FYI: Our Sprint HTC One review is on the way

Last week I was using a preproduction Sprint HTC One on LTE in a city that isn't even listed as being Sprint LTE-capable. (And why I say "preproduction," I mean "not retail" and "misspells 'Sprint' in the network indicator."

So you'll forgive me for not worrying about releasing right at today's embargo ... :)

I'm finishing up my candid thoughts on the HTC One in particular, and what's different on the Sprint version. (Hint: Lesser network, and a couple carrier-specific apps. No big deal.)

In the meantime, I refer you to Alex Dobie's excellent review. The hardware is the same.

HTC One review | Android Central

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I kept reading "print" and laughing because it sounded funny, but then I realized I'd forgotten print is actually a word. Mondays...

Phil, please write about call quality and reception. The bells an whistles are important, yes, but it's still a phone and some of us still make voice calls. Thanks, looking forward to it.

I'd really be interested in 3G quality/reception/speed in marginal conditions. This article All for HTC One, HTC One for all? - Sprint 4G Rollout Updates
makes it sound like this phone will have excellent reception. Can you back up any of it? I'm out in the country and travelling by car a lot and 4G signals are few and far between. (Though Sprint is lighting up LTE towers all the time lately) I worry some because smartphones get really dumb and eat batteries without a strong signal.
Thanks from those of us in flyover country.

Call quality and reception was fine for me. I had no problems when I made calls on it. Or when I received calls on it.

I can't speak for your neck of the woods though.

any carrier branding on the Sprint version?

I am dying to know if the LTE antenna or threshold whatever you want to call it is better than the EVO 4GLTE. I cannot get LTE when there is clearly LTE, a low signal -115 dBps connection with LTE is like 5megs down as opposed to my -90dBps 3g connection clocking in at .01 kbps. My gf's sprint iphone 5 connects to LTE way more than my EVO.

Can we see a video please? Any branding?

Sent from my amazing HTC ONE Quietly brilliant!

Do we know that the lack of branding and filed sprint apps is final?

I'm interested to know how the SIM tray will work on Sprint. Is there an embedded Sprint SIM and we use the external SIM tray when traveling? Or is it like Verizon where we insert the LTE SIM for domestic use?

Originally Posted by smoveal

any carrier branding on the Sprint version?

On the AT&T thread Phil mentioned that his Sprint version had no carrier branding.

Originally Posted by mranbel

I am dying to know if the LTE antenna or threshold whatever you want to call it is better than the EVO 4GLTE. I cannot get LTE when there is clearly LTE, a low signal -115 dBps connection with LTE is like 5megs down as opposed to my -90dBps 3g connection clocking in at .01 kbps. My gf's sprint iphone 5 connects to LTE way more than my EVO.

Please don't take this as disrespectful, because it's anything but. That being said if that is your gf in the pic, and I was her iPhone 5, I would connect to LTE whenever she asked. Even when she didn't, actually. And maybe your EVO wants her to hold it, not you. You're a dude. So am I and I notice that my EVO is rarely on LTE as well. I think EVOs like hot chicks.

i could only dream that the girl in my profile pic was my gf. And i love everything about my evo lte except the lte signal, i know it's there evo, just give it to me.

I can't say too much about Sprint's service, at least in my area, but if it's one thing I like it's that they don't put tacky branding on their phones. The AT&T model on the silver version has a grey globe that you can barely see, so I guess that's fine too. I wonder how Verizon would've scarred this phone.

Originally Posted by mranbel

i could only dream that the girl in my profile pic was my gf. And i love everything about my evo lte except the lte signal, i know it's there evo, just give it to me.

Here's to hoping your girlfriend doesn't ever see your posts on the forums...

looks like a great phone...i dont know if this has been answered already...is the one on sprint able to do voice and data at the same time like the s3 can ?

Originally Posted by Danger_Mouse#AC

I'm interested to know how the SIM tray will work on Sprint. Is there an embedded Sprint SIM and we use the external SIM tray when traveling? Or is it like Verizon where we insert the LTE SIM for domestic use?

I want to know this as well. If the sprint HTC ONE is a global phone with an external sim slot, this will nail the decision for me.

Phil, looking forward to your thoughts on the Sprint version. Let me just consolidate a few questions:

1) Is there any branding?
2) What are the Sprint apps/bloatware added on?
3) What is the charge-time (0% to 100%), and do any Sprint apps run in the background and affect the longevity of a daily charge?
4) Are you able to use simultaneous voice and data?
5) Can you run some Speedtest app samples on LTE?
6) Are you having any issues with the capacitive buttons? Some folks say they need to hit them several times to register a hit.
7) Are you having any issues with the headphone jack, or a low hissing? This is another reported problem.
8) Does the Sprint version come with all the same accessories as the int'l version, i.e. headphones, charger, cable, etc.?
9) Can the headphones with the one-button remote be configured to do more than just answer/end a call, for instance, using an app like Headset Button Controller?
10) I know you're job is to review stock models and versions of OEM hardware, but can you please, please, please load Nova or Apex and explain whether it gets ride of Blinkfeed, alters the lockscreen into something akin to 4.2.2, and how much of the app tray it alters into looking more like Jellybean? I'm curious to know where HTC leaves off and 3rd party launchers pick up.

