This is an overview of my experience thus far with the HTC One. I will start off by saying that all of my smartphones to date have been HTC devices (EVO3D, EVO4GLTE, and HTC One). Also, the HTC One is the first smartphone that I've paid full price for. So here is my story:
Design, Materials, and Assembly:
I picked up my One on release day and was immediately impressed with how easy HTC made it to transfer all of my content from my previous device. I had high expectations about the build quality for the One. HTC delivered and the hype surrounding that aspect was justified in my eyes. I did notice the very small gaps on the top area of the phone. I would NOT have noticed them, until I read about it on a few forums (and YouTube videos). The materials used were very good along with the finishing touches applied to them. I've stopped using a case and have only used the screen protector and a skin protector for the back. The polycarbonate around the edges is a nice touch. However, it will incur damage in the form of scratches that can't be removed. I have a few light scratches on the side trim. That's no fault of the material, but simply being exposed to objects in my pocket (keys, coins, etc.). I understood the risk when I decided to not use a protective case, and I don't regret it one iota. I actually like picking up my One for no reason, other than to hold it and stare at it. I'd say this device was more than worth paying full price for. HTC really put everything they had into designing the One and it shows.
Performance:
This is the most responsive device I've ever used. It's so fast, that I don't use Nova launcher to improve UI performance. Using my Nexus 7 after handling the One, makes it seem sluggish in comparison. Everything from the transitions, scrolling, boot times, application loading, picture loading, web browsing, device unlocking, and screen rotation have exceeded my expectations from a performance standpoint.
User Interface:
I love Sense 5 and I've found myself using BlinkFeed more than I initially thought I would. My "snacking" on information, should have caused me to gain about 12 lbs by now. I'm actually glad they changed how shortcuts are added to screens. I found it annoying by having to hold an app icon and then drag it to a location on the screen. I've seen the videos where, from the app drawer, you can drag an icon to the "shortcut"option, and add it to applicable screen. HTC has simplified this process for me. I press and hold on my homescreen until the widget drawer appears. I would select "Apps" from the drop-down to bring up the app selections. From there I can add up to 12 app shortcuts to my homescreen just by tapping each icon from this single interface. This is more convenient that having to press, hold, and release for each one. I also love the subtle animations they do for the weather icons. I thought they had abandoned that feature, until I noticed raindrops falling from the cloud icon when I unlocked my phone.
Sound:
BoomSound is as loud, rich, and clear as they claim. After watching videos on YouTube and playing games on the One, I can't go back to using a smartphone that doesn't have front facing stereo speakers. I know HTC isn't the first company to use front-facing speakers, but by using the Beats-amplified approach, they have set a new standard for smartphone sound. The ringtones and alerts are the loudest that I've ever heard. The call quality when using the speakerphone is amazing. Every reviewer was correct when stating that, you have to hear it for yourself to see why the reviews give such praise to BoomSound.
Display:
HTC has outdone themselves again with the One. Last year, I felt that the One X/EVO had the best looking display, especially when viewing outdoors. The SLCD3 used on the One, is the best I've seen with regards to indoor viewing, outdoor viewing, auto-brightness, clarity, and contrast collectively. Again, this makes other displays seem inferior when using them. I have not noticed any stuck pixels as of yet.
Camera:
I love it and use this feature more than anything. I love the highlights created by HTC Zoe. It has not gotten old, although I'd like to customize the soundtrack some. The camera quality is the best I've seen on an HTC device. For low-light still shots, the Ultrapixels make a huge difference. Some of the scenes I'd composed, left me wondering how it managed to pick up light that I could barely see with my own eyes. It works very well, so I'll gladly accept that. The macro shots that the One takes are the best I've seen out of all the smartphones I've used. The HDR is a mixed bag for me. I'm not too crazy about some of the HDR shots that require the use of the flash. If I'm taking pictures of a moving subject, the end result isn't good (when the flash is engaged). I notice a blurring/ghosting effect, that usually cause me to disable the flash completely. When the flash isn't used, the HDR photos look excellent and exceed my expectations. The front-facing camera IMO is the best out there. Aside from the extreme wide-angle profile, the quality (still-shots and video) is much better than I though it would be.
