While the HTC One X has stolen most of the
limelight following the introduction of the Taiwanese company’s new smartphone
range, the handset playing second fiddle - the HTC One S - comes in at a fair
few quid cheaper, not to mention around a millimetre thinner.
HTC
One S
While a solitary millimetre may not sound
much, believe us when we tell you that the One S is a slimline beauty that
manages to pack in an engine room that far exceeds its lean chassis. It’s the
skinniest smartphone HTC has ever made. And it’s a gorgeous looking device as
well. It’s sleek, due to its soft curved edges, and vigorous thanks to its
micro-arc oxidation finish - a process which is usually reserved for satellites
heading into space.
It may not have the quad-core power of its
bigger brother but, with a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor
running the show, it’s no slacker either.
The One S is quick. Very quick. Side by
side with the One X you may notice a slight lag, but that doesn’t mean this
isn’t one of the fastest, slickest Android handsets that we’ve ever come
across. Android here is of the Ice Cream Sandwich flavour, although HTC has
thrown its own Sense UI over the top. Sense 4.0 is a lot less intrusive than previous
versions however and the standard Android setup is there, save for the odd
quirk, such as the annoyingly cramped keyboard.
Other features, such as the card-style
multitasking interface and the vast array of HTC-powered widgets, are rather
nice. Although it will be down to personal preference as to whether these help
or hinder Google’s mobile platform. The One S, despite being a side-kick to the
flagship One X, is still a device that will hit the upper echelons of the
Android hierarchy and its performance certainly supports its lofty status. It
has no problems playing the latest, demanding 3D games (apart from some minor
lag if there are multiple apps still running) and it breezes through HD video
without issue.
The matrix
The 4.3-inch qHD PenTile matrix Super
AMOLED display is fine, with great viewing angles but is no rival to the One
X’s 720p IPS one. So don’t be surprised to find slight colour fringing or a
blue-hue - although you’d have to look closely to notice. Beats Audio is also
onboard but its potential benefits again come down to personal taste.
It’s
the skinniest smartphone HTC has ever made. It’s quick too. One of the fastest,
slickest Android handsets we’ve seen
The handset’s camera setup is on a par with
the X, with high-quality 8-megapixel stills, 1080p HD video recording, a nifty
burst mode, slow motion video capture and more.
Despite the dual-core demands, battery life
is not-too-bad and you can expect a full day’s play before it runs dry. During
our battery stress test it managed a respectable 317 minutes.
If you’re in the market for the seriously
high-end Android smartphone we have no qualms in recommending the One S. It’s a
solid performer with a great, if not fantastic, display and a build quality
that makes it one of the most aesthetically pleasing handsets we’ve seen.
Second fiddle it may play, but it plays it with a confidence and aplomb that
sets it apart from its non-HTC rivals.
What’s it best for
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Web & text
·
Photography
·
Movies & music
·
Apps
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Details
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Price:
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$503
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Website:
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www.clove.co.uk
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Key features
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Supplier:
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www.play.com
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OS:
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Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
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Processor:
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Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 1.5GHz
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Storage:
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16GB
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Camera:
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8MP
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Screen size:
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4.3-inch
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Screen resolution:
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960 x 540
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Weight:
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120g
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Verdict
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Value
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4/5
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Features:
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5/5
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Performance:
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5/5
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Total:
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5/5
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