HTC One - returned it today

[erio8]

I just returned my by 64gb HTC One today. This is the first phone I have ever returned. I received it yesterday and spent over 24 hours setting it up and playing with all the features. I know many might say I should have given it more time. However, I don't think any more time would have made a difference. Now I’m back to my iphone 4. I’ve had an iphone since they first came out, but wanted to try something different. I had never really spent much time on an android phone. I read all the rave reviews and was really hyped up about the phone. I really wanted to like this phone. It’s an amazing phone with good build quality, but I wouldn’t say it’s as good as an iphone. The parts are high quality but I don't think it's built as well as the iphone. It certainly has more options and is more customizable. If I were a software engineer I might consider getting this phone. It was just too finicky for me…much less user friendly. There were several things that turned me off. Many of them related to email which is something I used a lot. These certainly might not be important for everyone:

-Email does not allow you to search on the respective servers. This is something I do quite frequently. You can only search the downloaded emails for a given period of time, ie 30 days. I was told this is the same for all android phones.

-Exchange emails that I read kept showing up as unread.

-Text of email doesn’t fit screen and requires you to pan over the screen to look at entire email. Also, it will only download the text and not the images of the email unless you select that for each email. There is no way to select this as a default for all emails.

-Harder to navigate both within and between individual applications.

-Power button functions as home button on top of the phone. They should have put a home button on the front like the iphone. It's so much easier to access.

-Poor customer support. Called in and the guy calling had no clue how to help me. Worse than Apple. He was feeding me total BS and didn’t know much about the phone.

-I used htc sync to transfer my information over to the iPhone, but it didn’t save many important email addresses I use on a daily basis.

-Couldn’t find email downloads after downloading and no way to open them without downloading. I had to search the Android forums to find a program that allows you to organize your files. This took forever and I still didn’t like how the app worked. Again, not user friendly.

-Phone felt like it would easily slip out of my hand.

-No imessage

-No FaceTime

-Voicemail. I tried an app (youmail) that didn't work as well as the iphone voicemail.

These were all the main cons I can think of at this time.

Pros:
-Beautiful large screen
-Customizable
-Fast processor

I'm glad I gave it a trial. I’ll wait for the next iphone.

 

[thehustleman]

Most of that can be solved with an app

 

[erio8]

Most of that can be solved with an app

I'm sure but I don't have time to search for the perfect app. Iphone has all that build in the phone.

 

[bmac4]

I just returned my by 64gb HTC One today. This is the first phone I have ever returned. I received it yesterday and spent over 24 hours setting it up and playing with all the features. I know many might say I should have given it more time. However, I don't think any more time would have made a difference. Now I’m back to my iphone 4. I’ve had an iphone since they first came out, but wanted to try something different. I had never really spent much time on an android phone. I read all the rave reviews and was really hyped up about the phone. I really wanted to like this phone. It’s an amazing phone with good build quality, but I wouldn’t say it’s as good as an iphone. The parts are high quality but it’s doesn’t seem it’s built as well as the iphone. It certainly has more options and is more customizable than the iphone. If I were a software engineer I might consider getting this phone. It was just to0 finicky for me…much less user friendly. There were several things that turned me off. Many of them related to email which is something I used a lot. These certainly might not be important for everyone:

-Email does not allow you to search on the respective servers. This is something I do quite frequently. You can only search the downloaded emails for a given period of time, ie 30 days. I was told this is the same for all android phones.

-Exchange emails that I read kept showing up as unread.

-Text of email doesn’t fit screen and requires you to pan over the screen to look at entire email. Also, it will only download the text and not the images of the email unless you select that for each email. There is no way to select this as a default for all emails.

-Harder to navigate both within and between individual applications.

-Power button on top of the phone. They should have put it on the front like the iphone. It's so much easier to access.

-Poor customer support. Called in the guy calling had no clue how to help me. Worse than Apple. I was feeding me total BS and didn’t know much about the phone.

-I used htc sync to save my contacts, but it didn’t save many important email addresses I use daily

-Couldn’t find email downloads after downloading and no way to open them without downloading. I had to search the Android forums to find a program that allows you to organize your files. This took forever and I still didn’t like how the app worked. Again, not user friendly.

Pros:
-Beautiful large screen
-Customizable
-Fast processor

I'm glad I gave it a trial. I’ll wait for the next iphone.

Why do people key saying this? It is not an iPhone, and most all android phones have the sleep/wake button on top or the side. It just takes some getting use to.

 

[MRU]

. It’s an amazing phone with - No removable battery (+ HTC's reputation for poor battery life)

battery life on the one is generally very good, and the iPhone hasn't had a removal battery ever... So what's the difference?

