Thinking of buying an HTC One - I'm on Windows Phone.

[wamsille]

Disclaimer:

Moderators, I am banned on the Windows Phone Central forums. If my posting here is not allowed or consider circumventing a ban, I apologize. Just close the thread and nothing further will come of it.

I currently have a Nokia Lumia 1020 and have been mostly Windows Phone for the last year. I have had stints with a Galaxy S3, Motorola Atrix HD, Nexus 4 and most recently a Samsung Galaxy S4 Active.

Admittedly I don't like what Google does with my information. I don't like the invisible price that I pay with my personal information when my emails are scanned for the purpose of sending me relevant text-based advertising. I have also had my Google Account shut off for reasons I don't quite understand - only for it to be restored with little to no explanation. (I suspect gremlins) My opinions of Google aside, phones running on Android have been among the best pieces of hardware available on the market. While they don't all carry that full package, usually emphasizing one suite of features over others, what I have with the Lumia 1020 is essentially the same.

I appreciate fluid operating systems. I don't like to encounter lag, especially when it is the r+esult of regular usage. Windows Phone may have what some consider "decorative lag", meaning the transitions between apps while tasteful are signs of the device "thinking" before it opens the next task.

My wife has an HTC One. I think the phone is incredible, but admittedly I can take much better photographs with my Lumia 1020. The HTC One is incredibly light and easily pocketable, something the 1020 is certainly not. Right now I tend to use the camera grip accessory on the 1020 because I'm always finding opportunities to take pictures. My wife is great with electronics and has been on Android since the HTC Incredible. She doesn't have as much good luck with the camera (rear or front facing) as some of the shots I see in the forums though. That is a little concerning. No, I don't think it is a defective device.

Considering as of August the One was considered the best Android phone to buy still, I was debating taking the off-contract / Craigslist plunge and picking one up.

Here is what I do on my Lumia 1020:

• Camera - mostly stills, but plenty of video. The camera on the 1020 really does produce great results.
  Music - Xbox Music. 32GB for locally stored music is helpful. Between the pictures and the music I'm usually through 50% of my storage at any point.
  Navigation - I use Here Drive+. I downloaded the entire country to my phone, which is between 2GB and 3GB of space alone. Routing is accurate for the most part but a few streets come up as closed and I'm giving an incorrect detour. This happens with other navigation apps as well. Since Here Drive+ is free that is what I use.
  Games - Oddly enough I play more games on Windows Phone than I thought I would. I don't own an Xbox but I have the Silver account you get when you set up a gamertag and create an Avatar. I get achievements and that, but I'm not really tied into that.
  Cloud Storage - Skydrive is great. Unfortunately Skydrive cannot support the high resolution photos of the Lumia 1020, so I'm limited to the 5MP oversampling I get from the Pro Cam application.

I have a Google Account still, so I have Gmail and I have access to my applications I previously purchased. If I can get over switching my primary email from Outlook back to Google Apps (this would be the third major switch) I'll be OK.

Are there any major glaring cons on the HTC One that I should consider that would perhaps temper my purchase?

 

[Ryandroid86]

Disclaimer:

Moderators, I am banned on the Windows Phone Central forums. If my posting here is not allowed or consider circumventing a ban, I apologize. Just close the thread and nothing further will come of it.

I currently have a Nokia Lumia 1020 and have been mostly Windows Phone for the last year. I have had stints with a Galaxy S3, Motorola Atrix HD, Nexus 4 and most recently a Samsung Galaxy S4 Active.

Admittedly I don't like what Google does with my information. I don't like the invisible price that I pay with my personal information when my emails are scanned for the purpose of sending me relevant text-based advertising. I have also had my Google Account shut off for reasons I don't quite understand - only for it to be restored with little to no explanation. (I suspect gremlins) My opinions of Google aside, phones running on Android have been among the best pieces of hardware available on the market. While they don't all carry that full package, usually emphasizing one suite of features over others, what I have with the Lumia 1020 is essentially the same.

I appreciate fluid operating systems. I don't like to encounter lag, especially when it is the r+esult of regular usage. Windows Phone may have what some consider "decorative lag", meaning the transitions between apps while tasteful are signs of the device "thinking" before it opens the next task.