Video:
I've been very critical about the video recording performance of my past HTC devices. This time, I'm glad they allowed the ability to lock the focus when recording video. The auto-focus seemed to aggressive at times, but I'm glad there is an option to get around that. I still notice a drop in frame rate when compensating for low light conditions (not sure if this can be resolved without sacrificing image quality). However, it has managed to retain the brightness and color saturation when recording in low light. The OIS should become a mandate for video recording. I amazed at the difference this makes for video recording. When the lighting doesn't require increasing the exposure compensation, the video quality is impressive. The audio quality is very good for videos. The only think I noticed from time to time, is a clicking sound that I hear during playback. I don't know why it happens, but it's noticeable when I'm playing back the clips on my desktop.
Battery:
For me, it's excellent. I posted some screenshots of the battery life when using a 4G LTE network. I didn't think it would have performed as well as it did, but I'm convinced that HTC has optimized their software very well. If history repeats itself, they will release an update that improves the battery life even more. I do carry my external charger with me sometimes, but I've not had to use it yet (or come close to it).
Summary:
Based on my needs and usage patterns, the HTC One is the best purchase I'd made for myself. I'm aware I didn't cover the IR Blaster and TV app (I'll just say they perform flawlessly and are very convenient). As for updates, I'm more concerned about patches that resolve bugs or improve performance more so than having the latest Android OS version. HTC has been really good at making sure those type of updates are delivered in a timely manner. If they (along with the carriers) manage to release OS updates in a decent time frame, it would be nice but it's not a deal breaker for me.
I do not see an annulment in my immediate future and I hope that anyone that has made an investment in the HTC One, gets as much enjoyment out of it as I do. If not, at a minimum, I hope you will end up investing into something else that meets both your needs and expectations. If I've managed to entertain your boredom, then my work here is done
Design, Materials, and Assembly:
I picked up my One on release day and was immediately impressed with how easy HTC made it to transfer all of my content from my previous device. I had high expectations about the build quality for the One. HTC delivered and the hype surrounding that aspect was justified in my eyes. I did notice the very small gaps on the top area of the phone. I would NOT have noticed them, until I read about it on a few forums (and YouTube videos). The materials used were very good along with the finishing touches applied to them. I've stopped using a case and have only used the screen protector and a skin protector for the back. The polycarbonate around the edges is a nice touch. However, it will incur damage in the form of scratches that can't be removed. I have a few light scratches on the side trim. That's no fault of the material, but simply being exposed to objects in my pocket (keys, coins, etc.). I understood the risk when I decided to not use a protective case, and I don't regret it one iota. I actually like picking up my One for no reason, other than to hold it and stare at it. I'd say this device was more than worth paying full price for. HTC really put everything they had into designing the One and it shows.
Performance:
This is the most responsive device I've ever used. It's so fast, that I don't use Nova launcher to improve UI performance. Using my Nexus 7 after handling the One, makes it seem sluggish in comparison. Everything from the transitions, scrolling, boot times, application loading, picture loading, web browsing, device unlocking, and screen rotation have exceeded my expectations from a performance standpoint.
User Interface:
I love Sense 5 and I've found myself using BlinkFeed more than I initially thought I would. My "snacking" on information, should have caused me to gain about 12 lbs by now. I'm actually glad they changed how shortcuts are added to screens. I found it annoying by having to hold an app icon and then drag it to a location on the screen. I've seen the videos where, from the app drawer, you can drag an icon to the "shortcut"option, and add it to applicable screen. HTC has simplified this process for me. I press and hold on my homescreen until the widget drawer appears. I would select "Apps" from the drop-down to bring up the app selections. From there I can add up to 12 app shortcuts to my homescreen just by tapping each icon from this single interface. This is more convenient that having to press, hold, and release for each one. I also love the subtle animations they do for the weather icons. I thought they had abandoned that feature, until I noticed raindrops falling from the cloud icon when I unlocked my phone.