-Text of email doesn’t fit screen and requires you to pan over the screen to look at entire email. Also, it will only download the text and not the images of the email unless you select that for each email. There is no way to select this as a default for all emails.

change the mail size limit in settings to more than 'header only' and it will download the images automatically. It doesn't do this by default to save mobile data

-Harder to navigate both within and between individual applications.

dont understand this. Navigating between applications is the same as iOS - click home, select different app ?

-Power button on top of the phone. They should have put it on the front like the iphone. It's so much easier to access.

power button on the iPhone is also on top, your confusing home button with power button.

-Poor customer support. Called in the guy calling had no clue how to help me. Worse than Apple. I was feeding me total BS and didn’t know much about the phone.

we can't comment because we don't know what you were asking them.

-I used htc sync to save my contacts, but it didn’t save many important email addresses I use daily

it should sync without issue, especially if you opt to restore from an iPhone backup. However its always preferable to use google account for contacts if your ever going through android devices.

-Couldn’t find email downloads after downloading and no way to open them without downloading. I had to search the Android forums to find a program that allows you to organize your files. This took forever and I still didn’t like how the app worked. Again, not user friendly.

the downloads app didn't give you a clue?

Pros:
-Beautiful large screen
-Customizable
-Fast processor

I'm glad I gave it a trial. I’ll wait for the next iphone.

sure the iPhone 5S will suit you, hopefully iOS 7 doesn't bring the big changes most are hoping for otherwise you'll be lost

 

[erio8]

Why do people key saying this? It is not an iPhone, and most all android phones have the sleep/wake button on top or the side. It just takes some getting use to.

It's a nice feature offered on the iphone. What more can I say. If android phone makers want to compete with the iphone they need to make it more user friendly and provide better customer support by listening to their customers and testing the phones with long time iphone users.

 

[bmac4]

It's a nice feature offered on the iphone. What more can I say. If android phone makers want to compete with the iphone they need to make it more user friendly and provide better customer support by listening to their customers and testing the phones with long time iphone users.

Oh dear I am done here. Should not have wasted my time. Just don't bother trying android again.

 

[Dr McKay]

It's a nice feature offered on the iphone. What more can I say. If android phone makers want to compete with the iphone they need to make it more user friendly and provide better customer support by listening to their customers and testing the phones with long time iphone users.

What exactly isn't user friendly about it? I found the iPhone to be very user unfriendly to me.

 

[rockitdog]

LOL, the OP is exactly why Android heads look at iPhones users and laugh! You can't have used an operating for years and then expect to know and understand and completely feel comfortable with it 24 hours. What a goof! Dude, give it at least a week. I was a former 3GS & 4S user who experimented with Adnroid last summer and decided to go back to iOS but ever since the Android opperating system has been intreaguing me more and more- so much so that I am probably going to purchase the One next week. It takes time for things to gel and become comfortable with- things just don't change overnight.

It's probably better, I'm sure that Andoird was too advanced for the OP anyway especially if he's not willing to try out different Apps.

 

[erio8]

Look I'm just giving my personal opinion of the phone. I'm sure many may like it better than the iPhone. This is why I don't like posting such threads. People are too sensitive. It's only a phone. The prefer the iPhone....so what. At least I gave the Htc a shot. I may try an android again in the future.

 

[thekev]

It's a nice feature offered on the iphone. What more can I say. If android phone makers want to compete with the iphone they need to make it more user friendly and provide better customer support by listening to their customers and testing the phones with long time iphone users.

What makes one better than the other? You're used to to the first, but what would make the iphone's method better if you weren't coming from one or the other?

 

[erio8]

LOL, the OP is exactly why Android heads look at iPhones users and laugh! You can't have used an operating for years and then expect to know and understand and completely feel comfortable with it 24 hours. What a goof! Dude, give it at least a week. I was a former 3GS & 4S user who experimented with Adnroid last summer and decided to go back to iOS but ever since the Android opperating system has been intreaguing me more and more- so much so that I am probably going to purchase the One next week. It takes time for things to gel and become comfortable with- things just don't change overnight.

It's probably better, I'm sure that Andoird was too advanced for the OP anyway especially if he's not willing to try out different Apps.

I bet you wouldn't talk me like that in my face and not behind the keyboard. Dudes like you ruin forums. Have some respect.

 

[Assault]

It's a nice feature offered on the iphone. What more can I say. If android phone makers want to compete with the iphone they need to make it more user friendly and provide better customer support by listening to their customers and testing the phones with long time iphone users.

