The HTC One: A Remarkable Device, Anand’s mini Review
by Anand Lal Shimpi on March 21, 2013 4:49 PM EST- Posted in
- Smartphones
- HTC
- Mobile
- HTC One
For the past week and a half our own Brian Klug has been hard at work on his review of HTC’s new flagship smartphone, the One. These things take time and Brian’s review, at least what I’ve seen of it, is nothing short of the reference piece we’ve come to expect from him.
In the same period of time I’ve been playing around with a retail HTC One and felt compelled to share my thoughts on the device. It’s rare that I’m so moved by a device to chime in outside of the official review, but the One is a definite exception. By no means is this a full review, and I defer to Brian for the complete story on the One - something we should be getting here in the not too distant future.
I’m not a financial analyst, but HTC hasn’t been doing all that well over the past few quarters. There’s a general feeling that the aptly named One is HTC’s last chance at survival. Good product doesn’t always translate into market dominance, but it’s a necessary component when you’re an underdog. Luckily for HTC, the One is great.
Design
Over the past two years HTC has really come into its own as far as design is concerned. The difference between the HTC One X and the plethora of flagships that came before it was remarkable. Moving to the One, the difference is just as striking.
I don’t seem to mind plastic phones as much as everyone else, but the One is in an appreciably different league compared to its peers. It’s the type of device that you just want to look at and touch. Given how much you do end up looking at and touching your smartphone, HTC’s efforts here seem well placed.
The One looks and feels great. The proportions are a little awkward in my hands, but I fully concede that’s going to vary from person to person. Despite the heavy use of aluminum, I don't feel overly worried about scratching/damaging the finish.
The challenge with any smartphone is to build something that looks distinct in a sea of black rectangles on a wall in a store. With the One (and arguably the One X before it), HTC does a good job of balancing the need to be seen with the need to be subtle. Elegant is the right word here.
While I’m sure there will be comparisons to the iPhone, the fact of the matter is that the design cycle on these smartphones falls somewhere in the 12 - 24 month range. With something as sophisticated as the One, you’re looking at the longer end of that spectrum. For what it’s worth, if I had to estimate I’d say design work on the One probably started before the iPhone 4S came out.
Smartphone Spec Comparison | ||||||
Apple iPhone 5 | HTC One | Samsung Galaxy S 3 | Samsung Galaxy S 4 | |||
SoC | Apple A6 1.3GHz | Snapdragon 600 1.7GHz | Snapdragon S4 1.5GHz | Exynos 5 Octa (1.6/1.2GHz) or Snapdragon 600 1.9GHz | ||
DRAM/NAND/Expansion | 1GB LPDDR2, 16/32/64GB NAND | 2GB LPDDR2, 32/64GB NAND | 2GB LPDDR2, 16/32GB NAND, microSD | 2GB LPDDR3, 16/32/64GB NAND, microSD | ||
Display | 4.0-inch 1136 x 640 LCD | 4.7-inch SLCD3 1080p, 468 ppi | 4.8-inch Super AMOLED 720p, 306 ppi | 5-inch Super AMOLED 1080p, 441 ppi | ||
Network | 2G / 3G / 4G LTE Cat 3 | 2G / 3G / 4G LTE Cat 3 | 2G / 3G / 4G LTE Cat 3 | 2G / 3G / 4G LTE Cat 3 (depending on region) | ||
Dimensions | 123.8mm x 58.6mm x 7.6mm | 137.4mm x 68.2mm x 4mm - 9.3mm | 136.6mm x 70.6mm 8.6mm | 136.6mm x 69.8mm x 7.9mm | ||
Weight | 112g | 143g | 133g | 130g | ||
Rear Camera | 8MP | 4MP w/ 2µm pixels | 8MP | 13MP | ||
Front Camera | 1.2MP | 2.1MP | 1.9MP | 2MP | ||
Battery | Internal 5.45 Wh | Internal 8.74 Wh | Removable 7.98 Wh | Removable 9.88 Wh | ||
OS | iOS 6.1.2 | Android 4.1.2 | Android 4.1.2 | Android 4.2.2 | ||
Connectivity | 802.11a/b/g/n, BT 4.0, USB 2.0, GPS/GNSS | 802.11ac/a/b/g/n + BT 4.0, USB2.0, GPS/GNSS, IR LED, MHL, DLNA, NFC | 802.11a/b/g/n, BT 4.0, USB 2.0, NFC, GPS/GNSS, MHL | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (HT80) + BT 4.0, USB 2.0 NFC, GPS/GNSS, IR LED, MHL 2.0 |
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evonitzer - Saturday, March 23, 2013 - link
It's $200 less than a 64 gig unlocked iPhone (850!), so Pylon's comment is fair. $200 is a significant savings, although $650 is still pretty steep.StormyParis - Thursday, March 21, 2013 - link
It's not just that. My battery is showing signs of weakness after about 2 yrs. At least, I can change it before resale.darwinosx - Friday, March 22, 2013 - link
You keep a phone more than two years?Visual - Friday, March 22, 2013 - link
You don't? Well that explains why actual features do not matter to you and you keep posting "nobody needs that"... you're not looking for a good phone, you are all for the cool new thing of the moment.jayseeks - Friday, March 22, 2013 - link
A good phone will only last you about 2 years now, so I don't see what your gripe is.CeriseCogburn - Friday, March 22, 2013 - link
A second battery means I can go right now, I'm mobile instantly without plugging in the phone and waiting two hours.acky2lum - Friday, March 22, 2013 - link
Exactly. A GREAT phone should last longer. The ONE and S4 are both good phones, but if I were to choose one (which is the case for most ppl), I would side with S4 because of these features.Why do you think they have NFC out way before it gets useful and popular? Why do you think both phones have wifi ac when the majority of the routers doesn't have it? It's all about how longlasting the phone is. It might or might not be a deal breaker for you, but you can't deny the fact that it is a good feature for the general public.
phillyry - Sunday, March 24, 2013 - link
No it's not. It is not about being long-lasting. The people who buy these top-tier devices will buy another, better one, in two-three years. There's no "longer lasting" top-tier phone. That's garibaldi guck.DEECEE - Friday, March 29, 2013 - link
Who told you that, the late Steve Jobs?CeriseCogburn - Friday, March 22, 2013 - link
See osx and then realize all the text goes with a jobs worshipper - which is now BTW out of fashion and a losers game, the idiots just don't realize it yet, because death of the status fantasy comes with a humiliating depression...ROFL apple down $300 per share plus -
apple has been passed by
appletards are in denial