Android Magazine UK - Issue No. 49

Group test

With a greater emphasis on the front-facing

camera,thisisthecameraforsnappingselfies

Hye

»^ Operating system........Android KitKat 4.4.2

»^ Processor ...........................2.3GHz Quad-core Qualcomm

Snapdragon 801

»^ Memory ...............................16GB RAM

»^ Dimensions .......................151.7 x 73.8 x 8.5mm

»^ Weight ...................................154g

»^ Display size .......................5.2-in

»^ Display resolution ........1920 x 1080

»^ Connectivity .....................4G. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0

»^ Camera ................................13MP rear, 13MP front

technical specs

Price £399.99/$459

»^ More information http://www.htc.com

»^ Supplied by HTC UK

information

The Desire Eye is a

reasonably priced, upper-mid

range phone. The front-facing

camera is excellent, with a

good rear-facer. It’s fine for all

bar the enthusiast

»Verdict

HTC Desire Eye

»head-to-head

Pixel count

At 13MP it is one lowest resolution rear

cameras in this test, but its photos still

look sharp on the hi-res screen. Off-camera,

however, the photos are noticeably less clear

than the three rival phones

Ease-of-use

Everything is located along a translucent,

removable side bar. A bit of guesswork is

needed to fi nd some of the more elaborate

camera functions, but Voice Control and

the dedicated shutter button are pluses

Added features

The Desire Eye comes loaded with fun

photography features. Split Capture and

Photo Booth create crazy pictures while

there are lots of basic manual modes, like

changing the ISO and white balance

Front-facing camera

The front-facing camera really is the Desire

Eye’s main selling point. 13MP is more than

enough for the close-up nature of front-

facing snaps, and the fl ash means that you’ll

never have a dodgy, dark photo ever again

I

f there is one manufacturer w

embraced the selfi e generati

it’s HTC. The Desire Eye boast

whopping 13MP front-facing

camera, which could seem like

something of an overreach –

after all, there are plenty of 5M

front-facing cameras that are

perfectly adequate for close-up

snaps. However, if you love a se

front of a landmark or are into s

Vines on your phone, the Eye caters for you

magnifi cently. The standard Beauty Face

application can be toggled pre- and post-shot and

the ISO options are easily found and instantly

applied. Setting up voice control for button-free

selfi es is also easy but it’s over-sensitive,

resulting in a number of unfl attering photos. HTC

has worked hard to put the fun into the camera

with a range of extras, such as Photo Booth, Face

Merge and a raft of fi lters and editing options. In

terms of personalising your photographs, it’s the

standout model of the four. The rear-facing

camera is also 13MP and comes with various

d video modes. The slow motion

unction is easy to use and the

ing options are excellent too. HDR

ode provides a notable difference

you aren’t keen on using the

werful LED fl ash present on both

meras. The dedicated shutter

tton on the side is a good addition.

en took longer to focus than we

have liked but once it did, the Face

its job well in selfi e mode and

sharp images were created with the rear camera.

The HTC’s screen is stunning and all pictures

were reproduced with vibrant colours, which will

please the photography crowd no end. This

phone is defi nitely targeted at the teenage

market due to its unique colouring, powerful front

camera and wide variety of wacky editing

options. There isn’t a lot here for the camera

enthusiast, so if you’re looking to create art then

you would be best to look elsewhere. However, if

you are after a very good phone with a camera

primed for your Facebook page then this is one of

the best options to go for.

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Wide angle

To back the Desire Eye’s

bid to be the ultimate

selfi e camera, it includes

a wide-angle option to fi t

more people in a shot. It

also includes auto-focus,

something rarely found on

front-facing cameras

Face merge

One of the Desire Eye’s

main extra features is the

face-merge. Choose two

photos from your gallery

and use a sliding scale to

merge features together

and create a cool but

slightly scary composite

image of two people

Face tracking

The Desire Eye has

advanced face-tracking

technology included in its

front-facing camera to

keep the user visible and

in focus during group

photos. It also works

during video calls, which is

a very useful feature

Voice

command

Pressing a button or a

screen can prove tricky

when trying to do it

one-handed, so HTC has

included voice commands

to make it easier to keep

your photographs

completely shake-free