HTC Desire 650: Plans | Pricing | Specs

Matt Sayer

Last updated: Jan 14, 2021

The HTC Desire 650 pairs a groovy design with a capable quad-core processor and 2GB of RAM to deliver solid performance at a budget-friendly price.

5 inches

Display size

720 x 1280px

16GB

Internal storage

13 MP

Rear camera

2,200 mAh

Battery size

Finder rated as Average vs similar phones

We’re reader-supported and may be paid when you visit links to partner sites. We don’t compare all products in the market, but we’re working on it!

Display

Display Size

5 inches

Resolution

720 x 1280px

Pixels per inch (PPI)

294 ppi

Camera

Rear camera megapixels

13 MP

Rear camera aperture size

f/2.2

Video recording

1080p

Front camera megapixels

5 MP

Front camera aperture size

f/2.8

Physical Dimensions

Dimensions

146.9 mm x 70.9 mm x 8.4 mm

Weight

140 g

Connectivity

NFC

Yes

Wi-Fi

802.11 b/g/n

Network category speed

Category 4

Power, storage and battery

Processor

Snapdragon 400

RAM

2GB

Operating system

Android 6

Internal storage

16GB,

External storage support

Up to 2TB

Battery capacity

2,200 mAh

Device features

Headphone jack

Yes

Fingerprint sensor

Water resistance rating

N/A

Wireless charging

Launch price (RRP)	$199
Launch date	2017-04

Matt Sayer

Matt Sayer is a technology writer and editorial engineer for Finder, combining industry expertise with data-driven solutions to help people make better decisions. His extensive portfolio spans investigative reporting on the roll-out of 5G, statistical analysis on the legacy of E3 and guides for popular products like mobile phones and smart speakers. Matt has a Bachelor of Computer Science from RMIT University and is passionate about finding ways that technology can better our lives.

Where to buy

What's in this guide?

Design
Camera
Performance
Battery
Pricing and availability
Compare SIM-only plans for the HTC Desire 650
HTC Desire 650 specs

Clocking in at under $200, the budget-friendly HTC Desire 650 offers an impressive array of features for its price. If you're in the market for a capable smartphone and don't need all the latest bells and whistles, the HTC Desire 650 is well worth considering.

Design

50/50 grooved back cover provides enhanced grip and helps distinguish up from down
Hi-Res audio support is a boon for audiophiles

At first glance, the HTC Desire 650 doesn't seem to stray too far from the design of your typical smartphone. A 5-inch LCD screen stretches from top to bottom, with no physical or capacitive buttons to reduce the screen's real estate. Instead, the standard Android "back", "menu" and "options" buttons are displayed on the touchscreen itself. Resolution clocks in at 1280 x 720, with a pixel density of 294ppi. In a nice touch, the screen itself is built from Gorilla Glass, which offers resistance against scratches and contact damage.
HTC shakes things up a little around the back of the Desire 650. While the top half of the back cover is smooth, the bottom half is lined with grooves for added grip. This 50/50 design also makes it easy to tell whether your phone is upside-down without looking at it, which is handy.
On the hardware front, the HTC Desire 650 packs all the standard features expected of a recent smartphone. You've got a 3.5mm audio jack for connecting wired headphones, Bluetooth 4.1 support for syncing wireless devices and Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n compatibility for connecting to local wireless networks.
If you love listening to music on your phone, you'll be glad to know that the Desire 650 is certified for Hi-Res audio, which allows it to deliver higher-quality sound from HD sound files like FLAC. Just bear in mind that FLAC files are a lot larger than MP3s, and the Desire 650 only comes with 16GB of internal storage, of which just 10.3GB is actually available to use. Fortunately, you can expand this by as much as 2TB thanks to support for microSD cards.
As a phone originally launched at the tail end of 2016 (before hitting Australian shores in April 2017), the HTC Desire 650 comes with Android 6.0 "Marshmallow" pre-installed. This equips the Desire 650 with such useful features as better battery management tools, greater control over app permissions and context-sensitive suggestions for when you can't find the tool or setting you're looking for. Unfortunately, HTC has not released an official update for later Android versions on the Desire 650.
It's also worth mentioning that HTC has tweaked the stock Android 6.0 interface slightly for the Desire 650. Dubbed HTC Sense, this custom version of Android incorporates additional features like built-in themes, a customisable home screen and an optimisation suite called Boost+ that periodically cleans up unnecessary files in an effort to keep the phone running smoothly.

