Last time when HTC had a serious contender positioned in the mid-range Android category was when the One V hit the shelves. It was a cute little handset with good build quality and adequate performance.

Attractive design; Good screen quality; Performance is top notch

Horrible physical buttons; Low on native storage space

We liked the idea of HTC doing away with its confusing approach to phone releases, and seemingly random naming convention (Sensation? Explorer?). So, we're still a little curious as to why the Desire brand lives on.

Nice look and feel; Vibrant display; Sense should please owners of previous HTC handsets; newcomers to Android

Dated specifications; Occasional performance glitches

Didn't you get the memo? Android phones are getting bigger: first the 4.7-inch HTC One X, now the 5.5-inch Samsung Galaxy Note 2. It's the law. At least, it certainly seems that way, which is why the more compact, 4-inch HTC Desire X comes as a breath of fresh air, just in time for those upgrading...

While the absurd Samsung Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note sales numbers have shown there's a big market for even bigger phones, they're not for everyone; The HTC Desire X is a much more manageable size, with a screen you can actually cover every corner of with one hand, It's still running much the same...

While the HTC Desire X is more than fast enough for all but the most hardcore users and 3D gamers - more so in fact than the HTC One V; which is odd since that's meant to be a classier phone - its specs aren't cutting edge.

For one reason or another, the One series failed to live up to their potential in terms of actual sales, so HTC turned back to the time-tested Desire line to fill up the coffers and secure some time to regroup.

HTC's Desire series recently welcomed a new member to the family, the Desire X. This phone has a 4" LCD screen, a 5-Megapixel camera, a 4 GB internal memory (with 25 GB free cloud-based storage via Dropbox).

Design; handling; finish; Sense interface is intuitive and well-integrated; A generally responsive handset; Audio quality

Small internal memory; Screen viewing angles are quite tight; Photo quality; High SAR level

Samsung Galaxy S2 – Samsung's second Galaxy S phone has been superseded by the S3, but still packs a wealth of features. Its advancing age means it's now available on some very cheap contracts.

Dual-core; ImageSense camera; HTC Sense 4.1 UI

Plastic body; Launching with older Android 4.0 OS

You may have been mistaken for thinking that there wasn't really a gap between the HTC One V and the HTC Desire C , but you'd be wrong, as the HTC Desire X forces its way between the two handsets.

Low price; Vivid screen; Compact design

Average specs; Lower RAM; Cut down HTC Sense; Flimsy back cover

The Desire X can't compete with top-of-the-range Android powerhouses such as the One X or the Galaxy S3. But it does have an attractive design, a decent processor and, more importantly, an affordable price -- and free Beats headphones.

Good performance from the dual-core chip; Clear; colourful 4-inch screen; MicroSD card slot; Reasonably priced

Plasticky build quality

A mid-range Android phone for those who can't quite afford an HTC One X.

Neat; slim design; Decent screen

No front-facing camera; Mediocre main camera; No HD video capture

Product HTC Desire X Website HTC Specifications 4in 480x800 Super LCD touchscreen, 1GHz dual-core processor, 4GB internal storage, 5MP rear-facing camera with HD 720p video, HSDPA 7.2Mbit/s, HSUPA 5.76Mbit/s, 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, DLNA, microSD expansion up to 32GB, 1,650mAh battery, Android 4.0 Ice