Erio, it takes more than a day to learn everything about Android, coming from iOS. That said, Android is very intuitive, where iOS is actually counter-intuitive. The Sense UI is where issues come into play. I cant stand Sense. I prefer stock Vanilla Android or derivitives of AOSP or AOKP (stands for Android Open Source Project or Android Open Kang Project).

As for your first post, you have to learn that each app has it's own settings feature, which includes GMail. If you were using HTC's email, that may have been a huge problem? GMail gives you everything you wanted, you just have to alter the settings. Takes 15 seconds.

Exchange email on GMail, works perfect. I have an Outlook, Hotmail and Yahoo email account all synced and opens within GMail. I even have them color coded and tabbed. Easy to archive with a simple swipe.

Text and images fit just fine. Just have to click the "Fit in" option under settings.

Navigating and multi-tasking on Android is vastly superior to iOS. You can add 3rd party apps to use swiping from edges, use a Pie control method, use a virtual Navigation button, certain launchers have this ability or simply hit the back, home, recents or menu button. (Not sure which ones the HTC One has?)

Power button and layout of the buttons are just plain bad. No arguing here.

Voicemail. Google Voice can handle all voicemail, to include transcribing tthe entire message if you want it to.

No iMessage - duh. Google has Google Talk and there is a slew of messenger apps.
Google just didn't steal Blackberry Messenger and then file a patent and call it iMessage, preventing other companies from using the feature with iPhones.

I have never used a HTC phone, but the way the One is laid out, is completely wrong for anyone having used an Android phone before. Why they decided to change button placement, is beyond me. You could also have very valid points regarding the Sense UI. I prefer stock Android and find it extremely easy to use. I do have a feeling that the HTC One will be returned in high numbers, simply because both Android and iOS adopters will hate the layout and probably not like Sense UI. And how many ROMS will there be? Probably not many if it isn't a popular phone.

 

[erio8]

. It’s an amazing phone with - No removable battery (+ HTC's reputation for poor battery life)

battery life on the one is generally very good, and the iPhone hasn't had a removal battery ever... So what's the difference?

-Text of email doesn’t fit screen and requires you to pan over the screen to look at entire email. Also, it will only download the text and not the images of the email unless you select that for each email. There is no way to select this as a default for all emails.

change the mail size limit in settings to more than 'header only' and it will download the images automatically. It doesn't do this by default to save mobile data

-Harder to navigate both within and between individual applications.

dont understand this. Navigating between applications is the same as iOS - click home, select different app ?

-Power button on top of the phone. They should have put it on the front like the iphone. It's so much easier to access.

power button on the iPhone is also on top, your confusing home button with power button.

-Poor customer support. Called in the guy calling had no clue how to help me. Worse than Apple. I was feeding me total BS and didn’t know much about the phone.

we can't comment because we don't know what you were asking them.

-I used htc sync to save my contacts, but it didn’t save many important email addresses I use daily

it should sync without issue, especially if you opt to restore from an iPhone backup. However its always preferable to use google account for contacts if your ever going through android devices.

-Couldn’t find email downloads after downloading and no way to open them without downloading. I had to search the Android forums to find a program that allows you to organize your files. This took forever and I still didn’t like how the app worked. Again, not user friendly.

the downloads app didn't give you a clue?

Pros:
-Beautiful large screen
-Customizable
-Fast processor

I'm glad I gave it a trial. I’ll wait for the next iphone.

sure the iPhone 5S will suit you, hopefully iOS 7 doesn't bring the big changes most are hoping for otherwise you'll be lost

Yes I meant the home button. The power button has to be used when the phone is locked or in standby.

 

[daveathall]

I would have given it a little longer TBH, but if it's not for you, thats fine, at least you gave it a try and have scratched the itch. Enjoy your iPhone, although I prefer Android I still think that the iPhone is superb.

 

[Kashsystems]

Exchange email on GMail, works perfect. I have an Outlook, Hotmail and Yahoo email account all synced and opens within GMail. I even have them color coded and tabbed. Easy to archive with a simple swipe.

This I have to disagree with on, in one aspect. In this day and age were many corporations use Exchange for their hosted email, Exchange should work out of the box without relying on a third party service or software.

 

[erio8]

What makes one better than the other? You're used to to the first, but what would make the iphone's method better if you weren't coming from one or the other?

When the phone is sitting there and you want to open something you just press down on the phone with one finger. Also, it's easier to turn in with one hand when holding the phone. Easier to navigate as well.

