HTC One = Total Fail?

[madlaw1071]

I really wanted to like this phone but having a hard time not viewing it as a total fail. My S3 is the best phone I've ever had but I'm only loyal until something newer and shinier comes out and would've gladly jumped back to HTC if the One didn't fail in so many areas.

1. If HTC was going to chintz on the megapixels and take a HUGE marketing risk, they should've made sure the camera was the best available or at least as good as it's main rivals. From all the reviews I've read, the camera is decent but clearly not on par with the best. Good in low light but that's about it?

2. Running older version of Jelly Bean? Really? has HTC fallen so far that it couldn't get 4.2.2 like the S4 and can anyone honestly say it will get Key Lime Pie in a timely fashion? Anyone want to bet whether the S4 gets it first?

3. Blinkfeed, if I wanted Flipboard, I would download Flipboard not have it front and center.

4. Battery life. Most reviews are on the HSPA+ version, not the US LTE Version so reviews are practically worthless and even then battery life has been reported as OK, nothing stellar.

5. Screen, again a chance for HTC to distinguish itself but it went smallish and while it's exemplary, the S4 is bigger, lighter and at least as good from the reviews so far.

6. Lack of features. Sure many of the S4 features are gimmicky and may not be used after the 1st week but some are likely going to be keepers and imitated by other makers.

7. Availability. Late April in the US? T-Mobile just announced the S4 for May 1 and I'd imagine the other carriers will be within days. Whomever at HTC was responsible for the One launch may single handedly bring HTC down. The launch could literally buried by the expected S4 blitz in the US, there is no Verizon version and I'm willing to be ATT will have the S4 front and center in its stores.

I'm sure I'll get flamed and accused of trolling but whatever Have at it.

 

[jmwein]

Disagree with every single one of your points aside from numbers 2 and 8.

 

[BigDinCA]

Well someone obviously woke up this morning and decided to become the most hated person on this forum. Ever.

 

[madlaw1071]

Disagree with every single one of your points aside from numbers 2 and 8.

Disagree with "every single one" except the 25% you agree with? LOL

 

[madlaw1071]

Well someone obviously woke up this morning and decided to become the most hated person on this forum. Ever.

Meh, we're all Android fans right? It's not like I trolled over from Blackberry and started dumping on the One.

 

[Russ Smith]

I really wanted to like this phone but having a hard time not viewing it as a total fail. My S3 is the best phone I've ever had but I'm only loyal until something newer and shinier comes out and would've gladly jumped back to HTC if the One didn't fail in so many areas.

1. If HTC was going to chintz on the megapixels and take a HUGE marketing risk, they should've made sure the camera was the best available or at least as good as it's main rivals. From all the reviews I've read, the camera is decent but clearly not on par with the best. Good in low light but that's about it?

2. Running older version of Jelly Bean? Really? has HTC fallen so far that it couldn't get 4.2.2 like the S4 and can anyone honestly say it will get Key Lime Pie in a timely fashion? Anyone want to bet whether the S4 gets it first?

3. Blinkfeed, if I wanted Flipboard, I would download Flipboard not have it front and center.

5. Battery life. Most reviews are on the HSPA+ version, not the US LTE Version so reviews are practically worthless and even then battery life has been reported as OK, nothing stellar.

6. Screen, again a chance for HTC to distinguish itself but it went smallish and while it's exemplary, the S4 is bigger, lighter and at least as good from the reviews so far.

7. Lack of features. Sure many of the S4 features are gimmicky and may not be used after the 1st week but some are likely going to be keepers and imitated by other makers.

8. Availability. Late April in the US? T-Mobile just announced the S4 for May 1 and I'd imagine the other carriers will be within days. Whomever at HTC was responsible for the One launch may single handedly bring HTC down. The launch could literally buried by the expected S4 blitz in the US, there is no Verizon version and I'm willing to be ATT will have the S4 front and center in its stores.

I'm sure I'll get flamed and accused of trolling but whatever Have at it.

You welcome to you opinion, but I'll add mine ;-)

1. For viewing pics on the phone or social networks the camera is perfect - I don't print or zoom mine. Epic for indoor shots (lower light), as most of mine are - if I'm on hols or something special I'll take a proper camera!

2. Apparently updating to 4.2.2 within next 2 months. I'm not fussed I'd get a nexus if I was all about the updates.

3 . Agreed , useless to me. Need a to be able to add rss feeds. Still I just disabled the feeds and changed my home screen to another page.

