Anandtech's HTC One Review is up!

ChronoReverse

Platinum Member
Mar 4, 2004
2,562
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It's the first one they've decided to give the award to.

Overall pretty nice but I'm left somewhat let down that the One didn't blow away everything out there. Perhaps unfair but I had wanted the One to be the fastest, the best camera, long battery life monster phone.
 

s44

Diamond Member
Oct 13, 2006
9,427
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Some people have the device fetish gene. They all -- like Brian -- own iPhones now. If HTC can't peel some of them off, this will fail.

Those of us who don't are looking at the first and last pages and scratching our heads.
 

StrangerGuy

Diamond Member
May 9, 2004
8,443
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It feels great held in the hand blah blah, like any sane guy would buy a $500+ phone without putting it in a protective case.
 

pauldun170

Diamond Member
Sep 26, 2011
9,326
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Go out and buy "beautiful, elegant aluminum jewel of a phone" because "design matters"
Put plastic case over it.

Yup..sounds bout right.
I guess folks take off the protective cover for special occasions.

Guess I'll be waiting a bit longer to replace my POS Incredible.
 
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badb0y

Diamond Member
Feb 22, 2010
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haters_gonna_hate.gif

Wow, the amount of butthurt is amazing lol.
 

GTRagnarok

Senior member
Aug 6, 2011
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I think the HTC One is the perfect Android alternative for the Apple crowd. As a power user though, I'm still going with the S4. That was a very good review, but it doesn't sway me at all.
 

StrangerGuy

Diamond Member
May 9, 2004
8,443
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haters_gonna_hate.gif

Wow, the amount of butthurt is amazing lol.

I can go on for days not seeing a single iDevice/GS3/Note 2 without a case on a crowded daily train commutes. Boy, I guess all those people are butthurt too.

Especially funny since the iDevices used the exact same build quality argument way before the One.
 

Fire&Blood

Platinum Member
Jan 13, 2009
2,333
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I think the HTC One is the perfect Android alternative for the Apple crowd. As a power user though, I'm still going with the S4. That was a very good review, but it doesn't sway me at all.

Nicely put. HTC's design language is compatible with Apple and it is the device to offer those even remotely considering a non Apple device.
 

QueBert

Lifer
Jan 6, 2002
22,932
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It feels great held in the hand blah blah, like any sane guy would buy a $500+ phone without putting it in a protective case.

I've never encountered a case that felt right, and even the slickest looking ones imho take away from the phone. I got a Nexus 4 today and have the Ringke Fusion case. It's by fat the nicest looking case I've seen, but I just don't like how it feels *SHRUG* I don't want to scratch up my new phone, but I'll just risk I suppose.
 

WelshBloke

Lifer
Jan 12, 2005
32,695
10,860
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I can go on for days not seeing a single iDevice/GS3/Note 2 without a case on a crowded daily train commutes. Boy, I guess all those people are butthurt too.

Especially funny since the iDevices used the exact same build quality argument way before the One.

I tend not to use a case unless I'm taking it camping or strapped to my handlebars when cycling.

I would say that the vast majority of phones I see at work (I'm a nurse in a hospital ward so I see a lot of the general publics stuff lying around) have cases on. I'd say well above 90% of phones have cases. The few I've seen recently have either been really old or really new, I've seen a few of the new BBs and they never seem to have cases on but maybe they don't have any good ones out yet.
 

Greaver

Junior Member
Mar 31, 2013
10
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Never used a case on any of my phones unless I will be doing an activity where it could be in danger

All of my portable tech devices are still in good nick too, but I guess I am just not as prone to dropping things I pay good money for like some people are.

The odd accident may happen but its rare and I haven't had a fatal case yet.
 

krumme

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 2009
5,956
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What a masterpiece of a review. Damn well written, perhaps the best i have seen on the net ever.

Brian is in love, and it makes him write a personal review with energy, nerve and personality, as well as beeing a little blind imho :)

Here is what is interprete differently:


1. The camera situations does not imho reflect real world usage.

A. All that night shots, who does that? It reminds me of people trying to show the advantage of huge sensor. People sleep at night. I bring my phone to the bar, but i use the credit card.

B. The cameras problem with high-light clipping in normal outside sunshine, means you have to rely on the HDR mode anyway. The camera clips very fast.

You will have to rely on HDR inside as well as outside, as the dynamics is still very poor. For practical reasons for normal usage this phone does not pose the advantage the specs let us to beliewe.

C. The images are very unsharp outside of the middle. They are not a little soft. They are outrigt unsharp, and everyone will notice it. There is something wrong with the lens. There is plenty of Mpix in this camera, the problems is elsewhere.

D. The sensor gives some obvious advantages and Brian tries to show where it is good. I like that. But frankly if Sony had made this sensor the pictures would have been better. Just tell it.

I have high expectations, and i dont think it delivers. For many this is probably the best camera, with ois and low light capability, but taking pictures outside is simply worse, and you dont need to see them 1:1 to notice that, thats what my eyes tell me, but i am perhaps a little hysterical here. It all depends on your usage pattern ofcourse.


