HTC has launched its most inexpensive Android phone yet – the HTC Explorer (formerly known as the Pico) – which will be priced at Rs. 12,560 (MRP) when in launches in early October. The Explorer fits in between the Brew-based HTC Smart and the Android-based HTC Wildfire S in the HTC lineup, effectively replacing the older Wildfire.
The Android 2.3 Gingerbread-based HTC Explorer bears nearly identical specifications as the Wildfire S, with a 3.2-inch 320×480 pixel display. It has the same 600MHz CPU and Adreno 200 GPU onboard, coupled with 384MB of RAM and 512MB of ROM, part of the Qualcomm MSM7227 chipset. The HTC Explorer weighs in slightly lighter, at 108 grams, and measures in at 102.8mm x 57.2mm x 12.9mm. It also comes with the latest HTC Sense 3.5 UI.
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HTC has tried keeping the cost of the HTC Explorer lower than the Wildfire S, by giving it a lower-res 3.15MP autofocus camera, and lack of bundled microSD card. Other specs include Bluetooth v3.0 A2DP and EDR, Wi-Fi b/g/n, HSDPA 14.4Mbps and HSUPA 5.76Mbps, GPS with A-GPS support, and stereo FM with RDS. It has a 1,230 mAh battery, rated to deliver 485 hours of standby time, and 7 plus hours of talk time.
New features of the HTC Explorer include an inbuilt data monitor, which allows users to manage your data usages. It also comes with exchangeable back panels, with different colours – Active Black, Active Navy, Metallic Black, Metallic Navy, Active Royal and Metallic Royal. Extra covers can be purchased separately, as well – Active Blue, Active Orange, Active White and Active Purple.