The One is an object of rare beauty: its comfortably curvy aluminium body with diamond-cut edges and reassuring weight make it a handset you’ll want to show off. Slim plastic strips outline the two integrated antennae, while speaker grilles top and bottom give it a dose of retro charm. You can’t swap the battery or slot in a microSD, but we think the ingot-like build is fair recompense.
This is the best screen we’ve ever seen on a phone. Really. It’s 4.7in and 1080p, giving it a ridiculous 468ppi – but that’s only half the story. Colours are vibrant, whites are pure and movies look superb from any angle. Sound is also great: punchy and detailed, if not as weighty as some. Just avoid the Beats Audio mode.
The One runs HTC’s latest Sense 5 skin above Android Jelly Bean and we like it. It drops the multi tasking button in favour of a double-tap of the home button, which is a neat touch, and there are plenty of clever new features (see panel right). Some of the icons are a little low-res, but overall it’s a big win for HTC.
This a ludicrously quick phone. With an EE 4G SIM inside, web pages appear instantly, while the One’s quad-core chip skips through multi-tasking, games and Google Maps’ satellite view. It’s almost entirely lag-free. Battery life is average, though – in normal use it’ll last a day, less for power users. The Power Saver and Sleep Mode will be your friends here.
The UltraPixel gamble (fewer, but larger, pixels) has partly paid off, making the HTC One’s 4MP shooter remarkably versatile: it snaps realistic colours, is class-leading in low light and has effective image stabilisation built in. Full HD video is also impressive, but stills don’t stand up to being blown up large. It’s ideal for 4”x3” prints, though.
TECH SPECS: HTC ONE
Display 4.7in, 1080x1920 (468ppi)
OS Android 4.1.2 with HTC Sense 5
CPU Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 @ 1.7GHz
Storage 32GB/64GB (no microSD) RAM 2GB
Camera 4UP, 1080p@30fps (rear); 2.1MP (front)
Connectivity 3.5mm, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, aptX, IR, microUSB2.0
Battery 2300mAh
With killer looks and to-die-for performance, the One is our new Android love affair
Source. Stuff UK May 2013