Camera

A 13MP sensor and support for panorama shots should appeal to outdoor photographers
Auto-selfie feature makes snapping quick profile pics a breeze

For a budget smartphone, the HTC Desire 650 is no slouch in the camera department. On the back you'll find a 13MP sensor with an f/2.2 aperture, while the front-facing selfie camera packs a 5MP sensor with a smaller aperture of f/2.8. Both cameras include a Backside Illumination (BSI) sensor for better quality photos in low-light situations, and each includes an HDR mode for shots where you want to capture a greater range of lighting.
The rear camera also includes an auto-focus feature and a nifty panorama mode capable of combining multiple photos into a single 180-degree wide shot. The front camera, meanwhile, boasts a handy auto-selfie setting that lets you trigger shots by smiling or via voice command.

Performance

Basic day-to-day activities should pose no trouble for the quad-core 1.6GHz processor
2GB of RAM should ensure reasonably smooth multitasking

Under the hood of the HTC Desire 650 lurks a quad-core 1.6GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor, a chip designed for mid-range performance when it was first released back in 2013. Needless to say, it's not exactly the most powerful processor available in the modern smartphone market, but it's still capable of solid performance in the basic tasks budget smartphones are typically intended for. The 2GB of RAM included in the Desire 650 supports this, allowing for what should be a relatively smooth experience when multi-tasking between different apps.
Network performance is similarly respectable on the HTC Desire 650. The handset features a 4G modem capable of CAT 4 speeds, which gives it a maximum download speed of 150Mbps and a maximum upload speed of 50Mbps. For those unfamiliar with network category speeds, they dictate how fast a phone is at processing incoming and outgoing data when connected to a network. You can learn more by reading our guide to mobile phone category speeds.

Battery

Up to 17.5 hours of talk time according to HTC
Two power-saving modes for additional battery life when needed

On paper, the HTC Desire 650's 2,200mAh battery might seem on the low end given many modern smartphones are opting for batteries of 3,000mAh or more. Thanks to the modest power capabilities of the Desire 650's processor, however, its battery drain isn't as severe as the latest iPhone or Samsung Galaxy S handset.
According to HTC, the Desire 650 can deliver up to 6.67 hours of HD video playback or up to 44.14 hours of audio playback. It performs even better during calls, with HTC claiming up to 17.5 hours of 3G talk time on a single charge. If you find yourself needing even more juice, the phone also features both a standard power-saving mode and an extreme power-saving mode to eke out more battery life by disabling non-critical background services.