2. Low level cpu benchmarks does not translate into better user experience.

The low level benchmarks was surprising, i didnt expect that ipc improvement from krait 200. Sunspider and the webbrowsing bm, dont tell the story about the processor, but they do tell the most important part for speed on the phone: web browsing experience for the user.

Apple have excelled at that, and Samsung own browser simply makes a huge difference for perciewed speed. It needs to be told. All the cores, and high ipc, does not count if it does not translate into better user experience.


3. The looks is phonomenal, but it does have drawback that needs to be told.

It simply a problem the phone is a big as an S4, and still more heavy and more fat. Thats just so obvious a problem, and it needs to be told at the same time. A 4.7 screen is not 5 inch. It is not, and its easy to tell. The same goes for the weight.

Metals is hard on your hand. Your hand is hard on the metal. They dont like each other, so when the first sexual attraction is over, the first hangovers might come. And this phone is so georgeous putting a case on it should be forbidden.

CNC one piece aluminium is hard on the environment. I think Sony and HTC themselves have shown beatifull phones can be made of plactic. The problem of aluminium also leads to the next problem.

The economics of making it in alu is problematic. HTC will have problem following the cost of S4 as they lower the price. Where will they get the profit - or where will they save the money?

What often have been the case they will get it from lack of updates, and they will have difficulty lowering price of this phone.


4. Screen.
We simply needs some benchmarks that shows the benefit of Amoled. Larger pix on the phone gives much wanted dynamics, and Amoled have the same advantage. Go to Dxomark.com for a look, also for the phones. Take pictures with a good camera, and dynamics, and color dynamics is what makes the good picture. Its more important than low light ability.


Sum up
All in all I interprete some of the results differently. I like HTC deviate from the standard. I would love to have the phone in my hands and especially have a look on the screen, but its comming later to the market where i live :(

But thanx for a great read Brian

The review gets a platinium award
 
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StrangerGuy

Diamond Member
May 9, 2004
8,443
124
106
I tend not to use a case unless I'm taking it camping or strapped to my handlebars when cycling.

I would say that the vast majority of phones I see at work (I'm a nurse in a hospital ward so I see a lot of the general publics stuff lying around) have cases on. I'd say well above 90% of phones have cases. The few I've seen recently have either been really old or really new, I've seen a few of the new BBs and they never seem to have cases on but maybe they don't have any good ones out yet.

IMO most people uses cases not because they are afraid of scratches per se, but because most shells of phones are not user replaceable, ESPECIALLY the HTC One, out of all things, merely opening up damages the entire phone. The GS3/4/Note 2 comes closest to achieving this with their replaceable back covers but that silver band isn't and that is also the part where it is the most likely to receive scratches and obvious to see from day to day use.
 

WelshBloke

Lifer
Jan 12, 2005
32,695
10,860
136
IMO most people uses cases not because they are afraid of scratches per se, but because most shells of phones are not user replaceable, ESPECIALLY the HTC One, out of all things, merely opening up damages the entire phone. The GS3/4/Note 2 comes closest to achieving this with their replaceable back covers but that silver band isn't and that is also the part where it is the most likely to receive scratches and obvious to see from day to day use.

Yeah, TBH the odd little ding on the phone doesn't bother me. As long as the screen stays scratch free I'm fine with a few little marks on the case. I'm probably going to change phones every year or so anyway.
 

Aristotelian

Golden Member
Jan 30, 2010
1,246
11
76
In my experience, cases appear to coincide with people who want to achieve some kind of elegance. Like, a brown leather case on a GS3 to match a brown leather wallet that is on the table at the same time, etc. I find it cumbersome, and have never used a case with a phone.

Having said that, my Galaxy Nexus' screen got scuffed with a major line across the screen after I took it to the beach with me and it was in the same pocket that had some sand granules - probably bouncing around etc.

This is why I have a Sony Xperia Z on order, and will be getting it this week. Doubt I'll need a case for that.

The HTC One looks like a great phone, too. Glad to see more high end Android handsets coming.
 

Fingolfin269

Lifer
Feb 28, 2003
17,948
33
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I think the HTC One is the perfect Android alternative for the Apple crowd. As a power user though, I'm still going with the S4. That was a very good review, but it doesn't sway me at all.

As a power user? What are you going to do with the S4 that the One can't handle?
 

Charles Kozierok

Elite Member
May 14, 2012
6,762
1
0
Go out and buy "beautiful, elegant aluminum jewel of a phone" because "design matters"
Put plastic case over it.

Yup..sounds bout right.
I guess folks take off the protective cover for special occasions.

It's the 21 century version of your grandmother's fancy sofa covered in plastic. ;)
 

Qbah

Diamond Member
Oct 18, 2005
3,754
10
81
Just waiting for 3 to get them in stock so I can play with one before deciding. Looks absolutely awesome!!