Showing posts with label HTC. Show all posts
The One's sucessor could be revealed as
soon as February, according to a real life judge
The HTC One
is a lovely thing, and its good looks were a big part of the reason we
awarded it the Android crown, placing it right at the top of Wapwing's Top 10 Smartphone list before the LG G2 came along to usurp it.
HTC isn't lying down though, and news of the One 2 (codenamed the M8)
has started trickling through the wheels of the tech rumour mill.
Here's all we think we know about HTC's next-gen flagship Android smartphone so far.
The HTC One 2 shares a lot of the original One's design DNA, if leaked shots of its aluminium shell (courtesy of ePrice) prove to be genuine.
The same smooth curved aluminium back with polycarbonate accent
strips can just about be made out in the blurry, poorly-lit shots, and
if you're particularly observant, you'll notice a second smaller
circular cutout above the camera.
This is likely to house a fingerprint scanner, which we're hoping
will be a big improvement over the unreliable one found on the back of
the HTC One Max.
There's speculation of it being a second camera instead (for 3D
shenanigans), but we don't think HTC will try and revive that particular
dead horse. Remember the HTC Evo 3D? No, no you don't.
Whispers on the One 2's specs are currently scarce, with no solid hardware information currently available.
However,
the One 2 will launch with Sense 6 which should bring with it a few
major tweaks and improvements to the current iteration of HTC's Android
skin.
We expect the One 2 to feature a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800
processor at the very least, along with at least 2GB of RAM and 32/64GB
of memory, though we wouldn't keep our fingers crossed for a microSD
slot if we were you. (That said, the HTC One Max has one, and there's a dual SIM One with a removable back in the offing, so it's not beyond the realms of possibility).
For what it's worth, ePrice has outed a Snapdragon 800 processor, 3GB
of RAM and a 5-5.2in display, though we'll have to wait for more
rumours to roll in to see if they match up.
An 8MP Ultrapixel camera would be welcomed with open arms as the
One's 4MP snapper tends to lose out to higher-megapixel cameras in finer
details. But now we're just throwing pennies into a well...
Release date
The HTC One 2 is now expected to make its debut in February, according to a judge involved in Nokia's case to ban the HTC One Mini and One Max in the UK.
Judge Richard Arnold stated that next February will be a vulnerable time for HTC, as the HTC One's replacement will be unveiled.
The February release window matches up nicely with Mobile World
Congress, which kicks off in Barcelona on February 24, so stay tuned for
more info as and when we get it.
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LG has just unveiled the G2,
its new flagship Android phone and a concerted attempt by the Korean
company to enter the smartphone big leagues. But how does the G2 size up
against three of its chief rivals: the Samsung Galaxy S4, the HTC One and the mighty Apple iPhone 5? We break it down for you below.
The
LG G2 is the first smartphone to sport Qualcomm’s quad-core Snapdragon
800 chip, here clocked at 2.26GHz. It’s teamed up with 2GB of RAM. That
sounds like an awful lot of processing power.
Hardware
The iPhone 5 has a proprietary dual-core 1.3GHz A6 chip and 1GB of
RAM, and the HTC One rocks a quad-core Snapdragon 600 running at 1.7GHz
and 2GB of RAM. The Samsung Galaxy S4 also sports 2GB of RAM and a
Snapdragon 600, but it’s clocked slightly higher than the One at 1.9GHz.
All, on paper, lag behind the LG G2. But will that translate into
real-world performance? We’ll have to reserve judgement until we get our
mitts on a review unit.
The
LG G2 has a 5.2in 1920 x 1080 screen that runs almost edge-to-edge on
the front face; despite its giant dimensions, this means you can still
hold the phone (reasonably) comfortably in one hand. It uses IPS LCD
tech and, from our hands-on, appears to offer better brightness (if not
sharpness) than the HTC One’s 4.7in 1920 x 1080 LCD.
The Samsung S4’s 5in Super AMOLED matches G2 for resolution, while
the iPhone 5’s 4in LCD Retina display features 1136 x 640 pixels,
putting it at the bottom of this particular pile.
Build quality
The
G2’s outer body is mostly constructed from plastic, but unlike the S4
doesn’t have a removeable backplate, so it’s less creaky than Samsung’s
phone. It’s sleek too, thanks to the only physical buttons being the
rear-mounted power and volume keys.
The metal-bodied iPhone 5 and HTC One are a level above the G2. The
One in particular, with its beautifully machined, seamless unibody,
feels like a phone apart in this group.
Camera
LG
has equipped the G2 with a 13MP camera and optical image stabilisation
(OIS) to combat the blurriness that can occur when taking photos with
unsteady hands. It’s the only phone here to offer OIS, but the feature
is available on certain Nokia Lumia models (like the excellent 1020).
