The HTC One: A Phenomenal Device and a Bold Risk Taker

What sets a smartphone above the rest? Is it the design, the technology features, or the user experience? Let’s delve deep into the HTC One, a smartphone that took the crown as the best 1080p smartphone in a recent video review by mkbhd.

A Flagship Facing a Battle

The HTC One holds a significant place in HTC’s roster. As their main flagship, it is, for want of a better word, their last hope. HTC has laid much on the line with this device, including taking some risks that set it apart from other smartphones on the market.

Design and Build Quality

Picking up the HTC One, users will appreciate the substantial feel of its all-metal unibody aluminium back design. The phone might not be the slimmest or lightest on the market, but it certainly gives a firm, tangible sense of sturdiness. The metalwork feels excellent in the hand, fitting together with precision. The high-quality build of this device is, undoubtedly, one of its greatest strengths.

Button Placement

If you would point out a minor irritation about the HTC One, it would probably be the power button placement. Located at the top left corner, it’s slightly awkward to reach, especially if you are accustomed to other brands’ placements. There are no buttons on the left, just a SIM card tray. On the right, you’ll find the volume rocker. The three and a half millimeter headphone jack is on the top while your USB port is at the bottom.

A Display to Savour

The HTC One features a 4.7-inch, 1080p display, offering close to 470 pixels per inch. This superb display, complemented by two capacitive buttons (home button and back button) and front-facing BoomSound speakers, contributes to significant design features on the front of the device.

Innovative Special Features

The ultra-pixel rear camera and Beats Audio technology mark the HTC One out as unique. However, opinions of the Beats Audio feature in the HTC One may vary, which is a topic worth exploring in a separate article in the future.

A Closer Look at HTC One’s Front Facing Speakers

The HTC One’s front-facing speakers are simply spectacular. HTC calls it Boom Sound — a fitting name for the incredible sound quality it offers. These aren’t your standard speakers; they are front-facing and offer stereo sound quality that is hard to rival. These speakers allow a rich, immersive experience whether you’re watching a movie on your phone, playing a racing game or simply listening to your favourite music.

HTC One’s Display and Construction

The HTC One is not just about sound; it is about the visuals too. Its superior display coupled with its excellent sound offers arguably the best multimedia consumption experience right in your pocket. Quality doesn’t just stop at consumption, the phone’s camera is another feather in its cap.

HTC One Camera

The camera may only be four megapixels, but the phone captures decent images in regular light and outstanding pictures and videos in low light — making it a firm contender for the best phone camera for low-light photography, next to the Lumia 920. The camera software compensates for the lower resolution with added sharpening for more detailed pictures. However, this can sometimes lead to artificial-looking images when elements out-of-focus are unnaturally sharpened. But overall, the camera and accompanying software offer plenty of great features like HDR shot, burst shot, and HTC Zoe.

Performance of HTC One

Under the hood, the HTC One boasts a 1.7 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 CPU. This powerhouse of a processor ensures smooth and efficient performance. It may be lower in clock speed when compared with its rival Galaxy S4’s 1.9 GHz processor, but any minor differences in speed are offset by the benefits to battery life. The HTC One is packed with a 2300 milliamp-hour battery which holds up impressively well against Galaxy S4’s 2600 milliamp-hour battery, making it a reliable companion for your day-to-day use.

User Experience

The user experience the phone provides is top-notch and arguably one of the best from HTC. The HTC One runs the latest version of Sense UI (Sense5) on top of Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, providing a smooth and pleasurable use throughout the day.

Experiencing the HTC One’s Performance

The HTC One can only be described as a fast mobile phone. Yet, perhaps the term ‘quick’ is more applicable. The phone is not just fast, it is responsive and snappy too. The lack of any stutter or hiccup only enhances the smooth user experience. It seems to fly through multitasking with ease, all backed by great performance and a generous two gigabytes of RAM. Figuring out the actions assigned to the home button may require some time, but once you get the hang of it, it’s straightforward. Whether it’s Google Now, multitasking, or returning home, the button has it all.

The Extra Snappy Keyboard

Another standout feature of the HTC One is its keyboard. It’s clear that HTC has invested resources into designing the snappiest keyboard possible. The swift response of keys combined with terrific autocorrect makes for a seamless typing experience. The keyboard can comfortably accommodate large fingers and supports swipe actions, making it an excellent alternative to the stock Android keyboard.

HTC Sense 5: A Double-Edged Sword

Unfortunately, HTC Sense 5 is where things get a bit wonky. While there are some redeeming qualities, like customisable BlinkFeed, some of its features can be baffling. Case in point: The dock and app drawer integration, which can make customisation a tad confusing. HTC also made an unconventional change to the wallpaper setting, relegating it to the settings menu instead of allowing a long press on the home screen. It might take some time to get used to these extra steps.

Despite these quirks, the HTC One remains a joy to use. Quick, snappy, and responsive, it’s a mobile phone that can handle any task seamlessly. The occasional wonkiness is overshadowed by the powerhouse of a phone that the HTC One is. The speed and performance of the HTC One are definitely its shining features. In short, the HTC One has more than earned its place in the smartphone market.

Is There a Perfect Daily Driver Smartphone?

If you’re on the hunt for a ‘daily driver’ in smartphones, you may find yourself overwhelmed by choice. But truth be told, I don’t rely on just one. I switch between several phones depending on my needs at different times. However, the HTC One has truly impressed me, and it’s easily one of my top picks.

A Smartphone Worth Your Commitment

With the pace of technology advancing so rapidly, it’s difficult to anticipate whether a phone will serve well for the duration of a two or three-year contract. However, with the HTC One, you can be rest assured. I would happily recommend this phone to anyone without hesitation — it’s that good.

A Phone That Deserves Two Thumbs Up

If you’ve found this review helpful, feel free to give it a thumbs up. And if you’re keen on staying up-to-date with all things tech, don’t forget to hit the subscribe button. Until the next review, happy tech hunting!

Final Thoughts

There’s no denying that the tech world moves fast, but with the HTC One, you’re investing in a phone that’s built to keep up. Thanks for reading, and I look forward to sharing more tech insights with you soon. Peace!