HTC One Pro Reviews

The first truly great smartphone of 2013, the innovative, well-built, aluminum-clad Sprint HTC One is an easy Editors' Choice winner.

The Taiwanese manufacturer is full on attack with the HTC One. Successful. The high-quality aluminum case easily keeps up with the Apple iPhone 5. In a comparison the One does offer the more modern hardware, starting with the high resolution 4.7-inch display that convinces during everyday use and with the measured values. Under the hood is the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 SoC combined with all the latest wireless technologies, 32 GB internal storage and 2 GB memory. Unfortunately it is only an LPDDR-2 module. The biggest drawbacks are the non-removable battery and the missing card reader. Certainly an advantage of the Samsung Galaxy S4, which will be available in April. In addition to the convincing hardware HTC also improved the software. The user interface HTC Sense 5 with features like BlinkFeed, the shooting mode Zoe or revised applications leave a good impression. Unfortunately, the camera application currently still has a problem with the ISO setting but this is no problem for the common user. We would have expected a bit more in regard to the performance of the UltraPixel camera.

Until we get our Galaxy S4 review unit, things to look out for between these two are price, design and customised Android interface. Both are at the premium end of the smartphone market so you can't go too wrong with either.

The HTC One is up there with the very best smartphones on the market today. It has superb performance, and excellent build quality spoiled only slightly by running hot in use. You can't fault the feature set, and it matches the other high-end products in terms of price. In terms of audio and visual output it is unsurpassed. The interface might be an acquired taste for some, and we weren't overly impressed with the camera. It's not perfect, but alongside the Xperia Z and iPhone 5 this is about as good a phone as you can buy.

Both the HTC One and Galaxy S4 are shaping up to be two of the best smartphones of the year. It’s up to you to decide which advantages and features resonate with you more. But if I had to make a call on one or the other, I’d give the edge to the S4 because of its many, many talents.

These are the two Android phones of the year, or at least for the first half of the year. While the HTC One X lost the fight against the Galaxy S III last year, it looks like HTC has better chances in 2013. The HTC One is equal to the Galaxy S4 in many aspects, and where it feels inferior to the Samsung, it manages to make up for it with something else. The HTC One looks and feels like an expensive product, which isn't something we can say for the Galaxy S4. The Galaxy S4, however, has its own advantages. Its uninspiring design is actually surprisingly comfortable to hold and use. Its dimensions feel significantly smaller, while its weight is lighter. With the Galaxy S4, Samsung is continuing its quest towards complete domination over the land of Android, transforming the colorful, chaotic jungle into a profitable industrial area. With the One, HTC proves that the former contract manufacturer does deserve its place among the leading smartphone companies. There really cannot be a better phone between these two, as both are successfully countering each other with their own unique assets.

All in all, it shouldn't be a tough pick between the HTC One or the Xperia Z for you. Sony's flagship might look a bit rough around the edges, compared to the sleek aluminum One, but there's a perfectly good reason for that – its waterproof chassis will be a godsend for many a careless or outdoorsy owner, and it is easier to hold and operate with one hand with the rubberized sides. If you are the type that babies their handset, though, the HTC One will offer a better screen, faster processor, stellar audio experience, IR blaster and superior video capture, on top of what the Xperia Z delivers. Both handsets cost around the same, and are likely to keep value in a similar manner, so it mostly depends on whether you need the elements-proofing of the Z, or the extra features of the One.

Samsung's Android mojo does a disservice to the Galaxy S III with its ability to lose value slower than other brands. Granted, without carrier subsidies the Galaxy S III is roughly 20-30% cheaper than the SIM-free HTC One, but you get so much more from HTC's handset in every department, that it's probably not worth the money saved. The HTC One sports a sophisticated and head-turning design, brighter high-res display, much better sound recording and output, as well as superior low-light camera footage. Thus one of the very few reasons to pick the S III before the HTC One is if you have to have a swappable battery and a memory expansion slot, in all other cases HTC's current finest is a clear winner before Samsung's last year bestseller, as can be expected.