Thanks, as always, for your hard work.

Originally Posted by saleen2002

looks like a great phone...i dont know if this has been answered already...is the one on sprint able to do voice and data at the same time like the s3 can ?

According to the article referenced above by acrewdog the Sprint version can do simultaneous voice and LTE (SVLTE) but it is unable to do simultaneous voice and EVDO (SVDO)

Originally Posted by smoveal

any carrier branding on the Sprint version?

Save for the network thing (see my pic above) and the boot splash, no.

Originally Posted by Danger_Mouse#AC

I'm interested to know how the SIM tray will work on Sprint. Is there an embedded Sprint SIM and we use the external SIM tray when traveling? Or is it like Verizon where we insert the LTE SIM for domestic use?

LTE runs off the "external" SIM, just like a normal phone. ;)

Originally Posted by acrewdog

Do we know that the lack of branding and filed sprint apps is final?

No reason to think otherwise.

Good questions here.

Originally Posted by Peter Venkman

Phil, looking forward to your thoughts on the Sprint version. Let me just consolidate a few questions:

1) Is there any branding?

See above.

2) What are the Sprint apps/bloatware added on?

Heh. You're gonna squeeze this thing out of me one graf at a time, eh? Directly from what I've written for the review thus far:

At risk of sounding like a broken record, not a lot has changed here for Sprint, either. We've got Sense 5 running atop Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean. European-specific applications have been swapped out for Sprint-specific apps, mainly Sprint TV & Movies, Sprint Worldwide (which is a simple but helpful page with info for world travelers), and the Sprint Zone apps for downloading other Sprint specific apps. Sprint's also added Lookout Mobile Security, and there's a Qualcomm Enhanced Location Services app that's new to us, too.

There's also a section in the settings for activation on Sprint. All in all, pretty unobtrusive stuff, and remember that you can "hide" apps in the stock Sense 5 app drawer.

3) What is the charge-time (0% to 100%), and do any Sprint apps run in the background and affect the longevity of a daily charge?

No idea, actually, how long it takes from zero, but I can confirm that it's slower to charge than most other phones I've used. When I'm on the road, I charge whenever possible. At home, when I'm around Wifi most of the day, I only have to charge at night. Getting a good 12-15 hours out of it.

Your usage on Sprint, more than other networks, depends on how bad your signal is. And Sprint's horrid where I live.

4) Are you able to use simultaneous voice and data?

No go on EVDO Rev. A, obviously. Didn't get to test on LTE. See the OP for why.

5) Can you run some Speedtest app samples on LTE?

Again, read the OP. I'll put a screenie in the review, but I was only seeing 6 or so down, 1.3 or so up. Again, read the OP for why I'm not taking that as gospel.

6) Are you having any issues with the capacitive buttons? Some folks say they need to hit them several times to register a hit.

I think some folks are still getting used to the buttons. I've been using an M7 for a month now (three devices, actually) and have had no problems.

7) Are you having any issues with the headphone jack, or a low hissing? This is another reported problem.

The headphone jack makes no sound. Nor did I hear anything after plugging in my IE2s. (Interestingly: Plug in headphones and change the volume, and the volume level sound still comes from the speakers. WTF?)

8) Does the Sprint version come with all the same accessories as the int'l version, i.e. headphones, charger, cable, etc.?

Assuming the box I have is a white-label retail box, yes.

9) Can the headphones with the one-button remote be configured to do more than just answer/end a call, for instance, using an app like Headset Button Controller?

Dunno. Will play with that later.

10) I know you're job is to review stock models and versions of OEM hardware, but can you please, please, please load Nova or Apex and explain whether it gets ride of Blinkfeed, alters the lockscreen into something akin to 4.2.2, and how much of the app tray it alters into looking more like Jellybean? I'm curious to know where HTC leaves off and 3rd party launchers pick up.

Third-party launchers (I really don't like that term -- they're apps, just like any other) work just as they're supposed to. As Blinkfeed is part of the HTC launcher, it goes bye bye, too. (That said, I used the stock launcher for a long time without ever seeing Blinkfeed. Folks got way too worked up over that.) I've been using Action Launcher on it for a week or so without issue.

Thanks, as always, for your hard work.

No, thank you guys.

What a wonderful job Phil! Thanks!

Sent from my amazing HTC ONE Quietly brilliant!

Awesome answers, Phil. Thanks for the prompt reply!

Originally Posted by Phil Nickinson

LTE runs off the "external" SIM, just like a normal phone. ;)

I don't know what the above means. I just want to know: Does the phone have an external SIM slot that I can pop in a SIM card when I travel to another country?