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Contrary to its moniker, the HTC Wildfire E2 launched with barely a spark to its name as the struggling Taiwanese manufacturer made its latest Android smartphone official without much fanfare or ambition to speak of.
Namely, the HTC Wildfire E2 is only out in Russia as of today. And it’s every bit as frugal as the lack of anything resembling marketing in its vicinity suggests. But luckily for HTC, there are still dozens of us actively seeking out its products.
All things considered, the Wildfire E2 does a reasonably decent job of punching above its weight. Which amounts to 8,760 rubles, or $120.
For that price, Russians can get a 6.2-inch 720p screen, MediaTek’s MT6762D chip, 32GB of storage, and 3GB of RAM. A 4GB/64GB configuration is also on its way but has yet to receive a price tag.
The entry-level handset even features what’s technically a dual-camera setup on its back. Only “technically”, however, as its 16-megapixel main sensor is only accompanied by a 2-megapixel depth one.
Meaning the secondary camera does some background blurring but that’s about it. Cover that lens, and chances are the Wildfire E2 will deliver identical images nine times out of ten. This is hardly a new gimmick in the smartphone space; barely days have passed since the OnePlus Nord hit the market with that same inconsequential excuse for a feature. Hey, at least HTC isn’t charging $700 for the Wildfire E2.
A fingerprint sensor and mostly stock Android 10 are part of the package, as well. Powering all of that hardware is a 4,000mAh battery which isn’t removable. The advantage to this industry-standard annoyance is that the Wildfire E2 is at least pretty slim at 8.95mm. That figure is nothing to scoff at in this price range.
HTC Wildfire E2 launch underlines the company’s new scope – or lack thereof
For what its worth, the HTC Wildfire E2 at least looks way better than it did in previous leaks. That turn of events is somewhat surprising, considering its most recent sighting came from the Google Play Console.
Which is pretty much as legit as sources get in this industry. Yet a month later, the handset HTC launched looks noticeably more stylish. Particularly on account of having a much smaller camera notch gracing the top of its display.
This technically-an-announcement comes at a time when HTC really needs a win. Whether in smartphones, VR, blockchain, or any other segment it flirted with in recent years. Because the company continues to post record-low results.
Late last week, it disclosed its July revenues were just a notch above the equivalent of $9.5 million. Meaning more than a third of what remained of its business at this point in 2019 evaporated by now. And its new scope seems to largely revolve around the entry-level smartphone space – a race to the bottom that ended half a decade ago.