My wife has an HTC One. I think the phone is incredible, but admittedly I can take much better photographs with my Lumia 1020. The HTC One is incredibly light and easily pocketable, something the 1020 is certainly not. Right now I tend to use the camera grip accessory on the 1020 because I'm always finding opportunities to take pictures. My wife is great with electronics and has been on Android since the HTC Incredible. She doesn't have as much good luck with the camera (rear or front facing) as some of the shots I see in the forums though. That is a little concerning. No, I don't think it is a defective device.

Considering as of August the One was considered the best Android phone to buy still, I was debating taking the off-contract / Craigslist plunge and picking one up.

Here is what I do on my Lumia 1020:

• Camera - mostly stills, but plenty of video. The camera on the 1020 really does produce great results.
  Music - Xbox Music. 32GB for locally stored music is helpful. Between the pictures and the music I'm usually through 50% of my storage at any point.
  Navigation - I use Here Drive+. I downloaded the entire country to my phone, which is between 2GB and 3GB of space alone. Routing is accurate for the most part but a few streets come up as closed and I'm giving an incorrect detour. This happens with other navigation apps as well. Since Here Drive+ is free that is what I use.
  Games - Oddly enough I play more games on Windows Phone than I thought I would. I don't own an Xbox but I have the Silver account you get when you set up a gamertag and create an Avatar. I get achievements and that, but I'm not really tied into that.
  Cloud Storage - Skydrive is great. Unfortunately Skydrive cannot support the high resolution photos of the Lumia 1020, so I'm limited to the 5MP oversampling I get from the Pro Cam application.

I have a Google Account still, so I have Gmail and I have access to my applications I previously purchased. If I can get over switching my primary email from Outlook back to Google Apps (this would be the third major switch) I'll be OK.

Are there any major glaring cons on the HTC One that I should consider that would perhaps temper my purchase?

You might want to look into the Sony Z1.
Amazing camera with a solid looking phone. good size and decent UI.
I see your grippe with google. But to be honest. Its welcome with me.
I dont do top secret stuff over the web or on my phone ( I know some do)
So if google can remember that I looked up things about the Sony Z1 for example. It will have more information ready at my finger tips without me asking. Its more intuitive.
Google has done a great job with balancing making money and ads. They are not annoying like Facebook, or even bing.

 

[wamsille]

I really don't want to pay $500+ for a phone off-contract. For that price I could do something more meaningful, like make a double car payment.

Now I might consider a Nexus 4 (16GB, white) that is going for $200. Wireless charger included.

 

[Ryandroid86]

I really don't want to pay $500+ for a phone off-contract. For that price I could do something more meaningful, like make a double car payment.

Now I might consider a Nexus 4 (16GB, white) that is going for $200. Wireless charger included.

That really is a great phone. I actually have a brand new Nexus 16GB selling for 350 on swappa. Id go check that website. Lots of good stuff there.

 

[sbps1]

I would recommend the HTC One. I have yet to encounter lag (which I got plenty of on my s3). The camera is great if you know how to use it and if you look in the settings you can find toggles for iso, white balance, etc. I am no photographer but with the zoe feature I can't resist to take more and more photos whenever I can. I like how it feels solid like the lumia but still remains thin. The only drawback I can think of is how uncertain you can be with the device. When you buy it, it is like you are gambling you can end up with the best phone ever or one with a few problems. My first one had a big gap between the polycarbonate and the aluminum but that was quickly fixed by a trip to the store and an exchange. My second one is great except for one dead pixel which does not bother me much. It seems fairly common to find one with a few problems but I would not make this a reason to not get the phone just as long as you can exchange it if you need to. It truly is a sexy beast of a phone though. P.S. if you get one get it at a physical store. I got mine at best buy and since they match prices I got it for the low price on amazon

 

[wamsille]

I'm currently using both a Lumia 1020 and an HTC One, just switching out the SIM and such when I want to do a comparison.

HTC One Pros
Thin, lightweight = easily pocketable
Brillant Screen
More official apps
More apps...period
Camera gives quick, respectable shots (zooming in results in loss of detail)
Professional, classy feel
Those speakers
Running Android 4.3

HTC One Cons
Shots taken with the One look great at first, but if I want to work with the image after the fact I run the risk of losing detail
HTC is not known for their support (this matters)
Sense overlay could cause future software update delays
Almost too small (carry a Lumia for two months then use the HTC One)

I'm about to sell the Lumia. I don't like that I would be giving up a 41MP (38MP actual) camera that allows me to capture great photos. I don't like that I'll miss out on Here Drive+ and other Nokia specific apps. I will miss Nokia's unheralded support of the OS, which is on par if not better than Samsung's support of Android.