HTC, Telstra team up for sub-$200 4G in BlueTick certified Desire 510

We’re still surprised that so many 3G phones are out there, but once you’ve gone 4G, you’ll never want to go back, and if cost was the thing stopping you before, it’s never been cheaper to try it out, as demonstrated by Telstra and HTC.

Together, the two companies are launching a budget 4G phone for people where budget is an issue, bringing the 4G LTE love to a price point below the $200 mark if you have no problems with being on the Telstra network.

If you’re down for that, the Desire 510 is a budget smartphone bringing a 4.7 inch 854×480 display to a phone made for microSIM cards, a departure for HTC which has primarily been using nanoSIM all year.

Category 4 4G LTE is also supported, providing speeds as high as 150Mbps on compatible networks in supported areas, though Category 3 is also provided, as is backwards compatibility for 3G networks.

Google’s Android 4.4 “KitKat” also runs here, relying on HTC’s Sense interface to make it easy to use.

Beyond this, there’s a core quad Snapdragon 410, 8GB storage, 1GB RAM, and support for a microSD slot, as well as Bluetooth, GPS, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, and a 5 megapixel camera on the back, as well as a lowly VGA camera up front.

That means it won’t be taking good selfies at all, but should have the bones for a semi-decent point and shoot if you need it. We hope, anyway.

The battery for the phone comes in at 2100mAh, which should provide at least a day, and Telstra has rated it with its “BlueTick” certification, meaning it should work better in rural and regional Australia than smartphones missing that little BlueTick.

In fact, it joins another BlueTick phone that received the certification this week, the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact.

“The HTC Desire 510 is simply the best value 4G smartphone on the market featuring HTCs iconic design and advanced technology,” said Ben Hodgson, Country Manager for HTC Australia and New Zealand.

“For first time smartphone users, it also comes with HTC Easy Mode which transforms your home screen into a simple and easy to navigate grid of the most commonly used phone functions such as contacts, phone, camera, text messages and photos.”

Pricing of the HTC Desire 510 comes in at $179 on pre-paid over at Telstra, settling in as a proper budget 4G option, while a Telstra-less unlocked version tacks on another $70, bringing the handset up to $249 if you don’t want to be locked to a telco.

Availability is shortly, so if the phone grabs you, or looks ideal for someone you know, expect it in phone sellers and retailers shortly.