HTC launches upgraded Desire 816G smartphone for Rs 19,990 in India; iBall Andi 5Q Cobalt Solus available for Rs 11,999

Within six months of introducing the device in the Indian market, Taiwanese manufacturer of tablets and smartphones HTC has launched an upgraded version of Desire 816G. A variant of the original Desire 816, it sports a 5.5 inch display and runs on the Android operating system. Targeted at the mid-price range segment of the Indian smartphone market, Desire 816G is priced at Rs 19,990, which is Rs 1,000 higher than its original launch price.

In addition, home grown hardware manufacturer iBall has also added another device to its Andi range of smartphones. Called Andi 5Q Cobalt Solus, this one sports a slightly smaller 5 inch display and runs on the Android operating system. It is currently available for purchase on e-commerce sites like eBay.in for Rs 11,999.

Here is a look at the specifications of the devices.

HTC Desire 816G for Rs 19,990

The new model of Desire 816G sports a 5.5 inch HD capacitive touch screen display (720×1280 pixels resolution) and runs on the Android 4.4.2 KitKat operating system with HTC Sense UI. It is powered by a 1.7 GHz octa-core processor (instead of a 1.3 GHz quad-core MediaTek processor in the original) and has 1GB of RAM. The smartphone comes with 16GB of internal memory (double in comparison with the original) that can be expanded up to 32GB with a microSD card.

Desire 816G has a 13 megapixel autofocus rear camera (with BSI sensor) with LED Flash that can record full high definition videos (1080p) at 30 frames per second. In addition, it has a 5 MP front-facing camera for video calling that can also record full HD videos. On the connectivity front, the device has Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi, 3G, as well as a microSD card slot and a microUSB port.

The dimensions of the device are 156.6mm x 78.7mm x 8mm and its weight is 158 gm. The company has provided a 2,600 mAh battery in the device, which it claims will provide up to 10 hours of talk time and 460 hours of standby time. The smartphone comes with dual-SIM capability and GPS (with A-GPS support). It also has dual frontal stereo speakers with HTC BoomSound.

iBall Andi 5Q Cobalt Solus for Rs 11,999

This one sports a 5 inch HD capacitive touchscreen display (720×1280 pixels resolution) with 289 ppi pixel density and runs on the Android 4.4 KitKat operating system. It is powered by a 1.4 GHz octa-core Cortex A7 processor and has 2GB of RAM. The internal memory of the device is 16GB (approximately 7GB for user and 6GB for applications) that can be further expanded up to 32GB with a microSD card.

Andi 5Q Cobalt Solus has a 13 megapixel autofocus rear camera with LED Flash that can record videos, and a 5 MP front-facing camera for video calling. Additional features of the camera include live photo, face beauty, Panorama mode, face detection, Smile shot, and V capture, among others. On the connectivity front, the device has Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi, 3G, as well as a microSD card slot and a microUSB port.

The dimensions of the device are 143.9mm x 72mm x 8.3mm and its weight is 135 gm. The company has provided a 2,250 mAh battery in the device, which also comes with dual-SIM capability and GPS (with A-GPS support). It is available in black colour.

In terms of competition, the smartphone will primarily face off against the likes of Motorola's Moto G (2nd Generation) and Yu Yureka that are available for Rs 12,999 and Rs 8,999 respectively.