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HTC Desire 530
HTC Desire 530
HTC Desire 530
HTC Desire 530
...


5/10
Informr score
The HTC Desire 530 currently has an Informr score of 5 out of 10. This score is based on our evaluation of 12 sources including reviews from users and the web's most trusted critics.

What's good

  • Unique spray-pattern covers
  • Good color reproduction
  • Excellent headphone audio quality
  • microSD card support

What's bad

  • Weak performance
  • Below average camera
  • Dim screen
  • Weak, non-removeable battery

What was once a flagship series for HTC has become their budget-friendly darling. With their latest release, HTC hopes the Desire 530 offers a decent compromise of price and performance. While the phone certainly looks unique, does it stand up to the tests of daily use?

Let’s see what reviewers are saying!

Looking at the phone, there’s an obvious HTC design going on--rounded edges, extended bezels, minimal flair and a bunch of plastic. The big thing HTC is touting with the phone is their specialized rear shell treatments that embed tiny dots of color in the shell. While this means each phone is unique, reviewers were mixed on how they liked the final look. NotebookCheck said, “Overall, the build quality is acceptable, but the handset does not really feel high-quality due to the choice of materials.

Flipping around to the 5-inch 720p Super LCD panel, reviews are equally mixed. Reviewers noted that the screen is both dim and highly reflective. Tom’s Guide elaborated, saying, “The Desire 530 also struggles in sunlight. On a July day with scattered clouds, I had to strain to make out the on-screen controls, even after fumbling my way into Settings and cranking up the display to maximum brightness.” However, if you’re mostly indoors, the screen isn’t bad. Alphr said, “Next to its peers, it’s a bit dimmer, with above average colour performance and good contrast.”

Unfortunately, it seems that HTC’s choice of a quad-core Snapdragon 210 processor didn’t sit well with reviewers. Add in only 1.5GB of RAM and performance reviews were all quite low. Tom’s Guide said, “There's a noticeable lag between when you tap an app's icon and when it launches. The camera app takes 4 seconds to launch, so forget about capturing those spur-of-the-moment images; they could be long gone by the time the Desire 530's camera is fired up and ready to go.”

You’ll find 16GB of internal storage for your apps and games. Should you need more, the microSD slot supports cards up to 200GB.

While the phone’s 2200mAh battery might seem low, the power-sipping processor helps to balance out battery life. PC Advisor UK noted that it “got us through the day, although it did depend on our usage.” The battery is not removable, so if you’re a heavy phone user, you’ll need to keep your charger handy.

The phone’s 8MP rear-facing camera and 5MP front-facing selfie shooter received average reviews. Stuff notes, “Compared to the best of the 13-megapixel budget crowd, images look softer close-up and colour reproduction is pretty ham-fisted. Unsubtle and sometimes undersaturated, it’s a bit like they’ve been coloured-in by a little kid with some low-grade colouring pencils at times.” Much like other aspects of the phone, the camera appears to be a bit of a compromise. Shots are good enough for social media, but don’t expect it to replace a dedicated camera.

While the phone looks nice on the outside, reviews indicate that daily performance simply doesn’t add up. Alphr summed up other reviews well, saying, “The HTC Desire 530 is a disappointment. It looks the part, and the screen is pretty decent for [its price], but things fall apart as soon as you use the thing for any length of time. It’s laggy, sluggish and has a distinctly average camera.”


Android
Operating system
Operating system
Android
1.1 GHz
Processor
Processor
1.1 GHz
5"
Screen Size
Screen Size
5"
8+ MP
Camera
Camera
8+ MP
2200 mAh
Battery


What the Critics Are Saying...


Know Your Mobile
Know Your Mobile

I find it rather difficult to recommend the HTC Desire 530 as compared to key rivals in this price bracket it doesn't offer as good a camera experience, nor is the performance on Android with this low-end CPU up to the same level. The design and build quality is great, and the display is quite impre...

- Know Your Mobile team, Know Your Mobile
PC Magazine
PC Magazine

The HTC Desire 530 is an affordable MetroPCS phone with a decent camera, but it's held back by slow performance and a dim screen.

- Ajay Kumar, PC Magazine
PCWorld
PCWorld

The Desire 530 just doesn’t deliver on performance, whether it’s something as basic as waiting for an email to load or more taxing tasks such as quickly switching between multiple apps. You’re going to find yourself waiting for apps to load, pages to fill in, and eventually it&rsqu...

- Jason Cipriani, PCWorld
G Style Magazine
G Style Magazine

I’m usually pleased with HTC devices for the most part but the Desire 530 is a disappointing affair. Its display is pretty weak outdoors, its processing power is abysmal and it just seems to take long to upload anything. Its true saving grace is its colorful splash coating and its price point...

