HTC brings Vive, One X9 and three entry level smartphones to MWC 2016

While Samsung and LG are at MWC 2016 with all guns blazing, showing off their latest Galaxy S7 and G5, respectively. HTC on the other hand is taking a different approach and brought 3 entry level devices along with their innovative HTC Vive and the One X9.

The Desire 530, Desire 630 and Desire 825 are inspired by streetwear and feature a micro splash effect that essentially means you get a speckled phone. Coming in a choice of colors – Stratus White Remix with duo color micro splash and Graphite Gray Remix with gold micro splash for the Desire 630 and 825, and Graphite Grey and Solid Stratus White block colors for the Desire 530, these phones deliver something personal for everyone.

The Desire 530 sports a Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 1.1 GHz quad core CPU paired with 1.5GB of RAM. The rear shooter is an 8 MP one while the front one sports a 5 MP resolution. A 2200 mAh keeps everything up and running. The Desire 630 and 825 share several specifications under the hood, which means both feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 1.6 GHz mated to 2GB of RAM and 13 MP rear shooters. The Desire 530 and 630 sport 5.0″ HD displays while the 825 sports a larger 5.5″ HD display. The 630 and 825 also sport HTC’s exclusive BoomSound with Dolby Audio technology.

The more premium One X9 is essentially a rehashed One A9, with the same Mediatek Helios X10 and 3GB of RAM under the hood. Significant differences include the missing fingerprint sensor, the 13 MP rear camera which is now flush with the rear panel and the front-facing BoomSound speaker grilles which has taken on an appearance similar to the Butterfly series of yore. The One X9 comes out of the box with Android 6.0 Marshmallow. The One X9 will be available in Carbon Gray, Opal Silver, Topaz Gold, and Copper Rose (otherwise know as black, silver, gold, and pink).

The anticipated HTC Vive which was developed in partnership with Valve, was also announced at MWC 2016. The VR headset features an updated headset and the consumer edition of Vive also integrates phone functionality. Enabling you to stay connected to the real world, without exiting the virtual world, Vive Phone Services demonstrates the ability to combine both realities without losing touch of either. By allowing you to receive and respond to both incoming and missed calls, get text messages and send quick replies and check upcoming calendar invites directly through the headset, it opens up a whole new world of possibilities for both consumers and businesses.

The Vive will be priced at $799 and for a limited time the consumer edition will also ship with two fully-fledged VR experiences to get you started in the virtual world. Pre-orders will open at 11 p.m. 29th February 2016, with order fulfillment and full commercial availability slated for early April. The two free games are Job Simulator and Fantastic Contraption.

Pokdepinion: To be honest, I am a little disappointed at HTC’s showing at MWC 2016. Aside from the HTC Vive, none of these are what HTC used to bring to the table: cutting-edge innovation and the most premium design anyone can imagine. It is also clear that HTC is targeting developing economies with their entry level devices.