I was one of many people who was torn between renewing my 2-year contract with either a Samsung GS4 or the HTC One.
Ironically, I did not even come to know or hear much about the One before my co-worker actually mentioned it to me. I was using the GS2 for the past 2 years and enjoyed it quite a bit. It was a decent phone with solid performance and look/feel/design. I was pretty much set on getting the GS4 and couldn't see any reason why I would pass it up. That is, until my co-worker showed me the HTC One.
I almost fell in love at first glance. The design, build and texture of the phone was simply brilliant and beautiful in my opinion. Finally, this is what a premium smart phone device should look and feel! Comparing the specs, I noticed that the GS4 is slightly better. From a software/feature perspective, the GS4 had some really interesting new ones. But upon closer scrutiny, it really dawned on me that the new features on the GS4 (including the air view, air gestures, eye detection, etc.) all seemed a bit "gimmicky". Honestly speaking, I would simply rather swipe the darn screen with my thumb than to sit there and wait while a sensor detected my eye movements. And while air gestures could potentially be useful in very specific use-cases such as swiping to change tracks while listening to music and driving.... it's quite narrow in terms of pragmatic functionality. On top of all of this, I discovered that these new features on GS4 would only work for select Samsung apps and not entirely compatible with all android apps which was disappointing as well.
On the other hand, I love how HTC has really tried to intelligently place the new features and software on the One from a very practical and daily usage perspective. Blinkfeed, for example, caters to people like me who only have about 30 seconds in between certain tasks during my day to browse and stay connected with news/updates that I can customize. Being a father of a 16-month old, I love HTC Zoes because it allows me to capture photos while not having to force my kid to stay still (which she can't do anyways). Creating some mini-montage movie clips using the built-in events are a bit hit with my family and friends and it's so easy to use that I've fallen in love with it. Low-light camera magic is well appreciated because HTC realized that in this day and age, most people will be taking pics when they are out with friends at dinners, restaurants, bars, clubs, etc. where the lighting may not always be perfect.
I really do appreciate the fact that HTC used their heads and tried to cater to realistic and pragmatic features on a beautifully designed phone that doesn't try to deliver over-complicated and over-the-top functionality. It's simple, yet powerful and elegant. Everyone whose seen my phone is really "wow'ed" by its beautiful design and how great the 4.7 inch looks in high resolution.
I was also able to trade-in my old S2 with AT&T's trade-in deal to get $100 off the phone. I also turned in my other smart phone to HTC.com who gives you yet another $100 gift card if you buy the HTC One before May 19, 2013. So altogether, I basically upgraded to the HTC One for free and I couldn't be more satisfied with my decision. I'm truly glad that HTC is back on the up-swing and hope that they can stay in the race for smart phones going forward. Better competition between multiple brands = better products and enjoyment for us customers.
Thanks HTC!
Ironically, I did not even come to know or hear much about the One before my co-worker actually mentioned it to me. I was using the GS2 for the past 2 years and enjoyed it quite a bit. It was a decent phone with solid performance and look/feel/design. I was pretty much set on getting the GS4 and couldn't see any reason why I would pass it up. That is, until my co-worker showed me the HTC One.
I almost fell in love at first glance. The design, build and texture of the phone was simply brilliant and beautiful in my opinion. Finally, this is what a premium smart phone device should look and feel! Comparing the specs, I noticed that the GS4 is slightly better. From a software/feature perspective, the GS4 had some really interesting new ones. But upon closer scrutiny, it really dawned on me that the new features on the GS4 (including the air view, air gestures, eye detection, etc.) all seemed a bit "gimmicky". Honestly speaking, I would simply rather swipe the darn screen with my thumb than to sit there and wait while a sensor detected my eye movements. And while air gestures could potentially be useful in very specific use-cases such as swiping to change tracks while listening to music and driving.... it's quite narrow in terms of pragmatic functionality. On top of all of this, I discovered that these new features on GS4 would only work for select Samsung apps and not entirely compatible with all android apps which was disappointing as well.
On the other hand, I love how HTC has really tried to intelligently place the new features and software on the One from a very practical and daily usage perspective. Blinkfeed, for example, caters to people like me who only have about 30 seconds in between certain tasks during my day to browse and stay connected with news/updates that I can customize. Being a father of a 16-month old, I love HTC Zoes because it allows me to capture photos while not having to force my kid to stay still (which she can't do anyways). Creating some mini-montage movie clips using the built-in events are a bit hit with my family and friends and it's so easy to use that I've fallen in love with it. Low-light camera magic is well appreciated because HTC realized that in this day and age, most people will be taking pics when they are out with friends at dinners, restaurants, bars, clubs, etc. where the lighting may not always be perfect.
I really do appreciate the fact that HTC used their heads and tried to cater to realistic and pragmatic features on a beautifully designed phone that doesn't try to deliver over-complicated and over-the-top functionality. It's simple, yet powerful and elegant. Everyone whose seen my phone is really "wow'ed" by its beautiful design and how great the 4.7 inch looks in high resolution.
I was also able to trade-in my old S2 with AT&T's trade-in deal to get $100 off the phone. I also turned in my other smart phone to HTC.com who gives you yet another $100 gift card if you buy the HTC One before May 19, 2013. So altogether, I basically upgraded to the HTC One for free and I couldn't be more satisfied with my decision. I'm truly glad that HTC is back on the up-swing and hope that they can stay in the race for smart phones going forward. Better competition between multiple brands = better products and enjoyment for us customers.
Thanks HTC!