Review HTC One Smartphone Aluminum rocket. The HTC One is the latest high-end smartphone from the Taiwanese manufacturer. A swift Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 Quad-Core-SoC, stereo speakers, a 4.7-inch display with 1080x1920 pixels and the latest software packed in a high-quality aluminum unibody. The new king of smartphones for 680 Euros (~$878)? , ✓ Tanja Hinum ( Felix Sold translated by Andreas Osthoff),

Case A high-quality aluminum case. Very appealing. Silver or black? The back is rounded. Size comparison with the smaller iPhone 5. After unboxing we are welcomed by a very good looking smartphone with an aluminum case. The chassis of the HTC One consists of two aluminum parts for the front and the back, which are milled from an aluminum block. The connection of the two parts is enabled by the so-called Zero-Gap technology. Plastic is inserted between the parts and is then cut out. This results in an almost burr-free case without gaps. Accordingly, the build quality is excellent. The stability leaves nothing to be desired too. However, due to the closed construction the HTC One only gets one out of ten points in the iFixit Teardown. The haptics are of course an important topic. The cool aluminum surfaces leave a pleasant impression. The editor also likes the rounded back. It is very comfortable in the hand. The camera at the back is flush with the case. The sticking out module is a criticism of the HTC One X or HTC One X+ respectively. Compared to the oval back the front is flat. The display is protected by durable Corning Gorilla Glass 2. Depending on the taste HTC sells the smartphone either in silver (Glacial Silver) or black (Stealth Black), but we cannot make the decision for you. A direct comparison in a store is the easiest way to choose the right model. Now we get to the hard facts. With a size of 68.2 x 137.4 x 9.3 millimeters (width x height x depth) the HTC One weighs exactly 143 grams. With these values it is slightly thicker and heavier than the HTC One X+ with a thickness of 8.9 millimeters and a weight of 135 grams. The Samsung Galaxy S4 with its plastic case is lighter with 130 grams and also a bit thinner (7.9 millimeters). The compact iPhone 5 does not have to hide in terms of thickness and weight. With a continuous height of 7.7 millimeters the 4-inch smartphone from Cupertino only weighs 112 grams.

Connectivity The product page of HTC lists two models with 32 or 64 GB internal storage respectively. After the first setup of the smartphone via assistant the user can use 25.3 GB; this represents a net capacity of 79%. HTC refers to a smaller capacity due to the necessary software. The storage extension via memory card is not possible in the case of the HTC One; we would have liked a card reader. Alternatively you can use 25 GB Dropbox storage in the cloud, which is free for two years. The sides of the HTC One only offer limited ports. Next to a volume rocker and a 3.5 mm stereo jack there is a Micro-USB 2.0 port at the bottom, which supports the Mobile High-Definition Link (MHL). With an inexpensive adaptor for around 10 Euros (~$12) content can be transferred to a TV or PC monitor via HDMI. A special feature is hidden inside the power button. It is also an infrared port. A handy feature that can also be found on board the Samsung Galaxy S4. Sony currently only integrates such a component in the Xperia ZL. Bottom: Micro-USB 2.0 port (MHL), microphone Top: 3.5 mm stereo jack, power button (infrared port)

Software Simultaneously to the HTC One the company also officially announced the user interface Sense 5. In case of our review unit it is based on Google Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean). We see certain visual similarities to former versions of the launcher. Besides old and improved features HTC also presented new functions. Now you can create folders in the menu, for example. The lock screen shows location-based services and several shortcuts next to the time. After unlocking we can see the first innovation: HTC BlinkFeed This is a nice newsreader that refreshes automatically and should provide quick information on the go. Next to some highlighted channels we also find departments in the setting, which can be added or removed with a single click. Furthermore BlinkFeed enables the integration of social networks like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or other applications. This also includes your own calendar, for example. The picture tiles usually contain the complete articles, which can be consumed without any detours. A nice feature for a line in the post office or a train ride; we got used to it pretty quickly. However, RSS-Feeds cannot be integrated manually at the moment; this feature should be supported in a later version. BlinkFeed is always active in the background to keep the articles up to date all the time. The data volume should not be very high. Users with limited data plans can switch to WLAN refresh only. The Home button can be assigned with another function in the system settings if you do not like this feature.

HTC Sense TV This is the name of the tool for the integrated infrared port; an application that combines the TV program and remote for multiple devices. Prior to use you have to select your zip code and provider. After that the application shows the TV program, information about shows and their runtimes. You can also create reminders; a notification appears on the One shortly before the show. During setup the smartphone continuously transmits a signal and asks for a successful connection. Only with confirmation will the smartphone accept the specific codes. During use of Sense TV the volume of the device can be adjusted with the volume rocker of the smartphone. The use of multiple devices for one function can be configured very easily. The application convinced us after a few minutes.