- Jason Million, G Style Magazine
Tom's Guide
Tom's Guide

HTC's Desire 530 tries to attract budget shoppers with a decent camera and good battery life, but its gaudy design, display and performance disappoint.

- Philip Michaels, Tom's Guide


Prices (Where to Buy)




Common Questions


We've got you covered! Download a free PDF copy of the HTC Desire 530 user manual here.


HTC backs up the Desire 530 with a 1 Year parts & labour warranty.


If your Desire 530 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.




Resources


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Quick view

Screen Size
5"

The HTC Desire 530's screen size is 5 inches with x pixels resolution.

Processor
1.1 GHz

There is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 Quad core 1.1 GHz processor (CPU).

OS

The phone runs on proprietary operating system firmware.

Camera
8+ MP

You can take photos or capture video with the phone's onboard 8+ MP camera.

There is also a secondary front facing camera with 5+ megapixels resolution.

Storage
16 GB

Internal memory is 16 GB. An external, MicroSD, MicroSDHC, microSDXC (up to 200 GB) expansion slot is available for increased storage capacity.

Battery
2200mAh

The phone is powered by a Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion), 2200 mAh battery. HTC's performance ratings are 29 days standby time, 840 minutes, 540 minutes Wi-Fi surfing.

Desire 530 Specs

Overview
Release Date April 1, 2016
Regions Available USA, United Kingdom
Operating System No

Compare Android Smartphones

Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 Quad core 1.1 GHz
Internal Storage 16 GB
RAM 1536 MB
Hearing Aid Compatible Yes
TTY/TDD Yes
Noise Cancellation Yes
SAR Head: 0.375 W/kg
Body: 0.314 W/kg
Manufacturer Warranty 1 Year
Accessories Included Data Cable, Headphones, Manual, Standard Battery, USB Power Adapter
Cellular
Networks
GPRS, EDGE, HSUPA, HSPA+, LTE
Mobile / Cellular Data
4G/LTE
Push-to-talk (PTT) No
Wi-Fi Calling No
Voice over LTE (VoLTE) No
SIM card size
Nano-SIM
Dual SIM No
Connectivity
USB Micro-USB 2.0
USB OTG Support No
GPS Type A-GPS
Infrared No
Bluetooth 4.1
Bluetooth Profiles A2DP, AVRCP, OPP/FTP, HFP, HSP
Bluetooth Audio Codecs SBC
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Mobile Hotspot Yes
Memory Expansion Slot Yes
Expansion Slot Info MicroSD, MicroSDHC, microSDXC (up to 200 GB)
NFC Yes
Data Tethering Compatibility Yes
Camera
Main Camera
Resolution / Aperture
8+ Megapixels
Zoom
Yes
Flash
Yes (LED)
Additional Rear Camera Info
Auto focus, Effects, Geotagging, Multi-shot, Panorama, Self-timer, HDR, Voice activation
Video Recording Formats
3GP / 3GPP, 3G2 / 3GPP2, MPEG-4, WMV, AVI
Video Recording Parameters
Front Camera
Resolution / Aperture
5+ Megapixels
Additional Front Camera Info
Self-timer, HDR, Voice activation
Video Recording Parameters
Display / Screen
Type Color
Technology S-LCD
Colors 16.7 million
Resolution x pixels
Pixel Density 294 pixels
Size 5 inches
Secondary Display No
Sensors Ambient Light, Proximity, Motion / Accelerometer, Digital Compass
Multi-Touch Yes
Fingerprint-Resistant Coating No
Additional Display Features Capacitive touch screen
Power & Battery
Battery Type Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion)
Battery Capacity 2200 mAh
Removable Battery Yes
Wireless Charging No
Fast Charging No
Video Playback Time Up to 600 minutes
Internet Use (Wi-Fi) Up to 540 minutes
Internet Use (Cellular) Unknown
Talk Time Up to 840 minutes
Standby Time Up to 29 days
Mixed Usage
Physical Characteristics
Design Type Bar
Material Plastic
Colors Graphite Gray, Solid Stratus White
Dimensions [H x W x D] 14.7 x 7.1 x 0.8 cm (5.8 x 2.8 x 0.3 in)
Weight 140 grams
Water Resistant / Waterproof Unknown
Rugged design No
IP Rating No
Headset Jack 3.5mm
External Speakers Yes
Input / Navigation
Sleep / Wake Key Yes
Home Key No
Input / Keyboard Type Touchscreen
Navigation Type Touchscreen
External Volume Control Yes
Fingerprint Sensor No
More
Additional Information Other Names (AKA):
Related Links Manual (PDF)
HTC Desire 530 Reviews
Where to buy HTC Desire 530
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