Taiwanese mobile manufacturer HTC, widely known for its Desire series of smartphones and its BoomSound technology for speakers, had seemingly pulled out from the Indian market last year after a string of underwhelming devices. The company had focussed heavily on the flagship segment before disappearing, but they now have made a reappearance, albeit in a different way.
HTC has licensed their Wildfire moniker for smartphones to ‘In One Smart Technology’ — the company behind the smartphones sold under the ‘Lava’ brand — and are making an entry in the crowded sub-INR 15,000 segments with the Wildfire X.
In this article, we will compare Wildfire X with Realme 3, whose manufacturer has slowly become popular with Indian consumers.
Price and Storage variants
The HTC Wildfire X has two available variants starting at INR 10,999 for 3GB RAM and 32GB ROM with a 4/128GB variant available for INR 13,999. The Realme 3, on the other hand, is a much cheaper option between the two and also offers more choices with three variants at varying price points, a 3GB/32GB for INR 10,999, a 3GB/64GB for INR 11,999 and a 4GB/64GB for INR 12,999.
We feel the Realme 3 would be a better option in terms of storage because it offers a dedicated microSD slot and support for two nano-SIMs. The Wildfire has a hybrid slot, which means you have to choose between having two SIM’s or having a SIM and external storage. Both phones can have their storage expanded up to 256GB.
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Processor
Although the Realme is cheaper than the Wildfire X, it comes with the Helio P70, which is clocked higher than the P22 present in the latter. Both the chipsets have eight cores and use the 12nm fabrication process. The GPU used in the HTC Wildfire is the IMG PowerVR GE8320, whereas the Mali G72 – MP3.
While the P70 does outdo the P22 in terms of raw performance, it cannot match it in terms of battery efficiency as it comes with an integrated LTE chip, which helps avoid unnecessary drain.
Display
Both the budget phones sport very similar displays. They keep up with the current trend and include a display with a teardrop notch.
The displays measure 6.2 inches and have a resolution of 720×1520. The HTC Wildfire has not been in the hands of reviewers yet, but the Realme 3 has only had positive feedback for its IPS panel, which has been said to have great quality and brightness at its price point.
Battery
This is an area where neither phone holds an advantage over the other, as one has a large battery with no fast charging whereas the other has an average-sized battery with 10W fast charging, the HTC Wildfire being the latter. The Realme’s 4230mAH battery does have a significant advantage over the 3300mAH of HTC. Still, the playing field may be level as the HTC and an efficient chip, which should mostly translate to similar performance in day to day scenarios.
Camera
The camera set up on the HTC is the one place where it outdoes the Realme with what it offers. The Wildfire X has a triple-lens camera on the rear against two on the Realme 3.
The HTC device has a 2x optical zoom which the company advertises as lossless and 8x hybrid zoom. The set up consists of a 12MP primary lens, an 8MP zoom lens and a 5MP depth lens. The Realme’s two sensors set up has a 13MP primary shooter in line with a 2MP lens which works in conjunction with the phone’s AI. The HTC has an 8MP front shooter, while the Realme has a 13MP shooter.
Conclusion
We feel, while HTC has entered the market in a new flavour, what it is missing is the right price point for its device. The Realme offers features that can be said to be on par with the HTC, at a much lower price point. Realme seems like the better choice between these devices if you want more value for your money.
| Category | HTC Wildfire X | Realme 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.22 inches | 6.2 inches |
| Cameras | Rear: 12 MP(main) + 8MP(zoom) + 5MP(depth); Front: 8MP | Rear: 13 MP+2MP(AI supported); Front: 13MP |
| Battery | 3300mAh (10W fast charging) | 4230mAh |
| ROM | 32/128GB (expandable upto 256GB) | 32/64GB (expandable upto 256GB) |
| RAM | 3/4GB | 3/4GB |
| Colours | Sapphire Blue | Diamond Red, Dynamic Black, Radiant Blue |
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