HTC One review: To rule them all

22 March 2013
Arguably one of the most exciting pieces of smartphone design in recent times, the HTC One is also properly powered and flaunts a screen that should please even the most demanding eyes...

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  • AnonD-128323
  • wfF
  • 23 Mar 2013

Anonymous, 23 Mar 2013For me it's between the One and the X phone. First phon... moreYeah I had a Desire as my intro to smart phones and it was a revelation. It died of restart-itis after 15 months and like you, I went to an S2. I'm now on an S3 but I would definitely consider another HTC, both as a merit-based choice and also to offset the monolith that Samsung is becoming :-) It's great to see HTC is kicking goals again.

    • ?
    • Anonymous
    • H5D
    • 23 Mar 2013

    Some of the comments on here make me laugh. Don't take so personal, its only a phone.

    Then again the HTC One is more than a phone.

    As for wanting a phone with 13mp + waste if time if you don't print and enlarge. The most you need for a 1080p tv screen is 2.1 megapixel.

    I did a test with mobile phone store staff. I took a picture at 1mp, 3mp, 5mp, 8mp not one of them could see the difference. The most common print size was 6x4, now its 0x0 most don't print. Facebook, instagram, flixster and your phone seems to be the most popular photo album.

    Ultrapixel cameras can print at 10x8 no problem. The other thing about mega pixels is, the more you have, the more memory it takes up on your phone.

    It was never about pixels, its all about the size of the sensor. A DSLR 8mp and a compact 8mp, what's the difference. The DSLR has a larger sensor, it also has larger pixels. HTC could not put a larger sensor, or this would be a tablet. But they were able to put larger pixels. The problem with most people, they think this kind of technology should come from Apple and thenSamsung would try and copy them.phone a very smart move by HTC . . .

    Some manufactures cheat. They have a phone that has 5mp and then they bring out a new one with say 13mp. They use the same sensor they used for the 5mp. How do they fit them on, with small pixels. That's why when taking pictures in low light, they struggle.

    But with the HTC One, they have tried to imitate a DSLR, very clever.

    I have tested the One against the iPhone 5, Sony Z, Galaxy S3, Note 2 and the Galaxy camera and it beat them all in low light.

    I also put it up against the Nokia 920 and on most occasions, they seem the same, on the odd it was a little better.

    As for BoomSound, common sense that's all I can say. Putting speakers on the front, but with beats audio and the built-in amplifier, wow it sounds amazing.

    Go try it for yourself, I did and now I have one.

      • ?
      • Anonymous
      • vaN
      • 23 Mar 2013

      AnonD-22824, 23 Mar 2013Htc is thinking that they r very smart but they r actually ... moreAnd, the thing is, it does NOT beat 5mpix phones, load up Xperia U in the photo compare tool and see HTCs flagship for this year being owned by a lower midrange phone presented in february last year.

      Its bad enough in widescreen, then add that it is only 3mpix in 4:3. This competes with Sony Ericsson W8, incredible....

        • ?
        • Anonymous
        • dUY
        • 23 Mar 2013

        For me it's between the One and the X phone.

        First phone was HTC Hero, then had a Desire, currently on S2. I do miss the premium feel of HTC.

        People please don't put this phone in a case it defeats the whole point. I always use a leather pouch for my phones, far better.

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          • AnonD-22824
          • 7tE
          • 23 Mar 2013

          Htc is thinking that they r very smart but they r actually doing COST CUTTING buy giving CHEAP 4 mp cam with worthless software gimmicks ......htc do u really think ppl r fools .....come on if u wud have given 13 mp cam then i wud not mind paying couple of grands more for the already overly priced smartphone .......come on PLZ GROW UP HTC. Give me 13 mp cam and i am SOLD.

            • ?
            • Anonymous
            • H5D
            • 23 Mar 2013

            This is by far the best phone on the market, including the S4.

              Anonymous, 23 Mar 2013Hi, don't you know there's a new invention called portable ... moreYeah, because having this kind of battery pack is so usefull if you have to take pictures and record videos.

              The point is that the phone should be as easy to use after you have changed battery. It should not be harder to use just because you have connected the phone to an external battery brick that you have to carry to.

              So this type of battery pack as you are talking about is also a disadvantage.