Sound:
BoomSound is as loud, rich, and clear as they claim. After watching videos on YouTube and playing games on the One, I can't go back to using a smartphone that doesn't have front facing stereo speakers. I know HTC isn't the first company to use front-facing speakers, but by using the Beats-amplified approach, they have set a new standard for smartphone sound. The ringtones and alerts are the loudest that I've ever heard. The call quality when using the speakerphone is amazing. Every reviewer was correct when stating that, you have to hear it for yourself to see why the reviews give such praise to BoomSound.
Display:
HTC has outdone themselves again with the One. Last year, I felt that the One X/EVO had the best looking display, especially when viewing outdoors. The SLCD3 used on the One, is the best I've seen with regards to indoor viewing, outdoor viewing, auto-brightness, clarity, and contrast collectively. Again, this makes other displays seem inferior when using them. I have not noticed any stuck pixels as of yet.
Camera:
I love it and use this feature more than anything. I love the highlights created by HTC Zoe. It has not gotten old, although I'd like to customize the soundtrack some. The camera quality is the best I've seen on an HTC device. For low-light still shots, the Ultrapixels make a huge difference. Some of the scenes I'd composed, left me wondering how it managed to pick up light that I could barely see with my own eyes. It works very well, so I'll gladly accept that. The macro shots that the One takes are the best I've seen out of all the smartphones I've used. The HDR is a mixed bag for me. I'm not too crazy about some of the HDR shots that require the use of the flash. If I'm taking pictures of a moving subject, the end result isn't good (when the flash is engaged). I notice a blurring/ghosting effect, that usually cause me to disable the flash completely. When the flash isn't used, the HDR photos look excellent and exceed my expectations. The front-facing camera IMO is the best out there. Aside from the extreme wide-angle profile, the quality (still-shots and video) is much better than I though it would be.
Video:
I've been very critical about the video recording performance of my past HTC devices. This time, I'm glad they allowed the ability to lock the focus when recording video. The auto-focus seemed to aggressive at times, but I'm glad there is an option to get around that. I still notice a drop in frame rate when compensating for low light conditions (not sure if this can be resolved without sacrificing image quality). However, it has managed to retain the brightness and color saturation when recording in low light. The OIS should become a mandate for video recording. I amazed at the difference this makes for video recording. When the lighting doesn't require increasing the exposure compensation, the video quality is impressive. The audio quality is very good for videos. The only think I noticed from time to time, is a clicking sound that I hear during playback. I don't know why it happens, but it's noticeable when I'm playing back the clips on my desktop.
Battery:
For me, it's excellent. I posted some screenshots of the battery life when using a 4G LTE network. I didn't think it would have performed as well as it did, but I'm convinced that HTC has optimized their software very well. If history repeats itself, they will release an update that improves the battery life even more. I do carry my external charger with me sometimes, but I've not had to use it yet (or come close to it).
Summary:
Based on my needs and usage patterns, the HTC One is the best purchase I'd made for myself. I'm aware I didn't cover the IR Blaster and TV app (I'll just say they perform flawlessly and are very convenient). As for updates, I'm more concerned about patches that resolve bugs or improve performance more so than having the latest Android OS version. HTC has been really good at making sure those type of updates are delivered in a timely manner. If they (along with the carriers) manage to release OS updates in a decent time frame, it would be nice but it's not a deal breaker for me.
I do not see an annulment in my immediate future and I hope that anyone that has made an investment in the HTC One, gets as much enjoyment out of it as I do. If not, at a minimum, I hope you will end up investing into something else that meets both your needs and expectations. If I've managed to entertain your boredom, then my work here is done
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