HTC One Review: Design, Sense 5, Performance and the UltraPixel Camera

Specifications

Display	4.7-inch 1080p Super LCD 3
Processor	1.7 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600
RAM and storage	2 GB RAM, 32 GB internal
Cameras	4 MP UltraPixel rear, 2.1 MP front
Battery	2300 mAh
Size and weight	137.4 x 68.2 x 9.3 mm, 143 g
Software	Android 4.1 with Sense 5

In the box and design

HTC replaced the thick oval box of the earlier One series with a thin square one. Inside are a charger, a USB cable, a SIM tray pin and, unlike the One X and One S line, headphones. The reviewer liked that change.

The aluminum body was the highlight. The reviewer compared it to the HTC Legend and called it possibly the best-designed phone they had used. The back is slightly curved and comfortable in the hand, though the metal warmed up faster than plastic would. It never got hot.

The glass runs to the edge of the front. The screen is crisp, with accurate colours, and the sharpness stood out next to a Note II. The two speakers sit above and below the display and were the loudest and clearest the reviewer had heard on a phone.

Buttons and ports

• Only two capacitive buttons, Home and Back, on either side of the HTC logo.
• Home does three jobs: a tap goes home, a long press opens Google Now, and a double tap shows recent apps.
• SIM slot on the left, volume rocker on the right.
• 3.5 mm jack and the power button with infrared sensor on top, microUSB at the bottom.

Sense 5 software

The One was the first phone with Sense 5, built on Android 4.1.2. HTC trimmed the interface, dropping the heavy carousel animations in favour of clean icons and simple motion. The centrepiece is Blink Feed, a Flipboard-style page of tiles for news and social feeds. Swipe sideways and you reach a normal home screen with widgets and shortcuts.

The app drawer scrolls vertically, supports folders, sorts alphabetically, by most recent or custom, and can switch from a 3x4 grid to 4x5.

Complaints were mostly small:

• The Gallery fills itself with photos from a signed-in social account, with no way to limit that short of signing out.
• Pictures downloaded through the browser or Bluetooth did not appear in the Gallery.
• The Power Saver option stays in the notification bar and there are no quick toggles, though apps can add them.
• The notification area cannot be pulled down from inside full-screen apps.

Overall the reviewer still preferred stock Android but thought Sense 5 was probably the best manufacturer skin for an average user.

Performance

The lighter software and the Snapdragon 600 made for smooth scrolling and quick app loading. The only stutter came in one game when a lot of uncollected money sat on screen, which may be the game’s fault rather than the phone’s.

The UltraPixel camera

HTC chose fewer, larger pixels instead of a higher megapixel count. The idea is that each pixel collects up to 300 percent more light. Against a Galaxy S III, the two did equally well in good light, but in a dim restaurant the One produced clearly better food photos.

The risk was marketing. A 4 MP figure looks weak next to the 13 MP on the Galaxy S4, and the reviewer found that people changed their minds once they saw photos side by side. The camera app also has Zoe, which captures a short moment that plays like a clip on the phone but exports as separate pictures. The reviewer did not find it very useful.

Verdict

The reviewer called the One the best phone available, preferring its build, camera and screen over the Galaxy S4, while admitting limited time with the Samsung. They felt HTC needed to spend more on marketing.