#DuHTCOne Hands-on

 

The folks at HTC & Du proved there is much good in this world when they sent me the sleek HTC One to check out a few weeks ago. This review is probably a little late to the party with a newer version around the corner, but for the benefit of those who’d like to know, I thought I’d share my views. This is my first fling with HTC and as first impressions go they don’t get much better than this.

This phone feels just right from the get go - a solid metal body, a convenient size suitable for one handed operation, a bright clear 4.7 inch screen with a full 1080P resolution and just about all the bells and whistles you expect from a latest Android based smartphone. I suspect the only phone that might give it a run for its money would be the Samsung S4. 

Graduating from the Galaxy Note, this is a big leap in terms of speed and technology although I did find myself missing some of the features I’m used to. It uses HTC Sense, a tweaked version of stock Android which takes a little getting used to.

The phone looks almost identical from the top or the bottom. I consistently confused myself, fumbling to reach the wake/sleep button only to realize I was pressing on the wrong side. This was a minor quip but only until I got myself a cover with a protective flap. Finding a cover was no mean feat too, having the phone before it’s official release. First world problems such as this I welcome any day.

The sound is what really takes the prize boasting unprecedented clarity. Beats Audio with front facing speakers is just plain genius. 

Battery life is nothing to shout about, which might be expected and even overlooked from a device such as this. Standard usage lasts me a day. Power users can easily drain it in a matter of hours. Also the battery is fixed, forever trapped inside a la iPhone but that is not something that should bother anyone, unless of course your battery dies one day and you need to dig it out. Till that day comes there’s much to enjoy here.

With all this goodness packed into it, no wonder this turned a few heads. Ok I’ll say it, this One’s a keeper.