HTC Zoe Zoe is a special shooting mode of the camera. Up to seven pictures are taken each second, which can be selected afterwards very easily. The recording starts one second before the actual triggering. This is very useful with fast movements; you will almost certainly get one good picture. Zoe recordings are grouped in the gallery based on location and date. Besides numerous pictures Zoe also creates small videos, which are automatically combined to a Zoe Highlight by the smartphone. These videos are between 30 and 32 seconds long and can easily be adjusted. At the beginning you can choose between six different themes (picture and sound effects). You cannot use your own background music at the moment.

Communication & GPS GPS reception outdoors. You get the full package of communication equipment. Local wireless networks can be used with 2.4 or 5 GHz and the WLAN standards IEEE 802.11a/ac/b/g/n. The new standard (802.11ac) transmits with up to 1,300 Mbit/s. For comparison: The currently popular n-standard only provides up to 450 Mbit/s. However, to use the latest technology you also need a router that supports it. Data transfer between devices is handled via Bluetooth 4.0. NFC (Near Field Communication) is the next short range wireless technology on board. To test it, HTC put two NFC-tags in the box, which can be programed with according applications. You can, for instance, allocate an address with the tag. Contact with the smartphone then starts the navigation to the address. Payment via NFC is still at the very beginning in some countries. Needless to say, you can also use the internet on the road. The fastest solution is LTE (Long Term Evolution). The frequencies 800, 1,800 and 2,600 MHz support download speeds of up to 100 Mbit/s and upload speed up to 50 Mbit/s. Prerequisite is a data plan with LTE option. Thanks to HSPA/WCDMA support users without this expensive option can use up to 42 Mbit/s (HSPA+). In this case the frequencies 850, 900, 1,900 and 2,100 are being used. The actual speed depends on the provider and the current reception at your location. We checked the reception quality with the application GPS Test. Outdoors the initial location takes only a couple of seconds. The accuracy is also good in this scenario. As expected, the performance is reduced in a stairwell, basement or garage. But all in all the performance is good, which pays off in daily situations. Examples are navigation applications and location based services like Facebook Places, Foursquare or even the geographical sorting of Zoe-recordings in the gallery of HTC Sense 5.

Telephone Function

The telephone function of Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) does not hold any big surprises. Visually the application is different because of the modified user interface. The use of the application including tabs in the upper area is self-explanatory. The smartphone itself supports the four main GSM frequencies 850, 900, 1,800 and 1,900 MHz, so the One can be used in almost every network worldwide. A country-specific Micro-SIM (prepaid) or an international option are usually advisable. You can get more information on this topic from your provider. Cameras & Multimedia HTC resists the megapixel race and integrates a main camera at the back with a resolution of 4 megapixels (2688x1520 pixels). It is a so-called UltraPixel camera with a BSI sensor, the HTC ImageChip 2 and a 28 millimeter lens with an aperture ratio of f2.0 as its main components. Compared to a camera with 13 megapixels the individual pixels are larger, so more light can be caught. However, the pictures do not qualify for large posters, but the smartphone camera is mostly intended for snapshots anyway. We do not recommend the use of the optical zoom; the picture quality quickly decreases because the pixels are only scaled up. For daily use the main camera of the HTC One makes acceptable pictures but we are not blown away. Considering the strong advertisement by HTC we expected a bit more. For comparison we included pictures of the Apple iPhone 5 and the Sony NEX-5R system-camera. After multiple reports on the internet HTC confirmed problems with the software; the manual ISO setting did not work properly. The maximum value was just raised but it did not force the camera to expose with a higher ISO value. A software update was not available at the time of this review. In combination with Zoe a solid performance, you should not expect the performance of a reflex camera anyway. A slight noise in dark environments cannot be completely avoided even with larger pixels. The front-facing camera is intended for video chats. The module has a resolution of 2.1 megapixels and an 88° wide-angle lens. The image quality is also okay for its purpose. Besides that the two cameras of the HTC One can record videos in Full HD (1920x1080 pixels, 1080p). With such a high resolution 30 fps is the maximum. Furthermore the settings are pretty extensive. The possibility to use filters during operation is new; this applies to pictures as well as video recordings. Combined with Zoe you do not really need additional applications like Instagram and Co. HTC One: 4 megapixels (main camera, UltraPixel, no zoom) Apple iPhone 5: 8 megapixels (no zoom) Sony NEX-5R: 16.1 megapixels (18mm, ISO 200) HTC One: 4 megapixels (main camera, UltraPixel, 50% zoom) Apple iPhone 5: 8 megapixels (50% zoom) Sony NEX-5R: 16.1 megapixels (35mm, ISO 200) HTC One: 4 megapixels (main camera, UltraPixel, 100% zoom) Apple iPhone 5: 8 megapixels (100% zoom) Sony NEX-5R: 16.1 megapixels (55mm, ISO 200)

