FYI: Our Sprint HTC One review is on the way

[Phil Nickinson]

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

 

[Fadakar]

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

 

[patchs]

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.

 

[acrewdog]

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.

 

[Phil Nickinson]

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.

 

[smoveal]

any carrier branding on the Sprint version?

 

[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.

 

[Topgonzo]

Can we see a video please? Any branding?

Sent from my amazing HTC ONE Quietly brilliant!

 

[acrewdog]

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

 

[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?

 

[BigDinCA]

any carrier branding on the Sprint version?

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

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.

 

[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.

 

[Suda]

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.

 

[BigDinCA]

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...

 

[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 ?

 

[somdave2005]

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.

 

[Peter Venkman]

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.

 

[uh60james]

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)

 

[Phil Nickinson]

any carrier branding on the Sprint version?

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

 

[Phil Nickinson]

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.