4. Eh?

5. Can't comment, i don't use LTE. Battery's great for me tho, best I've had!

6. Screen is big enough, I can reach it one handed. Plus the display viewing angles and clarity are second to none.

7. Full of features in my opinion. Speakers hardware/software main one. Software can be updated anyway, eg some older HTC are getting sense 5 I think.

8. I'd be pissed if I had to wait. But I didn't here.

Sent from my HTC One using Android Central Forums

 

[Highrisedrifter]

HTC One = Total Fail? Dear god no, not even remotely, in my opinion!

It's the best phone i've owned and knocks my iPhone 5, Galaxy S2 and previous Galaxy S3 into a cocked hat. From my experience, the screen is better than all of them, the battery is better than all of them, it looks fantastic, sounds amazing, is blisteringly fast with smooth transitions and fulfills every one of my smartphone needs. I could not be happier!

So for me, it is not even close to being any type of fail, in fact, in accordance with a huge number of professional reviews (some of which have proclaimed it as the best phone they have ever used), it is an absolutely monster of a phone and I am very glad I upgraded to it.

Your mileage has indeed varied from my own...

 

[mcelmeel17]

I really wanted to like this phone but having a hard time not viewing it as a total fail. My S3 is the best phone I've ever had but I'm only loyal until something newer and shinier comes out and would've gladly jumped back to HTC if the One didn't fail in so many areas.

1. If HTC was going to chintz on the megapixels and take a HUGE marketing risk, they should've made sure the camera was the best available or at least as good as it's main rivals. From all the reviews I've read, the camera is decent but clearly not on par with the best. Good in low light but that's about it?

2. Running older version of Jelly Bean? Really? has HTC fallen so far that it couldn't get 4.2.2 like the S4 and can anyone honestly say it will get Key Lime Pie in a timely fashion? Anyone want to bet whether the S4 gets it first?

3. Blinkfeed, if I wanted Flipboard, I would download Flipboard not have it front and center.

5. Battery life. Most reviews are on the HSPA+ version, not the US LTE Version so reviews are practically worthless and even then battery life has been reported as OK, nothing stellar.

6. Screen, again a chance for HTC to distinguish itself but it went smallish and while it's exemplary, the S4 is bigger, lighter and at least as good from the reviews so far.

7. Lack of features. Sure many of the S4 features are gimmicky and may not be used after the 1st week but some are likely going to be keepers and imitated by other makers.

8. Availability. Late April in the US? T-Mobile just announced the S4 for May 1 and I'd imagine the other carriers will be within days. Whomever at HTC was responsible for the One launch may single handedly bring HTC down. The launch could literally buried by the expected S4 blitz in the US, there is no Verizon version and I'm willing to be ATT will have the S4 front and center in its stores.

I'm sure I'll get flamed and accused of trolling but whatever Have at it.

The large selling point is build quality. If you like your S3 then get the S4. Really its not a big deal. But I could refute 90% of your reasons why its a "total fail". Really just get the S4 and be happy. But don't call this phone a total fail having never used it.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Android Central Forums

 

[maerlim]

1. I think this is just a software update. Also, I can't remember the last time I zoomed way in on a picture or printed a picture that I took with my phone.

2. Wasn't everyone *SHOCKED* that the S4 is launching with 4.2.2? The S4 is the first non-nexus phone launching with 4.2. So I really can't claim to be all up in arms that the One is launching with 4.1.2. You're not missing much.

3. Because smart phones don't have a long storied history of pre-loading stuff that not every single person loves. Just don't use it.

4. Wait, what happened to 4? WHO STOLE 4? I heard that seven ate nine once. My Mother made me eat nine once. Once.

5. Alex has LTE enabled on his device and said in his review that it didn't affect battery life very much due to it being on-chip with the SoC.

6. There will be a time when we call 4.7" screens "smallish", but this is not that time.

7. Name one "new" feature that 51% of all buyers will use after week 1. Also, you simply don't get to complain about BlinkFeed and then ignore the tons of apps the S4 is preloading. You really don't.

8. Anyone giving odds that the S4's US launch date (as defined by T-Mobile's May 1 announcement) slips by a couple weeks, or isn't available on at least one of the major US carriers due to undefined delay? The One's US launch date is only 2-4 weeks late, depending on when in April it launches.

9. Damn you, 7! Damn you!

Look, I'm not an HTC fanboy. I've never actually even owned one, though I do plan to pick up the One. I'm just sayin, your post is really ... what's the word... trollish.

 

[mclarryjr]

I really doubt you wanted to like this phone.

Sent from my HTC6435LVW using Tapatalk 2

 

[madlaw1071]

I really doubt you wanted to like this phone.

Sent from my HTC6435LVW using Tapatalk 2

You nailed me, I joined 2 1/2 years ago just to troll the HTC One.

