HTC Desire 820 vs. Moto X 2014 – Specifications, Features And Price Showdown

Both Moto X 2014 and HTC Desire 820 (successor to HTC Desire 816) have recently been unveiled. Readers who are interested in the Moto X 2014 or the HTC Desire 820 should check out this comparison.

Display, Exterior And Size

The Moto X 2014 features a 5.2-inch AMOLED display and 1,080 x 1,920 pixels screen resolution. The HTC Desire 820, meanwhile, comes with a relatively bigger 5.5-inch LCD display and 720 x 1,280 pixels resolution. In addition, the pixel densities of HTC and Motorola handsets stand at 267 ppi and 424 ppi, respectively.

When it comes to design, the Moto X 2014 looks like a replica of the predecessor Moto X from 2013, barring the size difference. Nevertheless, the Moto X features an aluminium frame instead of the plastic frame seen in 2013 version; thus providing the premium look to the handset. Furthermore, the front and the back panels can be disintegrated and altered with the help of Moto Maker site, similar to other Motorola handsets. Also interestingly, the Motorola logo affixed on the handset is quite big and it is wrapped in a metallic ring, according to Android Origin. The HTC Desire 820, on the other hand, comes with a bold, bright and sleek design. The company has employed the double-shot colour technology to provide the two-tone colour unibody. This enhances the general look and quality of the smartphone. Like many other mid-range devices, this phone is also made polycarbonate material, according to HTC.

Speaking of size, the thickness and the weight of the Motorola smartphone are 0.39-inch and 144 g respectively, while the HTC handset is 0.30-inch thick and weighs 155 g.

Hardware, Software And Memory

The Moto X is powered by a quad-core (Qualcomm Snapdragon 801) Krait 400 processor, clocked at 2.5 GHz and Adreno 330. The HTC Desire 820, meanwhile, is powered by the latest octa-core (Qualcomm Snapdragon 615) 64-bit processor, clocked at a combination of four 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 cores and four 1.0 GHz Cortex-A53 cores and an improved Adreno 405. Under the hood, both the devices are backed by the same 2 GB of RAM.

The Desire 820 runs on Android v4.4.2 KitKat with HTC Sense v6 UI, whereas the Moto X runs on Android v4.4.4 KitKat OS that is upgradable to Android L (v5.0). As far as the memory goes, the Motorola device offers 16 GB and 32 GB of internal storage, whereas the HTC Desire 820 comes with 16 GB of in-built storage capacity. While the HTC device offers microSD card support for expansion up to 128 GB, the Motorola handset doesn't.

Camera And Battery

Both the smartphones sport the same 13 MP primary camera. While the HTC handset comes with a LED flash, the Motorola device supports dual-LED flash. In addition, the HTC Desire 820 features a killer 8 MP front-facing shooter for capturing picture-perfect selfies, whereas the Moto X houses a much-inferior 2 MP snapper. Also, the HTC device is backed by a good Li-Ion 2600 mAh battery, while the 2014 Moto X comes packed with a Li-Ion 2,300 mAh battery unit.

Additional Features

1. As Android Origin puts it, the battery unit of the Motorola device can be charged in 15 minutes. In addition, the battery charge can be maintained for up to 8 hours.

2. The Moto X comes equipped with the voice-based "OK Google" feature seen in 2013 Moto X. However, the device houses an improved voice control feature when compared to its predecessor. Users can activate any app or service using voice commands. Very interestingly, the device users can post any update in Facebook and WhatsApp without typing a word. The whole information can be posted with the help of voice-based commands.

3. Additionally, Moto X smartphone's infrared sensor can reject incoming calls and mute the alarm by just swiping the hand on top of the screen.

4. Both the devices employ nano-SIM. However, the HTC Desire 820 comes as a dual-SIM variant as well.

5. Speaking of colour, the Motorola Moto Maker site lets users to customise the Moto X 2014 with 25 different shades. HTC is not giving up either, readers will be surprised to check out the umpteen colour choices available for the Desire 820 - marble white, tuxedo grey, santorini white, milky-way grey, tangerine white, saffron grey, flamingo grey, blue misty and monarch orange.

6. While the Motorola handset supports NFC, the HTC smartphone doesn't.

7. The Desire 820 come with HTC's BoomSound support.

8. Additionally, the HTC device also features BlinkFeed news aggregator and vertical app drawer.

Price

The Moto X 2014 is priced at $500 (that roughly translates to AU$574). When it comes to handy accessories, the Motorola Hint (wireless earbud) is priced at $150 and the Motorola Turbo Charger (that charges the device in 15 minutes) is priced at $35. The HTC Desire 820, meanwhile, is priced at 330 euros that roughly translates to US$416 and AU$479, reports Digital Trends.

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