M8 will feature sense 6 which points to the strategy being purely down to cost saving with the CPU change.
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HTC unveils the HTC Desire 310 for maximum value
HTC packs HTC BlinkFeed, Video Highlights and super-fast processing power into its latest entry-level smartphone
London, England 6 March 2014, HTC, a global leader in mobile innovation and design, has unveiled the new HTC Desire 310, bringing seamless multi-tasking, smooth browsing and effortless video creation to the entry-level market. Fusing a sophisticated navy blue design with a powerful quad-core processor, HTC BlinkFeed, and Video Highlights, the latest addition to the HTC Desire family, makes some of the celebrated HTC One series’ most popular features available to those who want a more affordable handset without compromising on performance.
“Everybody today wants a smartphone that can keep up with them, regardless of whether it is a flagship or entry-level model” says Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corporation. “The latest addition to our renowned HTC Desire range combines super-fast processing and premium features at a lower price, offering users the best possible experience in this category.”
Advanced performance guaranteed
Boasting a 1.3GHz quad-core processor, the HTC Desire 310 can comfortably meet any challenge, no matter how you want to use your phone. Whether you want fast, responsive web browsing, silky-smooth graphics when watching videos or playing games, or simply the ability to switch between multiple apps, exceptional performance comes as standard with this device.
HTC BlinkFeed: Bringing your favourite content direct to your home screen
HTC’s renowned HTC BlinkFeed home screen, first introduced with the HTC One, now gives you the opportunity to join the millions of HTC users who have customised their streams to deliver more relevant, up-to-the-minute news and social updates direct to their home screens. Displayed on the Desire 310’s 4.5 inch screen, updates from your favourite news and social sites including Twitter, Facebook and China’s Sina Weibo are displayed in crisp detail and rich colour, making the information easy to digest whenever you glance at your phone.
With the Offline Reading mode, it’s now possible to view articles from your personal feed, drawn from more than 20,000 articles a day from the world’s leading media companies, making it an ideal option for those on a limited data plan. Simply add up to 120 articles to your reading list when connected to WiFi and access them later to enjoy data-free reading on the move.
Video Highlights: Your life in motion
With the HTC Desire 310, your pictures and video clips can be automatically turned into a professional-looking show reel of your best moments. Select photos taken with the HTC Desire 310’s 5MP camera, place them into your preferred sequence and choose your favourite tracks and effects to create impressive videos to share with friends and family through social networks. [i]
Availability
The new HTC Desire 310 will be available from the end of April in the UK via O2, Vodafone and Carphone Warehouse. The handset will be available to consumers in a full range of colours, subject to availability across UK retailers and operators.
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The new HTC Desire 310 will be available from the end of April in the UK via O2, Vodafone and Carphone Warehouse. The handset will be available to consumers in a full range of colours including Orange, White and Blue.