 

[BigDinCA]

I really wanted to like this phone but having a hard time not viewing it as a total fail. My S3 is the best phone I've ever had but I'm only loyal until something newer and shinier comes out and would've gladly jumped back to HTC if the One didn't fail in so many areas.

1. If HTC was going to chintz on the megapixels and take a HUGE marketing risk, they should've made sure the camera was the best available or at least as good as it's main rivals. From all the reviews I've read, the camera is decent but clearly not on par with the best. Good in low light but that's about it?

2. Running older version of Jelly Bean? Really? has HTC fallen so far that it couldn't get 4.2.2 like the S4 and can anyone honestly say it will get Key Lime Pie in a timely fashion? Anyone want to bet whether the S4 gets it first?

3. Blinkfeed, if I wanted Flipboard, I would download Flipboard not have it front and center.

5. Battery life. Most reviews are on the HSPA+ version, not the US LTE Version so reviews are practically worthless and even then battery life has been reported as OK, nothing stellar.

6. Screen, again a chance for HTC to distinguish itself but it went smallish and while it's exemplary, the S4 is bigger, lighter and at least as good from the reviews so far.

7. Lack of features. Sure many of the S4 features are gimmicky and may not be used after the 1st week but some are likely going to be keepers and imitated by other makers.

8. Availability. Late April in the US? T-Mobile just announced the S4 for May 1 and I'd imagine the other carriers will be within days. Whomever at HTC was responsible for the One launch may single handedly bring HTC down. The launch could literally buried by the expected S4 blitz in the US, there is no Verizon version and I'm willing to be ATT will have the S4 front and center in its stores.

I'm sure I'll get flamed and accused of trolling but whatever Have at it.

Truth be told, you do bring up some fair points, though some are purely personal preferences.

1.) Don't fall into that megapixel trap. The truth is that this is a phone, not a digital camera. There isn't one out there that does everything great. The majority of pictures I see people taking are in bars, at parties or hanging out w/ friends and family. They're not printing them on 8X10 glossy paper for permanment framed placement next to the Olan Mills of the whole family. They attatch them to emails, post them to FB and Twitter and send them through SMS. The majority of the time they are viewed on a mobile screen anyway. I'd rather have it be average-to-good in daylight and great in low-light than what is out there now. Indoor and low-light pictures just suck now, including the camera on my beloved EVO.

2.) I still haven't heard what the great step-up is to 4.2.2, other than just being the newset version. Nobody is giving us PhotoSphere (Nexus excluded) and from what I can gather the changes in 4.2.2 are minor. I got JB on my EVO in a decent amount of time, shortly after my wife's GS3. Update schedules aren't just on the OEM - the carriers are involved, for better or worse. And I really mean for worse.

3.) Pretty much every device has a software feature that can be replaced by an app in the Play Store. Diffrerent launchers, different clocks and weather widgets, calculators, keyboards, music players... how about wallpapers? Why include them if I can just get Zedge and download whatever live and static wallpapers I choose? I get that people are perturbed that they can't eliminate the BlinkFeed panel, but it's a non-issue for lots of us, including me. At worst, it's the last panel off to the far left and isn't actively pulling any information or using any data at all.

4.) Umm....

5.) I'll judge the battery life for myself. I haven't seen reviews discuss 4-hour max battery life in standby. Most reviews seem to talk favorably about the battery and I know that my mileage will vary. Everyone will use it differently and one person's battery life accolades will be another's complaints. It's not the RAZR Maxx so I'm not expecting 2 days at a time (no response required, Hustleman. We know - every battery sucks.)

6.) Understandable, but my understanding is that this screen is delicious! I guess it could be .3" bigger. I don't know if I would call it "smallish". It's not like this is 3.5" territory here. If .3" makes or breaks a phone then I'm out of the nerd-loop.

7.) I know the GS4 has some cool stuff going on, but I'm okay with the features here. The IR port is going to be great; I'm open-minded about BlinkFeed; the Zoe feature (and others regarding the camera) looks really nice; the music player looks great and it has these two things that people have been talking about for years: FRONT FACING SPEAKERS. Plus the mic technology looks pretty cool. They seem to have stripped Sense down a little bit, too. It's interesting to hear so many people complain about Sense being bloated with crap but here is someone who says that it doesn't have enough stuff.

8.) Agree 1,000,000%

 

[BigDinCA]

Meh, we're all Android fans right? It's not like I trolled over from Blackberry and started dumping on the One.

True - just busting balls here. And don't think that the little edit to correct your numbering went unnoticed. Very sly...

