HTC First Pro Reviews

The HTC First is a weird phone. It's a mid-range Android device that shows just how far the "mid-range" has come over the past few years. It's a Facebook Phone that gives you the very best software that Google has to offer. It will likely appeal to new smartphone adopters and Android die-hards in equal measure. If you're a Facebook devotee, or just want a cheap phone that runs well, by all means check out the First (but test the camera before you leave the store). If you absolutely want a smaller-sized Android phone with LTE, the First is probably the best option out there right now. The First is an intriguing option for a lot of different people — but all of them will find there are compromises to be made. The level of interest in the ability to run stock Android on the First is an indictment of Google for not putting LTE on the Nexus 4. It's also an indictment of the entire Android ecosystem for being too timid to offer a clean software experience — to say nothing of offering a good phone at this size. It's a shame that I can't unequivocally recommend the First, but there are plenty of good reasons to use it instead of a more powerful and larger Android phone.

Is the HTC First the most impressive and amazing phone to ever pass through our hands? Not by a long shot. Is it the most memorable? Hardly. But neither of those two things make it a bad device. In fact, we’re keen on many aspects of the First. It’s much larger (metaphorically) than just another mid-tier Android phone. It signifies the demise of the importance of spec sheets (and hopefully, eventually, unnecessary and futile spec wars). And it comes with software options: the full-on Facebook Home experience or an unadulterated stock Android experience. Although it has its fair share of compromises (non-removable battery, no microSD card slot, mediocre camera, etc.), its hardware is beautifully minimal and the overall user experience is great. The First is exactly what many have been waiting for – a smaller Android phone with great hardware, decent specifications, stock Android and LTE.

The HTC First is an interesting beast. Though it is a mid-range piece of hardware, it clearly has high-end aspirations. HTC designed a simple, but effective smartphone that it comfortable to hold and easy to use. The screen easily surpasses most others in this class of device, and the performance on AT&T's network was fine. My only complaints about the hardware are the weak speakers and mediocre camera. Facebook Home, which is available as a separate download to a bunch of other smartphones, is the selling point as far as AT&T, HTC, and Facebook are concerned. Facebook Home completely replaces the standard Android user interface for one that offers nothing but Facebook content. Whether or not you use it depends on how you prioritize information. Personally, I don't find it appealing because it doesn't give me the info I want from my smartphone's home screen. The good news is, you can turn Facebook Home off. If you do, you'll have a nice piece of hardware running the cleanest version of Android this side of a Nexus device.

There is hardly a smartphone, which matches the HTC First's talents completely. The so-called "Facebook phone", despite some of its limitations, is a perfect fit for anyone who thinks that an Android smartphone with a screen larger than 4.5" is going too far. It is therefore, the sidekick, which perfectly complements the HTC One flagship.

The HTC First is compelling for two reasons. For Facebook fans, it's now easier to maintain social connections with friends and family. For the tech-savvy crowd who has little interest in the service, the phone is a stock Android 4.1 device that comes with AT&T LTE, which is still something of a rarity. Including this opt-out was a smart move on Facebook's part, because it's difficult to recommend that consumers sign two-year contracts on an unproven product that depends so heavily on their engagement with Facebook. Worst case, it's a decent mid-range phone for $99 on contract (or $450 without any commitment). Facebook Home isn't perfect, nor will it convince many non-Facebookers to start Liking and commenting with reckless abandon. But it's aesthetically pleasing, and surprisingly polished for a 1.0 product. Besides, if you download it onto an existing phone through the Play Store, it's free to use and easily removable, which might give the software broad appeal from the get-go. In its current state, Home isn't the best fit for productivity-minded people, although it does offer a bit of mindless entertainment for anyone just looking to burn a minute or two throughout the day. More importantly, Home is proof that Facebook wants to attack the saturated mobile market. It's hard to say if it will win the battle, but it's bringing a heavy load of artillery to the fight.

In real world use, the HTC First was responsive and offered respectable performance as well as speedy browsing capabilities on the go thanks to connectivity to AT&T’s 4G LTE network. It’s also a very pocketable phone with a vibrant and colorful display. If you're a heavy Facebook user in the market for a new, affordable smartphone, and like the features offered by Facebook Home and the HTC First, it's a sleek, well build device worth checking out.