Pricing and availability

Price: Around $170
Where to buy: eBay

Compare SIM-only plans for the HTC Desire 650

Name	Product	Features	Data	Price
Monthly winner: Data Circles.Life 100GB for $38 SIM-only Plan SIM-Only - Postpaid No contract New customers get over 20% off for 12 months - pay $30/mth, then $38/mth onwards. T&Cs apply. Ends 01.03.2021, 9pm AEDT Ends Unlimited standard national calls & texts 100GB Data $30 per month Go to site View details	Monthly winner: Data Circles.Life 100GB for $38 SIM-only Plan SIM-Only - Postpaid Optus 4G network	New customers get over 20% off for 12 months - pay $30/mth, then $38/mth onwards. T&Cs apply. Ends 01.03.2021, 9pm AEDT Ends Unlimited standard national calls & texts 3GB bill shock protection Plan reverts to $38/month after 12 months	100GB Data	$30 per month Go to site View details	loading Fetching your data...
Moose 15.80 6GB 1 Month SIM-Only - Postpaid No contract Pay $12.80/mth instead of $15.80/mth for 12 months. T&Cs apply. Ends 31 January 2021 Unlimited standard national calls & texts 6GB Data $12.80 per month Go to site View details	Moose 15.80 6GB 1 Month SIM-Only - Postpaid Optus 4G network	Pay $12.80/mth instead of $15.80/mth for 12 months. T&Cs apply. Ends 31 January 2021 Unlimited standard national calls & texts Price reverts to $15.80/mth after 12 months Voice over LTE and WiFi calling from Optus	6GB Data	$12.80 per month Go to site View details	loading Fetching your data...
Circles.Life 20GB for $28 SIM-only Monthly Plan SIM-Only - Postpaid No contract New customers get 50GB data and over 20% off for 12 months - pay $22/mth, then $28/mth onwards. T&Cs apply. Ends 01.03.2021, 9pm AEDT. Ends Unlimited standard national calls & texts 50GB Data $22 per month Go to site View details	Circles.Life 20GB for $28 SIM-only Monthly Plan SIM-Only - Postpaid Optus 4G network	New customers get 50GB data and over 20% off for 12 months - pay $22/mth, then $28/mth onwards. T&Cs apply. Ends 01.03.2021, 9pm AEDT. Ends Unlimited standard national calls & texts 3GB bill shock protection Plan reverts to $28 for 20GB/month after 12 months	50GB Data	$22 per month Go to site View details	loading Fetching your data...
Moose 23.80 20GB 1 Month SIM-Only - Postpaid No contract Pay $19.80/mth instead of $23.80/mth for 12 months. T&Cs apply. Ends 31 January 2021 Unlimited standard national calls & texts 20GB Data $19.80 per month Go to site View details	Moose 23.80 20GB 1 Month SIM-Only - Postpaid Optus 4G network	Pay $19.80/mth instead of $23.80/mth for 12 months. T&Cs apply. Ends 31 January 2021 Unlimited standard national calls & texts Price reverts to $23.80/mth after 12 months Voice over LTE and WiFi calling from Optus	20GB Data	$19.80 per month Go to site View details	loading Fetching your data...
Circles.Life 8GB for $18 SIM-only Plan SIM-Only - Postpaid No contract New customers get over 20% off for 12 months - pay $14/mth, then $18/mth onwards. T&Cs apply. Ends 01.03.2021, 9pm AEDT Ends Unlimited standard national calls & texts 8GB Data $14 per month Go to site View details	Circles.Life 8GB for $18 SIM-only Plan SIM-Only - Postpaid Optus 4G network	New customers get over 20% off for 12 months - pay $14/mth, then $18/mth onwards. T&Cs apply. Ends 01.03.2021, 9pm AEDT Ends Unlimited standard national calls & texts Option to add on another 3GB for $6 Plan reverts to $18/month after 12 months	8GB Data	$14 per month Go to site View details	loading Fetching your data...

Compare up to 4 providers

HTC Desire 650 specs

Display

Display Size

5 inches

Resolution

720 x 1280px

Pixels per inch (PPI)

294 ppi

Camera

Rear camera megapixels

13 MP

Rear camera aperture size

f/2.2

Video recording

1080p

Front camera megapixels

5 MP

Front camera aperture size

f/2.8

Physical Dimensions

Dimensions

146.9 mm x 70.9 mm x 8.4 mm

Weight

140 g

Connectivity

NFC

Yes

Wi-Fi

802.11 b/g/n

Network category speed

Category 4

Power, storage and battery

Processor

Snapdragon 400

RAM

2GB

Operating system

Android 6

Internal storage

16GB,

External storage support

Up to 2TB

Battery capacity

2,200 mAh

Device features

Headphone jack

Yes

Fingerprint sensor

Water resistance rating

N/A

Wireless charging

Latest HTC news

HTC 5G Hub review: Fast and feature packed

The HTC 5G Hub can provide very fast mobile broadband over 5G, but you'll probably spend most of your time on 4G for now.

Read more…

HTC One X10: Plans | Pricing | Specs

If you're looking for a mid-range smartphone that won't call it quits, the supersized battery of the HTC One X10 makes it a top choice.

Read more…

HTC U Play review: Plans | Pricing | Specs

If you're considering the HTC U Play, our review breaks down all the important details you should consider.

Read more…

Image: Shutterstock

Ask an expert

To ask a question simply log in via your email or create an account.

Click here to cancel reply.

Display Name

Your Email (will not be published)

Your Question

Subscribe me to Finder’s free weekly newsletter for budgeting tools, timely news and savings essentials to take control of your finances

Finder only provides general advice and factual information, so consider your own circumstances, or seek advice before you decide to act on our content. By submitting a question, you're accepting our Terms of Use, Disclaimer & Privacy Policy and Privacy & Cookies Policy.

Ask a question

Find a better energy deal right now.

Find our monthly picks of the best mobile plans.

Find the best NBN plan for your needs

Check out the 10 top budget phones you can buy right now

Already on the NBN? We've broken down the best providers.

Discover your next favourite show

Smartphones

Best Phones

Mobile Phone Brands

Guides

HTC Desire 650: Plans | Pricing | Specs