HTC One: 2.1 megapixels (front-facing camera) Apple iPhone 5: 1.2 megapixels (front-facing camera)

The HTC One can handle all common audio and video formats, even high resolution Matroska Media Container video files (.mkv) can be watched. You should try that on this display but you should also know that DTS audio does not work. Alternative applications can handle it but in this case there are delays in the picture from time to time. However, there are numerous converters for DTS audio files on the internet. Recordings of audio and video material are saved in the .amr or .mp4 format respectively.

Accessories USB cable & in-ear headset are accessories included. Inside the box we find a slightly higher standard. Next to the device itself HTC adds an in-ear headset with different caps. It is not provided by Beats Audio but still better compared to a very simple solution. Furthermore the box contains documentations, a SIM-tool and a USB cable. Our review unit from the UK does not have a modular USB-PSU; in some countries however, the smartphone is shipped with this accessory. Optional products can be found in the HTC shop. For example an external battery with USB port and a capacity of 3,000 mAh for 55 Euros (~$71), a black flipping case (HC V841) with red interior for 30 Euros (~$38), a protective case (HC C840) for 20 Euros (~$25), display protection (11 Euros, ~$14) and a car mounting kit (CAR D160, 50 Euros, ~$64). Except for the universal additional battery the optional accessories are fortunately in stock. A price comparison is recommended; dealers often sell the products for a much lower price. Warranty The HTC One comes with a warranty period of 24 months. The accessories as well as the battery are covered for 12 months. HTC itself does not offer any warranty extensions.

Input Devices & Handling The HTC One is operated via capacitive touchscreen that was visually laminated. Contacts and swipe movements on the display are executed precisely without any delays. The display has no problems with multi-touch gestures like pinch-to-zoom or tap-to-zoom either. Up to ten fingers are recognized simultaneously; in daily situations you usually only use two or three fingers at the same time. A virtual keyboard can be used for typing, it automatically appears if necessary. Visually it is no different to the keyboard of the HTC One X+, but the input device was slightly modified in HTC Sense 5. The annoying arrow keys are now deactivated out of the box and the settings are a bit more extensive. The input via swipe movement can also be activated there. A nice feature that should be tried. It is very positive that the keyboard only uses a small part of the display area in the profile mode; the ergonomics are not reduced. There is also something new with the Android operating controls beneath the display. Instead of three there are only two touch-sensitive buttons: The Back-button and the Home-button. The App-Switcher (multitasking) is realized with a double tap on the Home-button in the case of the HTC One. The HTC logo is without any function ex-works. According to XDA-Developers the use as a third button is possible. It remains to be seen if HTC will offer an official update or if this feature has to be activated with a custom ROM. Compact keyboard, convenient handling. In landscape mode the adjustment of the keyboard works properly.

Display High-end: 4.7-inch SLCD3 with 1080x1920 pixels (Full HD). Smartphone displays are getting bigger and bigger. Samsung and Sony both use 5-inch screens. HTC sticks with the 4.7-inch format. Compared to the One X+ the display of the HTC One has a finer resolution. With the same size the Sharp display now displays 1080x1920 pixels in profile mode. In the landscape mode this of course complies with the Full HD standard (1080p, 1920x1080 pixels). The glossy screen is a liquid crystal display called Super Liquid Crystal Display 3 - or in short SLCD3. The formerly mentioned values result in a pixel density of 468 ppi (pixels per inch). The picture is razor-sharp. For the human eye the comparison with the 326 ppi of the Apple iPhone 5 is very difficult. With the tool X-Rite i1Pro 2 we took a closer look at the display of the One. In the first step the luminance had to prove itself. We determine the value at nine different spots; this results in an average brightness of 489 cd/m². The Sony Xperia Z falls behind with "only" 428 cd/m², the Apple iPhone 5 is on the same level. The cheaper Google Nexus 4 is not the brightest star in the smartphone sky with 275 cd/m². Another advantage of the SLCD3 is the consistent brightness distribution (90%); the fluctuations are not visible during daily use.