The HTC One and Apple iPhone 5 bring out the best of modern smartphones. Both stand out with their distinctive, gorgeous design and solid aluminum build. Both have stunningly sharp, vivid, amazing displays. Despite all those similarities, though, there is an equally clear difference. The HTC One has a larger display with higher resolution and runs on Android, while the iPhone 5 is a small handset made for convenient one-handed use and living on Apple’s iOS ecosystem. The iPhone 5’s camera is the better all-around performer while the HTC One performs admirably in low-light videos because of its superior clarity and sound. It’s quite clear that you can’t go wrong with either of these amazing smartphones. At this point, picking one of the two all boils down to your personal priorities...

HTC and Nokia are in a somewhat similar positions with the One and the Lumia 920. HTC’s ailing financials pushed it to deliver its best, and for Nokia the Lumia 920 is an equally important, flagship Windows Phone device. The HTC One is the more recent device of the two, and while it won’t be an apples to apples comparison (they run on different platforms), it outdoes the Lumia 920 in almost every department. Screens are comparably good, but with a sleek, refined design, much more capable processor, an amazing sound output and recording, and a good camera, the HTC One has the definite edge.

A benchmark-busting phone that marries stunning design with all-round panache – the HTC One storms to the top of the A-List

While the jury will remain out until we get our hands on U.S. devices, at this point, all signs point to yes. It's simply one of the most exciting pieces of hardware we've seen in a long time, including the Galaxy S IV. As of this moment, the HTC One is looking like the best Android phone you'll be able to buy for the foreseeable future. The One will be released on all of the major U.S. wireless carriers, probably in April. No word on pricing or specific dates yet.

HTC wanted a comeback and it brought its best with the HTC One. It is a brilliant device in virtually every aspect. Coming with a beautiful aluminum body that fits almost organically in the hand, it has a great and vivid, extremely sharp 4.7-inch screen. The stereo front speaker bring a small revolution in smartphone sound that you’ll appreciate instantly when you hear it. Performance is flawless on the new Snapdragon 600 quad-core chip. HTC took a huge risk with the HTC One UltraPixel camera going against all trends for increasing megapixel count. The results however are not so bold. The camera shoots good but not great photos. That’s far from being a deal-breaker, though, it’s just one area where HTC will have to put even more effort in the future. Right now, the HTC One is one of our favorite Android smartphones - gorgeous, powerful, HTC has improved in all the right places and is ready for a fight. Samsung, it’s your turn now.

The HTC One is the best phone that HTC has made. The design, the refreshes made to HTC Sense, and the power on offer make this among the best that Android has on offer. There's innovation, there's attention to detail and there's plenty on offer straight out of the box. It isn't perfect, but then what phone is? What we really like is the day-to-day experience of using the HTC One. Having lived in the Nexus 4 with it's raw Android experience, it doesn't feel like HTC Sense is taking anything away from you - once you've swapped out that calendar, made Chrome the default browser and got Blink Feed under control. But the headline features might obsure those things that are important. Blink Feed might not be for everyone, the camera isn't so dramatically different, even if the remixed results are. But some of the phone's core features really shine: the display is fantastic, there's plenty of power and the sound quality, be that for calls or music, is outstanding. HTC has a history of making good phones, so the HTC One doesn't comes as a surprise to us. It's a fantastic Android smartphone and is well worthy of your consideration if you're in the market for a premium device.

I really, really like the HTC One. I’m a sucker for beautiful hardware, and this device is one of the best-designed smartphones I’ve ever used. HTC’s done great hardware before, though, and ruined it with ugly and problematic software — this time, it’s manageable. Not great, not as good as stock Android, but manageable. Here, the problem lies with the camera. Maybe I’m in the minority when I say I care about the quality of my cellphone images, but I do, and the One just doesn’t deliver. Its battery life is also disappointing, though I’m not as concerned about that – it’s just a fact of life at this point. In my quest to find the perfect Android phone, I’m still left wanting. I want the One’s hardware, but I want the Nexus 4’s software and promise of timely updates — I’ve said for a year that HTC should offer stock Android phones, and I’m still convinced the company could save itself with the One plus pure Android. I also want a better camera — the One isn’t bad, it’s just mediocre, and I’ve seen better from Android phones. For now, the list of Android phones worth buying is two items long: the Nexus 4 and the One. Personally, I’d buy the One if I had to choose right now, but with the Galaxy S 4 coming in just a few days, I'm pretty lucky I don't have to choose right now. Even if Samsung can't best the One later this week, though, the most important question is still unanswered: can HTC find a way to sell a phone, even a great phone, when Samsung has so dominated the Android market? Until it does, it won't matter how good the One is — but for consumers' sake and HTC's, I hope the company figures it out.