The Galaxy S4 comes with a 13MP sensor, while the iPhone 5’s snapper
offers 8MP and the HTC One musters 4MP. Of course, the One’s sensor has
an “UltraPixel” design that cuts down the number of pixels in order to
make each individual pixel larger and more effective in low light. So
it’s not really helpful to merely compare megapixel counts when
discussing which camera is best. There’s also the quality of the lens,
colour reproduction and contrast to consider. The iPhone 5, for
instance, is widely regarded as better for photos than the Galaxy S4
despite its smaller number of megapixels.
That said, combining 13MP with OIS should make the G2 an impressive
shooter, with the stabilisation aiding low light shooting especially.
We’re excited to give it a proper test soon and look at the shots in
detail.
Battery
The
G2 comes with a giant non-removeable 3,000mAh battery that should
combine snugly with the Snapdragon 800’s power-saving capabilities to
deliver a lot of use. It’s the biggest battery here, but it’s worth
noting that it has the biggest screen to power as well.
The iPhone 5 has a 1,440mAh battery, the HTC One 2,300mAh and the
Samsung Galaxy S4 2,600mAh. The S4 is the only model here with a
user-swappable battery, however, so you’re able to carry a spare around
with you in case of power running low.
User interface
The
G2 runs on the Android 4.2.2 operating system, over which is layered
LG’s own UI software. While the Snapdragon 800 keeps everything fast and
lag-free, and LG has dropped in a few unique tricks of its own design
(the ability to turn on the screen by knocking on it twice, a
restricted-access “Guest Mode” for when you’re handing the phone to kids
or friends), we can’t help but feel we’d much rather have Google’s
stock Nexus Android interface. LG’s is too busy and bloated, and the
unique features aren’t anything to write home about (restricted profiles
are available in Android 4.3 anyway, for instance).
The HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4 also use their respective
manufacturers’ own UIs (both of which strike us as superior to LG’s,
from our admittedly limited time with it), but are available with the
stock edition of Android too. Perhaps LG, which enjoys a good working
relationship with Google, will go down the same route a few months from
launch?
The iPhone 5 comes with iOS 6 (soon to be updated to iOS 7), which
offers a much tighter, slicker and friendlier user experience than any
of the manufacturer-tweaked versions of Android.
Extras
The
G2 comes with either 16GB or 32GB of non-expandable storage. All the
other models offer up to 64GB built-in – the iPhone 5 comes in 16GB,
32GB and 64GB options, the HTC One in 32GB and 64GB and the Samsung S4
in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB. The S4 also features a microSD slot supporting
up to 64GB of additional space.
There’s no IR port on the G2, something you’ll find on both the One
and S4. But it does have sport a 24-bit, 192kHz DAC, which can mean
better audio quality through headphones (you’ll need to have compatible
files on the phone, naturally).
Verdict
The
LG G2 has impressive hardware, and on paper is the equal or better to
all of these other flagship devices when it comes to almost all specs,
storage excepted.
Of course, there’s much more to a smartphone than specifications –
software and usability are equally significant – so we’re not calling
the G2 the best phone around, especially not before we’ve properly
tested it. Stay tuned for a full review soon.For The Reviews Of Other Smartphones Click HERE
The
HTC One is the best phone in the world right now,
but it’s also a hefty handset and that means it’s not going to be right
for absolutely everyone. So what if you’ve got smaller hands (or
pockets) but demand everything else the One offers? Why, you get the One
Mini of course.
In truth only a shovel-handed troll would describe this new handset
as ‘mini’ without prompting - it’s actually a smidge bigger than an
iPhone 5,
in fact - but it is far more compact than the original One, and while
inches have been shaved, specs are still impressive, from the 341ppi
screen, to the same camera sensor that’s in the original One and another
outing for the brilliant Sense UI. Those with dinky digits should be
very pleased indeed.
Almost as special as the One
Very
rarely are sub-flagship phones designed with the same level of
attention to detail and finish as the One Mini. At a glance, it doesn’t
quite have the same wow factor as the HTC One, partly because of the
gloss plastic that creeps around each side to the front of the phone.
But it’s essentially the same smart aluminium build – from the smaller,
symmetrical BoomSound speakers to the off-centre home button and (now
grey and white) Beats logo. One benefit of that plastic is that while
you may get the odd scratch on the back, the top and bottom edges will
stand up better to wear and tear.
The One Mini’s not much shorter than the HTC One but it is lighter
and quite a bit narrower, making it much more comfortable in the hand
for those who struggle with the likes of the One, Galaxy S4 and Xperia Z.
While we tend to lean the One in our left hand and prod the screen with
our right or message with both thumbs, we can grip all the way around
the One Mini, making it better for one-handed use. It’s also easier to
reach the back and home buttons.