485

cd/m² 466

cd/m² 472

cd/m² 517

cd/m² 487

cd/m² 478

cd/m² 519

cd/m² 494

cd/m² 482

cd/m² Distribution of brightness X-Rite i1Pro 2 Maximum: 519 cd/m² Average: 488.9 cd/m²

Brightness Distribution: 90 %

Center on Battery: 487 cd/m²

Contrast: 2117:1 (Black: 0.23 cd/m²) Maximum: 519 cd/m² Average: 488.9 cd/m²Brightness Distribution: 90 %Contrast: 2117:1 (Black: 0.23 cd/m²)

The other measurements also comply with the premium claim. The black value of 0.23 cd/m² is very low. The result is a rich representation of black, which favors the playback of movies and pictures. Combined with the high display brightness this leads to an extremely high contrast ratio of 2,117:1. From the formerly mentioned devices the Xperia Z is by far the worst with 0.98 cd/m², followed by the iPhone 5 with an acceptable value of 0.48 cd/m². The Google Nexus 4 leaves a positive impression with 0.24 cd/m² and a contrast of 1,179:1. In addition to these measurements we also checked the color management, saturation and the grayscale presentation. The RGB-balance shows a positive deviation of blue and a slightly weak pronounced red; overall the picture is a bit too cool. This is however not a big criticism since the deviations are very small. There are no adjustment possibilities in the settings. Latest Samsung smartphones offer such a feature in the Google Android settings. Subjectively the presentation and the image sharpness leave a positive impression. Color management Saturation Grayscale

Outdoor use Viewing angle The HTC One makes a good impression outdoors. Despite the glossy surface the smartphone can be used without problems. Reasons for that are the high brightness, the good black value and the excellent contrast ratio. We deactivated the Auto Brightness in this scenario. With backlight conditions the auto setting sometimes does not assess the ambient light correctly but this is not a device-specific problem. An optimal solution would be a matte display protection. With serious interest you should not take the cheapest model; they tend to reduce the sharpness of the picture. The Sharp SLCD3 has no problems with the viewing angle stability. Even with views from the side we cannot determine any changes. The visibility of content is still good, colors remain stable and there is no apparent brightness reduction; here the high-quality display pays off.

Now we get to the browser based benchmarks; we ran them with the app from HTC. Alternatives like Google Chrome can also be installed without problems. In the Futuremark Peacekeeper the HTC One gets a rating of 683 points; clearly ahead of other Android smartphones and Windows Phone 8 (WP8) devices. The 43% deficit of the Sony Xperia Z (Google Chrome) is surprising; Samsung Galaxy S3 or HTC One X+ cannot be beaten that easily. However, the winner in this test is the Apple iPhone 5 with the mobile version of Safari. The device gets 863 points and manages an advantage of 26%. Browsermark 2.0 by Rightware shows similar results. In the Google-V8 Benchmark the HTC browser delivers a good result in the upper third of our database. The overall result of 1,899 points is not enough for the top position in our ranking. The HTC One X+ is better with 2,136 points (difference: 12%). Smartphones with WP8 and Internet Explorer cannot convince in this test with around 800 points. Finally we have a look at the JavaScript benchmark Sunspider 0.9.1. In this test the lowest result wins. 1138 milliseconds indicates a good performance but in this scenario it is beaten by the HTC Windows Phone 8X with only 896 milliseconds (difference: 21%). The Apple iPhone 5 also manages a comfortable lead of 18% (935.4 milliseconds).

The integrated flash storage is an important part for the system performance. We checked the performance of the component with AndroBench 3. The HTC One leaves a good impression with sequential as well as random operations. With a maximum of 58.75 MB/s similar devices clearly fall behind. The Sony Xperia Z has to live with a deficit of 17%, the HTC One X+ has the "slowest" integrated memory in our comparison table. The smartphone reaches transfer rates of 37 MB/s during sequential writing (difference: 37%). With random 4K-operations the differences are smaller; in this case both the Sony Xperia Z and the Google Nexus 4 can convince.

Voice Quality After multiple calls with the HTC One our impression is good. The user's voice is clear and natural on the other side. The HTC One owner can also understand the caller very well, although the other phone is also a factor. The second microphone on the back for video recording and suppression of ambient noise works reliably. Even the hands-free function via speakers can convince, we also like the sound of the in-ear headset. It is a good solution to begin with; the different adaptors make sense.

Emissions Temperature The temperature development is very important with a device that is almost exclusively used in the hand. During idle or office tasks the case barely warms up. The aluminum does not get warm but it loses the otherwise cool haptics. At the back we measured a maximum of 30.2 °C. Everything is in the blue area - in the case of our diagram. Under load the components produce more heat; the chassis warms up accordingly. The maximum value of 35.2 °C at the back can be felt. Subjectively the perception fluctuates between lukewarm and warm. You might even find it hot at some spots. In direct comparison to the One X+ the HTC One is clearly better.

