Party like it’s 2010: HTC to release 4 Wildfire phones to take on Moto G
HTC is working on four new affordable Wildfire smartphones to take on the Moto G7 and Xiaomi Mi A3, according to fresh reports.
The news broke via Russian site Rozetked which reported unnamed sources familiar with the matter confirming the news earlier this week. The report suggests the company plans to release new HTC Wildfire, HTC Wildfire E, HTC Wildfire E Plus and HTC Wildefire E1 handsets in the near future.
Pricing and release date weren’t revealed outside a nebulous “soon” launch window, but the specs on show suggest they will target the affordable end of the market.
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The base Wildfire will have a 6.2-inch HD+ screen and run on a low power MediaTek Helio P23 CPU and 3GB of RAM. Outside of this it’ll have a 16-megapixel+5-megapixel dual-sensor camera and a 3500 mAh battery. These specs put it on a par with the ultra-affordable Vodafone Smart V10, which retails for £105 pay and go on Vodafone.
The Wildfire E has even more stripped down specs. According to the leak it’ll have a smaller 5.45-inch screen, Unisoc SC9863 CPU, 2GB of RAM, 32GB storage and a 3,000mAh battery. The stripped down rear camera will feature 13-megapixel and 2-megapixel dual-sensors. The Wildfire E1 Plus is close to identical to the E1 outside of its larger 6-inch screen and use of a slightly slower Heilio A22 CPU.
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The Wildfire E1 sits between the first three, if the leaked specs are anything to go by. It’s listed as having 6.1-inch screen and running using a Helio A22 chipset with 3GB of RAM. Around back you’ll apparently get a dual-camera that combines undisclosed 16-megapixel and 8-megapixel sensors.
None of the specs are anything to write home about and the use of atypical chips suggest the Wildfires may not be released in the West. Most Mediatek phones never make it to the UK.
If the rumour is accurate the use of the Wildfire brand is interesting. The original HTC Wildfire was one of 2010’s best affordable Android phones. It won numerous accolades for its, at the time, solid specs and affordable price tag.
Wildfire is one of many old phone product lines rumoured to be getting a revive. Speculation suggests Motorola is planning on releasing a new folding Razr Phone 2019 at an unspecified point this year.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.