                • D
                • AnonD-114786
                • HIb
                • 23 Mar 2013

                this phone is very nice
                battery life is good point

                  • z
                  • zivotinjnja
                  • pux
                  • 23 Mar 2013

                  I have to admit I am fed up with Samsung GS cheap plastics (I own SGS3 for about 6 months) and I will go for the One as soon as it appears on market. Last summer I felt under Samsung propaganda and sold my HTC One X - what a mistake. Someone said SGS4 is faster? Ok, define "faster". Faster 0.03 sec. in opening browser, gallery and other apps? If so, then OK, I will install Supercharger anyway. Difference between phones today is so small that I decided to go for the one which is more stylish and has a better screen, or in this case - HTC One.

                    • ?
                    • Anonymous
                    • IWP
                    • 23 Mar 2013

                    Tom-Helge, 23 Mar 2013It's a disadvantage no matter how much you like it or not. ... moreHi, don't you know there's a new invention called portable battery pack/charger?
                    Is it easier to shut down the phone,take out the back cover, take out the battery, put in new battery, put back the cover and finally turn it on? or is it easier to plug in the phone to a portable battery pack/charger and continue using?

                      • h
                      • htcfans
                      • PU0
                      • 23 Mar 2013

                      I bought the HTC butterfly recently and I found that the phone is fabulous...And now,the HTC one is unveiled soon with a list of impressive specifications.I have to say the one is awesome with premium build quality,excellent audio system that we could hardly find in any of the smartphone today and most importantly,the sharp and crisp display.Whether you like it or not,it boils down to the personal preference of each individual.Get a phone that appeals to you much and best suit your daily needs....

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                        • AnonD-128296
                        • JiG
                        • 23 Mar 2013

                        Gabor, 23 Mar 2013Getting better low light shots should be much more valuable... moregood point

                          • w
                          • wind
                          • PU0
                          • 23 Mar 2013

                          AnonD-118519, 23 Mar 2013i want a comparison between this one and XZ. they are top ... moreBoth xz and HTC one are awesome handset in 2013...but HTC one is faster than xz and is proven fact.
                          If display quality does matter a lot for you,one thing you have to take note.The xz has a bad viewing angle...the screen will become wash-out if it gets centre-off your face.I am a bit particular and demanding in display quality as I use my phone for web browsing and streaming video quite often,the xz really give me a let down.
                          Also,the beat audio is one of the best that I had ever heard in smartphone.It produces the sound with much details and less distortion.

                            • D
                            • AnonD-128291
                            • nba
                            • 23 Mar 2013

                            Just ordered this ONE. Battery life is a non-issue for me. I spend 8 hours Mon-Fri next to my workstation with more than enough places to pull juice.
                            I got a DSLR for those occasions where I need perfect pictures. I got unlimited data so I stream music through Spotify, quality is good enough for me. Once a year while on vacation I might stream a movie through Netflix, or I'll just add a season of whatever show I feel like. So SD-card is also a non-issue.

                            So for me, this is the perfect phone. I can see and understand why people would want to go with a S4 instead, but I dont quite understand why they need to bash this phone for not meeting their needs. Just pick another one and move on.

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                              • alex
                              • PU0
                              • 23 Mar 2013

                              The ultrapixel cam beats most of its competitors in low light shot.Try not to rush to conclusion without getting a hand-on with the device.

                                Striker, 23 Mar 2013Dear gsmarena, non-user replacable battery is NOT a disadva... moreIt's a disadvantage no matter how much you like it or not. When you are out traveling and when you are out of power, then what can you do if you can't just switch to a new battery to continue to use your phone for the rest of the trip?

                                Because of this, it's a disadvantage.

                                  • D
                                  • AnonD-128276
                                  • Lec
                                  • 23 Mar 2013

                                  camera is ultrafail not ultrapixel!!!

                                    AnonD-78383, 23 Mar 2013It seems as though HTC has blown there hype about there cam... moreHTC have never been known for having good cameras in their smartphones.

                                    And i doubt they ever will have good cameras on their phones.

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                                      • lol
                                      • 0p5
                                      • 23 Mar 2013

                                      Every thing about this phone or better say handpeace is great..maybe best..
                                      sure its most complete package for anyone that like to take powerfull hardware, software and excellent design and build quality..
                                      I can't wait for take it ..

                                        • D
                                        • AnonD-35253
                                        • Kh2
                                        • 23 Mar 2013

                                        Good phone. But Htc's software is boring. They customize android very badly and skip many function like notification bar wifi blutooth toogle . In terms of software samsung is good at customizing android , better UI .