Emir BardakçıHTC is reportedly in the process of launching a new budget smartphone as a part of its Wildfire series, dressed in a gaming-inspired design. The phone, which was announced at GITEX 2025 in Dubai, will be aimed towards budget gamers but will struggle to compete with modern mid-range devices like POCO M7 Pro 5G or Redmi Note 15. According to GSMArena, HTC will unveil the phone officially next month, powered by the Unisoc T765 processor — a mid-tier chip that focuses on efficiency over raw power.
Legacy Chip Tops the Device’s Capabilities
Whereas the Wildfire phone would boast a 5600mAh battery, a 50MP rear camera, and a 16MP front camera, its choice of chipset would keep it from gaining momentum. The Unisoc T765, despite 5G support, provides performance levels equal to that of the MediaTek Dimensity 700 in earlier launched phones such as the POCO M3 Pro 5G (2021). This places the phone at a disadvantage compared to others running newer, speedier processors such as Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 or Dimensity 8300-Ultra.
For users who value smooth multitasking, faster gaming frame rates, or AI-driven photo enhancements — features that Xiaomi’s HyperOS 3 devices now leverage effectively — the Wildfire’s hardware could feel outdated right from launch.
Market Context and Competition
HTC was previously the leader in the smartphone market, but its market share has plummeted over the past ten years. In contrast, brands such as Xiaomi, POCO, and Redmi have dominated the budget and mid-range sectors with smartphones giving them superior price-to-performance ratios.
The gaming-focused strategy of the Wildfire may find support in retro buffs, but the lack of best-in-class components makes the phone an uphill climb against dominant budget queens from POCO and Redmi. Without some powerful marketing hype or software tuning strategy from HTC, the phone is unlikely to be anything more than a niche release and not a real comeback.