The secret IR blaster in the power button has gone and in place of a
volume rocker are two plastic buttons, but all in all the unthinkable
has happened – the One’s gorgeous premium design that we’re still so smitten with
has trickled down to a more affordable handset. That does also mean no
removable back cover for microSD slots or swappable batteries, as with
the One, but the pay-off is a brilliantly crafted phone for less money
than you’d expect.
HD screen for the win
Remember
those fuzzy-screened mid-range phones? The ones that crop up every year
with names like Ace, Youngie and High Five, promising to ape their big
brothers for a cheaper price? They don’t stand a chance next to the One
Mini’s superb 720p sLCD display, which really delivers on the promise in
the name: resolution aside, this is every bit as good as the HTC One’s
screen in terms of colours, brightness and clarity. It’s not always the
easiest screen to read in direct sunlight, but then again, neither is
the One’s.
Text, hi-res images and Full HD movies do look sharper on the One’s
1080p screen, but if you want a smaller screen on Android – in this case
4.3in - this 341ppi affair bests even the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini’s qHD attempts.
Streams from Netflix have great contrast and wide viewing angles, and
while hues just step into oversaturated territory now and then, the
overall presentation is one that’s very natural.
Living with the cutbacks
While
we’re pleased HTC has stuck to an HD screen for the One Mini, it has
made sacrifices elsewhere. So it is that we put on our brave face and
get to grips with the 1.4 GHz dual-core Snapdragon 400 processor and 1GB
of RAM under the hood.
If you’re a dedicated megahertz-hunter this might not be the phone
for you, but in truth, while a step slower than the very best out there,
the One Mini’s performance is actually very reliable and more than
adequate for most people. It handles multi-tasking, movie downloads and
this year’s crop of killer games with minimal stutter, although you
should bear in mind that some games, including Need for Speed, are yet
to be made compatible with the One Mini.
We know this is in the mid-range, but it’s a shame that the Mini is
only available with 16GB of storage, especially given that 5GB is
accounted for before you even get it out of the box. We’re less bothered
about the lack of NFC, though, especially as 4G compatibility and aptX
Bluetooth make the cut.
HTC were always going to trim the One’s specs a bit, and overall we
think they’ve got it just about right, as long as you’re prepared for a
life less storagey.
Sense is still a winning skin
There
are those out there for whom nothing but vanilla Android will do, but
if you've got to have a skin (and you usually do) you might as well have
a good one, and Sense is certainly that. In terms of Sense 5 on the
Mini, everything we loved on the HTC One remains: BlinkFeed for news and
social updates, Zoe for video and photo highlights in your Gallery, and
HTC Sync, which makes it a doddle to transfer contacts, apps and
whatnot across to the new handset. Running Android 4.2.2, you’ll notice
some slight tweaks from the HTC One (such as a welcome change to Zoe to
avoid duplicates) but it’s largely the same smooth-running, grown-up
looking skin.
Return of the UltraPixels
Again,
this is essentially the same 4MP UltraPixel sensor as on the original
One – another bold move from HTC. The camera, which uses fewer but
larger pixels, isn’t the very best of the current crop of flagships (and
obviously can’t match the compact camera-killing Nokia Lumia 1020) but on a phone of the One Mini’s stature it’s a real treat.
With
the same modes and settings, macro and portrait shots look bright and
sharp, with accurate, neutral colours. Zoomed shots and crops highlight
detail limitations, though, as well as the lack of the original One’s
image stabilisation.
An issue of battery life
So
far it’s little cuts here and there, but generally they’re ones we can
live with. Here, though, is the Mini’s biggest flaw. We wrongly assumed
that with a smaller, lower-res screen and a drop in horsepower the One
Mini would outlast the One on battery. Unfortunately, the opposite is
true – with admittedly heavy use during testing it would run down before
the day was through, and in our standard video battery test (video
loop, Wi-Fi and notifications on, half brightness) the Mini managed only
six hours and ten minutes. If, like us, you have bedside and deskside
microUSB cables ready to charge you’ll get away with it most of the
time, but long days out and about are going to be problematic.
Verdict
To
cut the size and cut the price of the One, HTC obviously also had to
cut the specs, and by and large we think its snips are spot-on. The
screen - while smaller - is lovely and crisp, and the power - while
lower - is more than enough for all but the most demanding of users.
We’re happy to live without the IR blaster and NFC, too, seeing as the
Mini’s upfront cost
There are just a couple of areas in which HTC’s been a smidge stingy,
though, and ultimately the weak battery life and limited storage hold
it back from the full five-star rating.
That’s still good for a mid-range phone, and if you want an HTC One
but can’t quite stretch your hands or wallet around it you’re unlikely
to be disappointed with the Mini. Just make sure you also take a peek at
the Nexus 4, which remains the budget phone.