 

[madlaw1071]

True - just busting balls here. And don't think that the little edit to correct your numbering went unnoticed. Very sly...

Well, if I'm going to stir the pot my numbering should be correct at least!

 

[BigDinCA]

8. I'd be pissed if I had to wait. But I didn't here.

Sent from my HTC One using Android Central Forums

I hate you.

 

[Paul627g]

It's all personal preference in my opinion. Both have ups and downs depending on how you look at things. Truth be told they are the flagship devices to set the bar this summer and it should be an interesting summer once they are all in hand to actually judge and play with.

As for the trolling and flaming mentions/comments let's not even go there. Just make it a good discussion and enjoy.

 

[Russ Smith]

As for the trolling and flaming mentions/comments let's not even go there. Just make it a good discussion and enjoy.

Exactly, discussions are boring without difference of opinion!

Sent from my HTC One using Android Central Forums

 

[Phil Nickinson]

OK. I'll play.

But don't ever apologize for giving your opinion. I might think you're wrong, but I'll still respect ya.

1. If HTC was going to chintz on the megapixels and take a HUGE marketing risk, they should've made sure the camera was the best available or at least as good as it's main rivals. From all the reviews I've read, the camera is decent but clearly not on par with the best. Good in low light but that's about it?

Yep. This is a ballsy move, and I'm not sure if it'll pay off. There are times I think this camera's great. And times it doesn't knock me out of the park. I think it's more a matter of expectation. Are some phones' cameras better? Sure. But not once have I thought "I really have to carry another phone so I can take some good pictures" while carrying the HTC One.

2. Running older version of Jelly Bean? Really? has HTC fallen so far that it couldn't get 4.2.2 like the S4 and can anyone honestly say it will get Key Lime Pie in a timely fashion? Anyone want to bet whether the S4 gets it first?

Folks really need to get over that. If you have to have the latest software, get a Nexus. End of story. Otherwise, use the phone and enjoy it.

3. Blinkfeed, if I wanted Flipboard, I would download Flipboard not have it front and center.

OK, then don't use it. I don't use it, and it's not in the way at all. How to use the HTC One without BlinkFeed | Android Central

4. Battery life. Most reviews are on the HSPA+ version, not the US LTE Version so reviews are practically worthless and even then battery life has been reported as OK, nothing stellar.

No, every review you've read so far is of a European version of the phone, not some HSPA+ version. (Get the difference?) Those of us in the states don't get U.S. LTE on a Euro phone, and that's what you've read. Our review was done in the UK, with LTE.

That said, my battery life has been fine on HSPA+.

5. Screen, again a chance for HTC to distinguish itself but it went smallish and while it's exemplary, the S4 is bigger, lighter and at least as good from the reviews so far.

Not sure what being lighter has to do with the worth of a display, but if you're disappointed by Supre LCD3 at 1080p, I think you're also blind. The S4 display is really good. And I'm OK with either size. I get the feeling you haven't used either yet?

6. Lack of features. Sure many of the S4 features are gimmicky and may not be used after the 1st week but some are likely going to be keepers and imitated by other makers.

What lack of features? I'm still going over all the features. BlinkFeed. BoomSound. Zoes. Video Highlights. TV. HTC Watch. (Shall I keep going?) Sounds like you just don't like some things.

7. Availability. Late April in the US? T-Mobile just announced the S4 for May 1 and I'd imagine the other carriers will be within days. Whomever at HTC was responsible for the One launch may single handedly bring HTC down. The launch could literally buried by the expected S4 blitz in the US, there is no Verizon version and I'm willing to be ATT will have the S4 front and center in its stores.

Yep. Waiting sucks. I don't think the HTC One will single-handedly break HTC, though. They've been digressing financially for a number of quarters now. You have to take the longview.

So that's my take.

 

[So Cold]

Look, I'm not an HTC fanboy. I've never actually even owned one, though I do plan to pick up the One. I'm just sayin, your post is really ... what's the word... trollish.

Anyone who's owned an htc in recent history certainly has a right to be skeptical. I'm not jumping to any conclusions on fail or best phone ever yet...

I really doubt you wanted to like this phone.

Sent from my HTC6435LVW using Tapatalk 2

Seems like with htc you really have to want to like it. That was something I always felt about the last evo, it was a labor of love. Hopefully the one can buck that trend

Sent from my Note 2

 

[So Cold]

Name one "new" feature that 51% of all buyers will use after week 1

Not that this feature is new for the s4 but as someone who recently switched from HTC to samsung I really like sbeam a lot. And with the s4 I think air view, or whatever they call it, will be a really nice feature people will actually use.

Sent from my Note 2