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We were surprised to see HTC revert back to the old ‘Desire’ name for its new budget smartphone, especially after switching its focus to the new ‘One’ series of smartphones this year.

The Desire C mixes the name of old with the design and features of the new One series, and it’s a mix we really like. The C is by far the smallest phone HTC has launched this year – it’s dinky – but it’s curved and pebble-like so as to fit in the palm of your hand really nicely.

With a price tag of £199 (currently available as cheap as £99 if you look around), we weren’t expecting any standout features from the Desire C. Nevertheless, it impresses with neat software features and a sturdy design. The attention to detail when you remove the battery cover is a nice touch, with an all-red finish to match the Beats logo.

Beats Audio integration doesn’t do a great deal, as is the case on all HTC handsets, but it will give your music a bit more ‘oomph’ instantly without the need to tweak the EQ settings. While the Desire C doesn’t come with Beats Audio headphones, any headphones will work and matched with a great music player app and several top-notch apps for music lovers (Soundhound, TuneIn Radio, 7Digital) it’s a great phone for music fans.

With a 600MHz single-core processor, the Desire C isn’t a powerhouse by any stretch of the imagination – sometimes you’ll find it struggle a bit with tougher tasks. With Ice Cream Sandwich it can multitask easily, allowing you to swipe away apps to close and keep things running smoothly, which is useful.

Is the Desire C worth its £199 price tag? You’ll need to watch our video review to find out!

Let us know your thoughts on our comments below or via our @Gadget_Helpline Twitter page or Official Facebook group.

If you’re really loving the Desire C, then here are the best Pay as You Go and Contract deals around.