Smartphones19.02.2013

HTC One unveiled

HTC has officially announced its new Android flagship, finally confirming rumours around the device that the Taiwanese smartphone maker is calling the HTC One.

As with its predecessor, the HTC One will feature a laminated 4.7-inch display with in-plane switching technology, covered with Gorilla glass.

Unlike the HTC One X which came before, the display on the new Android powerhouse will be full HD, powered by the graphics unit of a Qualcomm system-on-chip (SoC).

Despite the similarly sized display, HTC’s director of commercialisation product management, Graham Wheeler, said that the thin form factor makes the device feel smaller.

The HTC One measures 9mm at its thickest point and tapers towards the sides, Wheeler said, explaining that they made the best of the lessons they learned in the design of the HTC 8X Windows Phone.

Wheeler went on to explain that the largest components are placed at the centre of the spine while the camera is mounted flush against the housing.

Some of the other key specifications announced by HTC are summarised in the table below:

Specifications	HTC One
Display	4.7-inch HD (1080×1920) IPS
Storage, internal	32GB
Storage, expandable	No
RAM	2GB
Battery	2300mAh
Cellular data	LTE / HSPA+
NFC	Yes

HTC One rear press shot

Camera

For the camera itself, HTC said it used one of the largest aperture sizes available to smartphones and included an “ultrapixel sensor”.

The HTC One will also get the smartphone manufacturer’s “ImageChip 2”, which it said will offer a number of improvements, including the ability to capture HDR video.

A gyroscopic lens provides optical image stabilisation, which HTC said is able to compensate for camera shake.

The back of the housing into which the camera is fitted will also be all metal, HTC said.

“It took us 12 years, but we have managed to create an all-metal back, integrating all the antennas into the back-cover,” Wheeler said, explaining that metal covers do not usually go well with the radio frequencies cellphones need for connectivity.

Audio hardware

Another new feature HTC said they are introducing with the HTC One is improved audio when recording video at a concert.

Dual microphones with two membranes in each microphone better capture the dynamic range of the sound, HTC said.

The HTC One will also feature dual front-facing speakers.

HTC One video playback press shot

Infrared makes a comeback

The HTC One also includes a feature that hasn’t made it onto a top-end smartphone spec sheet in for a while: an integrated infrared sensor.

In selected countries you will be able to download a channel guide from which you can then change the channel on your TV from the HTC One.

BlinkFeed

HTC also announced a significant deviation from the stock Android experience, as well as a major change in its “HTC Sense” software in the form of its “BlinkFeed”.

This is a new design of the home screen layout that aggregates a user’s social networks and news feeds for a “quick easy way to snack on content that interests you”.

Asked to explain how news content will be made available in the BlinkFeed, Wheeler said that they work with news providers, and that they then in turn send content to an HTC server.

Users can then select news content from specific providers, or by category, to include in their BlinkFeed.

According to HTC they aren’t taking away from the Android experience: users will still be able to access the widget panels and use them as homescreens.

“It’s still an Android phone”, HTC said.

HTC One press shot

Hogwarts-inspired picture capture

Another feature HTC added to the HTC One is recording a 3 second video and taking a bunch of pictures when you push the shutter button on the camera software.

Not only will this let users choose the best picture, but it also lets them create a rich visual experience in the gallery application, HTC explained.

Instead of just showing still previews, moving pictures makes it come alive, almost like the newspapers in Harry Potter, Wheeler said.

The gallery also automatically makes a 30 second video montage of photos shot on that day, using geotags to sort images by location.

HTC said that the idea is to make it easier for users by collating pictures automatically, and not to take control away from the user, so the montage can still be edited afterwards.

Dropbox

As with the HTC One X, the HTC One includes 25GB of Dropbox storage for two years – the duration of a typical cellphone contract.

This gives some hope to those who got an HTC device with the free 25GB included who might be wondering if they’ll continue to receive the benefit when they upgrade.

HTC One press shot

Battery life

Considering that the HTC One boasts an HD display and focuses on a “rich visual experience”, battery life is a growing concern.

Asked about it, Wheeler said that he believes they get exceptional battery life from the HTC One even with all the typically power-hungry functionality that’s been added.

“We spent a long time making sure we have a power-efficient device,” Wheeler said, explaining that they have been ready on the software since Christmas.

Among the areas they focussed on, was bringing down the power consumption of the display itself.

Availability

Speaking about when and where the HTC One will launch, Wheeler said that the device has been phenomenally well-ranged in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, and should be available from mid-March.

He said that there is a lot of interest among carrier partners and that the HTC One will have the widest availability at launch of any previous device.

Though not cast in stone, it is believed that HTC is looking at an April 2013 retail date for South Africa.