AS ATC's new flagship smartphone, the HTC One is packed to the rafters with top-notch components and technologies including some of the latest processing gear from Qualcomm. Inaddition to being state of the art, the successor to 2012's HTC one x is lovingly crafted from premium metals, leaving no doubt that the Taiwanese smartphone manufacturerr has put a considerable amount of blood, sweat, and tears into this handset. The camera isn't quite as revolutionary as advertised. Android purists may not love HTC's Sense UI skin, and the One's nonremovable BlinkFeed news reader isn't particularly welcome.
Details also look extremely crisp, which makes me eager to stack the One's display against that of the Galaxy S4. I suspect that Samsung's latest monster will offer higher contrast and brighter colors, but the jury is still out until I place both handsets side by side.
HTC also makes a big deal about the One's all-aluminum chassis, describing it as using a zero-gap unibody design. Indeed, available in black and silver, the handset feels sturdy, has reassuring heft, and its smooth, metallic skin exudes high-end craftsmanship. HTC also took pains to point out that while the thin, white trim encircling the silver model I manhandled appears to be plastic, it is, in fact, metal.
In another interesting twist, dual speakers (one on each side of the screen) act in unison to deliver a more lively audio experience for watching movies or listening to music. Paired with an onboard amplifier and Beats technology, HTC has given the system the rather unfortunate name BoomSound. It reminds me of the kind of cheesy trademark Philips used to plaster all over its old boom boxes.
That said, the One's speakers do pack a hefty punch, producing rich audio with a satisfying helping of bass. The phone's audio system has wide stereo separation as well, plus a surprising amount of volume.
No comments:
Post a Comment