"Facebook phone" should be considered a misnomer for the HTC First. In reality, it's just another Android phone that runs a different kind of software. The HTC First can disable Home and become a stock, though not current, version of Android that is just as capable as other devices of its ilk. This is definitely a phone that showcases the best Facebook has to offer to smartphones, but it is not limited to that set-up thankfully. Though Zuck and his cohorts make mistakes that lead to persistent annoyances, they wisely let users reign in some of those features to make for a better phone. HTC and Facebook partnered to deliver a dual-personality phone that has its benefits and weaknesses in both modes. Regardless of the preferred method to use the First, users will find a unique product that does an admirable job of trying to meet their needs. For $99, users can purchase an LTE device with decent battery life, a fantastic screen, and a body that wasn't built for giants. As someone who sporadically uses Facebook, the HTC First has zero appeal to me as a "Facebook phone." I could just as easily download the app and run it on another device. Furthermore, Home isn't impressive enough even for frequent Facebookers to warrant buying a new phone. The HTC First only makes sense for people in the market for a new midrange device. The camera is a dealbreaker for shutterbugs, but the gorgeous display and unique hardware package make the HTC First one of the best sub-$100 phones money can buy.

Facebook Home and a low-price make the HTC First the ideal phone for Facebook fans on a budget.

The HTC First is a mid-range phone at best, and weve made that clear throughout the review. But thats not to say the specs here arent plenty enough to handle what Facebook Home or stock Android has to throw at it. The HTC First is incredibly snappy, handling most tasks with ease. The cameras need improvement given the social nature of this phone, but they do get by. This smartphone will especially appeal to the entry-level smartphone buyer whos going to simply love it because of the fact that it has Facebook thrown on top. Facebook has an aggressive marketing campaign going, even on the front of Facebook.com, so we wouldnt be surprised if the HTC First, or at least Facebook Home, takes off. At $99 youre getting a solid mid-range smartphone. Were happy HTC jumped out of the smartphone spec race and opted for a modest 4.3-inch screen that will actually appeal to a lot of people. Given theres stock Android on the HTC First as well, the handset will jump out to those looking for none of HTC or Samsungs custom Android additions thrown on top, providing Android in its purest form, with a mix of LTE. The HTC First is not the best phone HTC has made. Rather, its the best phone for a Facebook experience that shields the rest of what Android has to offer by default.

The HTC First is a budget phone that doesn’t feel like one. In fact, it reminds us a lot of recent Lumia handsets in look, feel, power, and price. Putting aside Facebook Home, you get excellent performance, comfortable design, a good display, and stock Android when you want it. And if you do like having Facebook all up in your face at all times, the integration is smooth. We could do without the sealed-in battery and lack of microSD slot. For a phone at this price these drawbacks are forgivable, especially considering its other great qualities.

Knowing that other smartphones are going to be blessed with the new Facebook Home experience, we can’t tell you to go out and buy the HTC First strictly for that experience. Instead, we recommend it most for its affordable $99.99 on-contract cost with its vanilla Android experience (once Facebook Home is disabled) and minimalist design. As for the Facebook aspect of the smartphone, it’s decent starting point that undeniably will satisfy those who live and breathe Facebook on a daily basis. In the end, though, its dynamic approach to the way our news feed is delivered on the lock/home screen soon becomes worn out and overstays its welcome, as we soon find ourselves going back to the usual Facebook app for that deeper level of connectivity.

You could argue that the HTC First is in a category on its own, the first and so-far only dedicated Facebook Home device. That’s certainly how HTC and AT&T would like you to see it. However, there are plenty of ways to do social aggregation – HTC’s own BlinkFeed for instance, on the One, pulls in Facebook updates among other things – and viewed in the grander scheme of things, the First simply doesn’t feel like a $100 device. We’d certainly argue strongly in favor of spending the extra $100 upfront and going for the more refined build quality, better camera, and generally more impressive hardware and software experience of the HTC One, for instance.

Let's take Facebook Home out of the equation for a minute. Yes, it's preloaded onto the phone and is one of its main selling points, but the First isn't the only mobile device to have Facebook Home's Android experience and the software isn't essential to how the phone works. Besides, there's still merit to the phone even if you don't want Facebook Home, and that's to turn off the software completely and use the device as a $100 on-contract stock Android phone. As a standalone smartphone, the HTC First is a basic little number. It acts as a totally adequate vessel for Android Jelly Bean, and has some nice hardware considerations, including a 720p HD screen and 1080p HD video capture. However, the phone's industrial design is a real snoozer and the handset's nonremovable battery and absent microSD card slot will turn some people away. Thanks to the HTC One's debut, the more premium HTC One X and One X+ are on sale for the same price or less. I'd consider either of those ahead of this HTC First, especially since both smartphones are also compatible with Facebook Home. In fact, Facebook, HTC , and AT&T would have been better giving this phone away for free.

The AT&T HTC First puts the most popular social network front and center with its preloaded Facebook Home app, but it isn't the best phone for the job.