HTC T328W Desire V

If you don't need a dual SIM phone, stop reading.
If you don't want a smartphone, stop reading.

OK, so you're still reading because you need a "dual SIM and that too a smartphone with good specs". In that case, STOP READING - JUST RUSH TO BUY THE PHONE!

After 2 weeks of frustrating internet searches for detailed reviews and even more frustrating and CONFUSED HTC India tech-support guys when I still didn't get all the exact details of this phone, I decided to take a risk and still buy this phone. Thank god I bought it!!! Read on...

Pros:
1. Dual SIM (Dual standby NOT dual active)
It is only dual standby so when I'm talking on one SIM, other SIM becomes "not reachable". That's fine, I can simply divert/forward calls. Samsung Ace Duos is publicizing this as a "new feature" but that's just plain marketing - *all* the phone companies already have this facility since long ago!

Despite being dual standby, if Mobile data connection (gprs or 3g) is being used on one SIM, the second one is still reachable! I have personally tried this on my phone - Mobile internet of SIM1 was being used NOT Wifi and a friend was able to call the SIM2! So, you can keep all you facebook/twitter feeds on while still being able to receive calls on any SIM! Remember that if someone calls you on any SIM, the active gprs/3g connection will be suspended, but anyway that happens on single SIM phones also - I have checked!

2. Android Ice Cream Sandwich (yippee) + HTC Sense 4.0
HTC Sense is IMHO the best UI out of all! Samsung, forget it. Sony looks good, but since their Timescape/Mediascape is built as a separate layer on top of the UI, it uses more resources. HTC Sense is amazing, and is integrated very nicely with the OS, so it's rich and also very fast!

3. 1Ghz processor (Qualcomm S1 series MSM7227A) + Adreno 200 gpu + 512MB RAM
Many ppl commented that this is an outdated config, Adreno 200 is old, same price you get dual-core and on and on... My answer to all of them - just try the Desire V out! No hiccups or lag anywhere in the UI, auto-rotation is superfast, apps open almost instantly... Believe me, the first thing I did was download Temple Run and try it out. It started up in just 1-2 seconds, and i played upto I ran the character till 1000mts (he runs real fast by that time so strain on graphics is more) and STILL NO JERKS AND DIDN'T HANG even once!

4. 4 inches display + 800x480 resolution is THE best you get for this price.

5. 5MP Camera with Flash + 480p video recording
It's not the best camera you'll find - Sony phones/HTC One cameras are better. Video recording resolution is 480p (800x480) which is good but of course it's not HD (min 720p is called HD). But overall, I'd still give it 7/10 rating.

6. 1650 mah battery (replaceable)
Since I removed it from full-charge at 5 am, I've played Temple Run for about 1 hour, had active Wifi downloads for about 2-3 hours, Mobile internet was on the whole day, had a few calls, probably 30-40 mins total, display was ON for at least 2-3 hours more since I was changing a lot of settings etc. and still it's showing me 60%, so even with this kind of load, it should easily last for 2 days or so on single charge! Pretty good right?

Apart from these, it's got all the typical stuff - Bluetooth, Wifi with hotspot, USB tethering, Internet pass-through, Wifi direct, DLNA connectivity etc. so there's nothing missing really!

Cons:
1. Pricey - but hey, for Dual SIM folks this is really the best option so far and other features are still pretty impressive!
2. Not Dual active - I wish for Rs. 22000 HTC could've just made it dual active, that would have made it the best phone in the market for me. But I can still tolerate dual standby.
3. Service??? - I spoke to HTC tech-support and they said if one SIM's gprs/3g connection is on, second sim will be off - which I have confirmed is not the case, it works and I can receive calls! So they're either confused or not well-trained, so what if I have problems in future?

Don't forget, I have purchased this myself, so everything I've written above is tried and tested and true!

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My verdict:

For single SIM users - This phone is not for you, it's too expensive. You have a lot of better and slightly cheaper options, eg HTC One V or Sony phones: Xperia U/P/Sola or the slightly older Neo V/Pro etc.

For Dual SIM users - This is the ONE AND ONLY Dual SIM phone whose features and specs are on par with the relatively higher end smartphones! So, that makes it worth the slightly higher price - "UNIQUE VALUE" FOR MONEY!

I have read the reviews that people have written about this phone. And I am sure those reviews have all been based on specs / Picturs/Videos available online. I would Suggest everyone who has written those reviews to go and check this phone out. I bought this today. And Oh My Oh My Oh My.. This is a STUNNER. The moment the shopkeeper pulled it out of the box (The White One) I fell in love. And Believe me, It was love at first sight. My Breathing got heavier.. and Damn !! This looked BEAUTIFUL. Talking about the specs and the price, Yeah, I kinda agree that it might be a little over priced but just look at the competition, Which other phone gives you all this, Super Stunning Looks, Dual Sim, HTC Promise, ICS, 4 Inch Brilliantly Brilliant screen (233 PPI), and Fluid touch. I bought it for my sister in law, and she needed a dual sim phone, and we were looking at the Spice MI-425 (9700 Rs) and Karbon A9(8600 Rs) and Phones like Galaxy Ace Duos (12.5 K), However The moment this phone was pulled out of the box.. Everything was out of focus. And this had all the spotlight. So.. Bottom Line, If you need a Dual Sim High End phone. Look no further. Forget what everyone says.. Just go and see the phone and tell me that you didnt fall in love with it at the very first sight. Just a Little Heads up, It does not have a front camera, so yeah, If you gotta do a lot of Skyping and Video calling then you can leave this. (But Best of luck leaving it once you have picked it and seen it) :-D

Hi,

I know many people would be disappointed with the fact that it has a high price at launch. But people understand 2 things:

1) ICS, 1 GHz, 3G on 1 SIM, 4GB Internal, Flash, 4" screen, HTC Sense UI 4, card slot, 1650 mah battery, cam with flash, beats audio etc..........please think of any other company who is giving you dual SIM and such features. and will the samsung one's ever get ICS considering how samsung works?

2) dollar price and rupee fall which is simple to understand and how it is affecting manufacturer's

it's a unique and only premium solution for DUAL SIM else for single SIM don't read this as there are many single core options.

My need for a top end dual sim phone with Android 4 was fulfilled by HTC Desire V. Stunning looks, awesome curves, superlative performance are just few words that can describe this phone...From the moment I received this pack, I just couldn't put it aside for a minute, till I was chided by my kids....

Simply Awesome with extra ordinary features.
Very fine camera, Best sound quality, might be volume is not so much .

Developers no longer concentrate on older versions, all they do is the latest. For example,chrome web browser is available only on ICS, I use it on my desktop and I love it.

It's not just ICS, but sense 4, SLCD2 screen, beats audio, powerful cam, and top-notch build quality. Yes, I am a bit skeptical about 'beats audio' quality, but that's okay.

Dual cores are for power users/gamers. Those nice dual cores eats up lots of battery. One V does have adreno 205 GPU, and I played some of the graphic hungry games wthout any lag.

Regarding front cam, personally I never used front cam, and don't want one. Actually, I am happy that One V doesn't have front cam to save for something else(money, space...etc). Face unlock, anyway, is a failure.

An in-built battery is a great design choice.

Regarding memory, HTC is providing an 8GB memory card free along with One V, but they are not advertizing it.

At present, it's the best andoird phone available in 20k range.
Thanks