The HTC One is up there with the very best smartphones on the market today. It has superb performance, and excellent build quality spoiled only slightly by running hot in use. You can't fault the feature set, and it matches the other high-end products in terms of price. In terms of audio and visual output it is unsurpassed. The interface might be an acquired taste for some, and we weren't overly impressed with the camera. It's not perfect, but alongside the Xperia Z and iPhone 5 this is about as good a phone as you can buy.

It doesn’t take genius to realize that the One is HTC’s best phone in a long time. The build quality and crisp, minimalistic design is a step above any other Android phone, and comfortably sits alongside the iPhone 5 for premium feel in the hand. The display is beautiful, the UltraPixel camera technology and Zoe system both ambitious but capable of hugely engaging results, and the performance superlative. Meanwhile, HTC Sense has finally rediscovered its roots, and evolved with BlinkFeed into a legitimately useful and compelling interface – one which didn’t instantly leave us pining for unmodified Android.

HTC’s Sense 5 has some really great ideas and powerful features, but also some rough edges that make it less intuitive than it could be. If you take the time to learn its quirks, you’re rewarded with gems like the best lock screen in the business, the powerful and innovative camera features, and the surprisingly useful TV remote app. I’m not sold on BlinkFeed, but it’s a neat idea. You can easily push it out of the way until HTC (perhaps) makes it more useful in Sense 5.1. I did run into a fair share of bugs. Some I mentioned. Some I did not, because HTC said explicitly that this isn’t a 100% final unit. Some of the bugs HTC has told me they know about and are working on. Others are simply the type I expect to be fixed in software. Either way, we’ll update the review as appropriate when we have a final unit. After a solid two days with the One, exploring and testing every feature inside and out, I’m impressed. The camera is one of the best I’ve ever seen on a phone. The sound is the best I’ve heard on a phone. The screen is the best I’ve seen on a phone. The engineering is astonishing and the design, lust-worthy. With solid performance and no major faults, this is an easy phone to recommend.

There was a launch press conference in London but, acrobats aside, there were few gimmicks. Make no mistake, though; this is the big one. HTC has fallen far behind Apple and Samsung in sales, and it hopes this is the top-end phone to revive its fortunes. First impressions, thankfully, are great. The One is a gorgeous phone, and we think it wipes the floor with the Sony Xperia Z. The combination of metal rear, bevelled metal edges and edge-to-edge screen are class itself, and make the Xperia Z feel square and tacky, despite its glass rear. The HTC One's curved back also makes it comfortable to hold - a minor downside is that it's tricky to type when it’s lying flat on a desk.

Until we've had time to properly benchmark the HTC One it's difficult to give a definitive verdict. On paper it should beat the Xperia Z, but in reality HTC's heavy Sense overlay may slow performance. We suspect the difference between the two will not be enough to affect your purchasing decision. We also want to get a better look at that camera. We all know megapixels aren't everything when it comes to image quality, but can the HTC One's 4Mp snapper really take on the Xperia Z's 13Mp Exmor RS sensor? It's a tough act to follow. Performance and camera quality aside, both smartphones are premium devices with a desirable design and a similar weight and feel. They're evenly matched in connectivity terms, and each offers a stunning displays - the HTC's is sharper, while the Sony offers better colours and more screen estate. The Sony has less storage, but you can add a microSDXC card. The HTC One and Xperia Z even cost about the same amount. Until we've had time to properly test the HTC One, we're swayed toward the Xperia Z's larger, more colourful screen. However, HTC Sense offers a number of benefits over plain Jelly Bean, and that camera and powerful processor may yet tip us in the other direction.