HTC Desire Eye may bear HTC's mid-range branding

The Desire Eye may bear HTC's mid-range branding, but that doesn't make it a mid-range device. Instead, it falls somewhere between mid-range and high-end. It trades the One M8's metal exterior for more colorful polycarbonate shell, which helps give the Eye its own personality. Where the One looks ready for a night on the town, the Desire Eye looks ready for a road trip full of adventure.

I'm pretty sure HTC could make a great-looking phone out of wet spaghetti. It doesn't seem to matter what material the company uses; be it aluminum or polycarbonate, HTC knows how to make attractive handsets that feel great to use. The Desire Eye is available in two color combinations that do a lot to make it stand out (AT&T is only selling the white/orange one). Most versions have a colored accent running around the outer edge. Rather than paint the accent colors on, HTC actually bonded two different solid-color plastics together to create a seamless look that should hold up well over time.

The Desire Eye is a big phone. It's bigger than the One (M8), for example. I can't say it’s threatening any of today’s true phablets, but it's a sizable device that sometimes requires two hands to operate. As much as I like how the Eye looks, the design leaves it with a blocky footprint. At 8.5 mm front-to-back, it's not overly thick, but the Eye is that same thickness all the way out to the corners. In other words, it's a slab and it feels like a slab when in your pocket. You'll be able to stuff it in there, but it'll be obvious. I’m quite pleased with the materials and quality of the Eye's manufacture. The plastics are solid and strong, and all the seams are fitted together tightly.