Max. Load Idle 35.5 °C

96 F 33.1 °C

92 F 32.2 °C

90 F 36.6 °C

98 F 33.5 °C

92 F 32.3 °C

90 F 33.6 °C

92 F 33.5 °C

92 F 33 °C

91 F Maximum: 36.6 °C = 98 F

Average: 33.7 °C = 93 F 34.7 °C

94 F 34.2 °C

94 F 34.3 °C

94 F 35 °C

95 F 35.2 °C

95 F 34.5 °C

94 F 35.1 °C

95 F 35 °C

95 F 34.2 °C

94 F Maximum: 35.2 °C = 95 F

Average: 34.7 °C = 94 F Room Temperature 23.2 °C = 74 F | Voltcraft IR-360 Max. Load Idle 32 °C

90 F 30.1 °C

86 F 29.6 °C

85 F 31.1 °C

88 F 30.2 °C

86 F 29.7 °C

85 F 30.6 °C

87 F 30.1 °C

86 F 29.5 °C

85 F Maximum: 32 °C = 90 F

Average: 30.3 °C = 87 F 29.9 °C

86 F 29.7 °C

85 F 29.8 °C

86 F 30.2 °C

86 F 30.1 °C

86 F 29.8 °C

86 F 29.1 °C

84 F 30.1 °C

86 F 29 °C

84 F Maximum: 30.2 °C = 86 F

Average: 29.7 °C = 85 F Room Temperature 23.1 °C = 74 F | Voltcraft IR-360 (±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 33.7 °C / 93 F, compared to the average of 33 °C / 91 F for the devices in the class Smartphone.

(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 36.6 °C / 98 F, compared to the average of 35.4 °C / 96 F, ranging from 22.4 to 51.7 °C for the class Smartphone.

(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 35.2 °C / 95 F, compared to the average of 33.9 °C / 93 F

(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 30.3 °C / 87 F, compared to the device average of 33 °C / 91 F.



Speakers By far the best smartphone speakers. A specialty of the HTC One is the stereo speakers at the front with an integrated amplifier. HTC lists them under the name "HTC Boom Sound". We are not disappointed by the big promises. After the first couple of songs it becomes evident that we found the currently best smartphone speakers. Real stereo sound in the landscape mode, quite a full sound and a convenient volume. With high-quality audio files the sound does not distort either. Bass and low tones are present but obviously not as pronounced compared to high-end peripherals. The sound is supported by software enhancements. In the system settings we find the known equalizer setting by Beats Audio. In this context we also have to talk about the revised "Music" application. The HTC specific music player was revised with the Sense 5 user interface. The application can now visualize song lyrics. Nice features that can be activated with a symbol in the upper right corner. Headphones, external speakers or even the own home cinema system can be connected over the 3.5 mm stereo jack, Bluetooth or the Micro-USB port. As mentioned before you need an MHL-HDMI adaptor for the USB port. The output quality is excellent.

Power Consumption Off / Standby 0.1 / 0.5 Watt Idle 0.4 / 0.6 / 1.1 Watt Load 3.8 / 4 Watt

, med: , max: Voltcraft VC-940 Key: min:, med:, max:

Battery Runtime With the maximum runtime we get to the final measurements of this review. With minimum brightness, activated energy-saving mode and deactivated wireless modules we simulate the reading of a text document. Only after 23 hours and 51 minutes the HTC One had to be plugged in. A very good result compared to the most important competitors. The other extreme is the minimum runtime under load. With maximum brightness and activated wireless modules we run the stress test of the application Stability Test. After 2 hours and 49 minutes the full charge is gone. A similar result to other devices that usually keep up between two and three hours. The measurement "Surfing with WLAN" is a more realistic scenario. With a standardized display brightness of 150 cd/m² a new web page is loaded every 40 seconds. The possible runtime of 10 hours and 53 minutes is also convincing. The Sony Xperia Z only works for 8 hours and 50 minutes. Only the Google Nexus 4 is worse (7 hours and 20 minutes), the HTC One X+ is on the same level. The Apple iPhone 5 scores with more than 15 hours, however, flash content cannot be displayed on this device. Last but not least we checked the performance during Full HD video playback (1920x1080 pixels, 1080p). Thanks to the good display and the maximum brightness this is a joy. Unfortunately the joy is over after 5 hours and 27 minutes. This runtime is more than sufficient for two movies.

Battery Runtime

23h 51min 10h 53min 2h 49min