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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CeriseCogburn - Friday, March 22, 2013 - link
Also, since he does not seem to have a good argument on his points that have been rebutted, it is a way for others to LEARN and decide for themselves.It's ALWAYS GOOD to have a naysayer or fan or disser, as one can then validate, invalidate, verify, or see the argument against is empty.
jayseeks - Friday, March 22, 2013 - link
Like yourself?haze4peace - Friday, March 22, 2013 - link
You should be banned too. Troll posts should stay on youtube comments. Anandtech is a step above most sites and the comments should reflect that. There is a difference from having a counter argument and just calling someone a retard.CeriseCogburn - Monday, March 25, 2013 - link
You two idiots don't reflect it.phillyry - Tuesday, March 26, 2013 - link
^ Please ban above ^Thanks Anand.
Loyal Anandtech Reader.
CeriseCogburn - Friday, March 22, 2013 - link
How to contradict openly and quickly:" 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."
It feels great but it feels awkward.... that's...whatever...
Loved this too:
" Despite the heavy use of aluminum, I don't feel overly worried about scratching/damaging the finish. "
Yes not overly worried, but worried nonetheless.
Aluminum feels like CRAP on the hands, like all other metals. They are HARSH on the hands. your finger and palm oils will eat into them and discolor them, they will rust, surface oxidation.
YET we have a bevy of retards who can't get enough of it. I submit that marketing and peer hype and group think rules the day. Luckily I'm here to point out how stupid it is.
Reviewer obviously want to, but hold themselves back, we can't after all help kill a dying company... well they can't it's not "nice" nor conducive to their business.
Metal is hard on your hands, your hands are hard on metal, get a clue fanboys.
jayseeks - Friday, March 22, 2013 - link
A great excuse for a company too cheap to shell out the bucks on some half decent design instead of constantly aping the efforts of others. How pathetic that Samsung should make an ad mocking the iPhone 5 for being stretched and the come out with this. Pathetic.Mook1e - Friday, March 22, 2013 - link
Lol, except both the S3 and S4 bill of materials costs more than the iphone5.jayseeks - Friday, March 22, 2013 - link
Fanboys? Look at your own comments you moron.CeriseCogburn - Monday, March 25, 2013 - link
Two above you had to be corrected for being a stupid fanboy by Mookie.I win again. Because I don't open my piehole like an estrogen doused little 3rd grader.
Try to make sure you have it correct, won't you ? FUD spreader.