 

[Assault]

This I have to disagree with on, in one aspect. In this day and age were many corporations use Exchange for their hosted email, Exchange should work out of the box without relying on a third party service or software.

uh, GMail is the defacto Google email client. Just because Samsung, HTC, Sony, etc.. decide to put their own crapware on the phone, does not mean you have to use it. In fact you can completely disable it and replace it with GMail, making GMail the default email application.

Again, it takes more than a day to learn how Android works and the things that can be customized. If you have only ever known iOS, you have no idea how held back you have been and how much more capable Android phones are. But it will take some time to learn the OS. That is, and never will be, in question.

 

[Kashsystems]

uh, GMail is the defacto Google email client. Just because Samsung, HTC, Sony, etc.. decide to put their own crapware on the phone, does not mean you have to use it. In fact you can completely disable it and replace it with GMail, making GMail the default email application.

Again, it takes more than a day to learn how Android works and the things that can be customized. If you have only ever known iOS, you have no idea how held back you have been and how much more capable Android phones are. But it will take some time to learn the OS. That is, and never will be, in question.

I meant that more as a knock against HTC. There are many people out there in the world want their phone to "just work" regardless of the OS and if HTC offers their own default mail program it should just work with Exchange out of the box with no issues.

 

[MRU]

I meant that more as a knock against HTC. There are many people out there in the world want their phone to "just work" regardless of the OS and if HTC offers their own default mail program it should just work with Exchange out of the box with no issues.

I set up an exchange account without issue just entered my details into Microsoft exchange ActiveSync and it synced no problem in mail. I haven't a clue why the OP had issues.

 

[Assault]

When the phone is sitting there and you want to open something you just press down on the phone with one finger. Also, it's easier to turn in with one hand when holding the phone. Easier to navigate as well.

So, the phone is in sleep mode, with no applications running and you just tap the screen and it turns on? You don't touch any of the buttons? I'd like to see that video.

And the iPhone has a 3.99" display vs HTC One with a 4.7" screen. Easier to manipulate with one hand? Yeah, I would agree. But I can handle the S3, which is even bigger, just fine with one hand.

 

[blairh]

OP I think you returned your One too quickly. I see no harm in giving it at least a week to learn how to use it better and to get a better impression of the device.

I'm not sure why you called HTC. I'm pretty sure you could have received an answer to any question you had by either looking online or asking a sales rep at your carrier.

The lack of iMessage is a con for sure however if you text a lot with one person or a select few then there are easy alternatives like Whatsapp. Also the One will soon get Google Bable which will most likely be Android's answer to iMessage.

Having said all that, I have no serious problem with you returning your One. I do think you should have given it at least a few more days. Also I find it strange that something like the lack of a home button to wake your One bothered you when you already knew this was the case before purchasing the phone.

The reviews have been glowing across the board for the One. Unless it suffers from some issue that hasn't been unveiled just yet, I think it's going to be the hit HTC so desperately needs.

 

[erio8]

So, the phone is in sleep mode, with no applications running and you just tap the screen and it turns on? You don't touch any of the buttons? I'd like to see that video.

And the iPhone has a 3.99" display vs HTC One with a 4.7" screen. Easier to manipulate with one hand? Yeah, I would agree. But I can handle the S3, which is even bigger, just fine with one hand.

You just have to touch the home button. Not just the screen. That is what I meant to say.

 

[Kashsystems]

I set up an exchange account without issue just entered my details into Microsoft exchange ActiveSync and it synced no problem in mail. I haven't a clue why the OP had issues.

The only other thing I was wondering is if the OP was on an older exchange server like 2003, because 2003 had a ton of issues with mobile devices.

 

[Stuntman06]

It's a nice feature offered on the iphone. What more can I say. If android phone makers want to compete with the iphone they need to make it more user friendly and provide better customer support by listening to their customers and testing the phones with long time iphone users.

I do like the home buttom myself. I own a Galaxy S3 and like the fact that when my phone is in the car mount, I can wake it by pressing on the front home button. On my old Desire Z, I had to hit the power button at the top.

This feature is more of personal preference than anything else. You should see how many S3 owners complain that there is a home button on the front like the iPhone.

Regarding user friendliness, I do find that when I first tried using the iPhone, I had some difficulties with it due to the fact that it is different than Android phones. It cause some frustration until I figured out some of those differences which are not so subtle sometimes. You as a long time iPhone user would likely experience some frustrations on the fact that the HTC One is not an iPhone.

Look I'm just giving my personal opinion of the phone. I'm sure many may like it better than the iPhone. This is why I don't like posting such threads. People are too sensitive. It's only a phone. The prefer the iPhone....so what. At least I gave the Htc a shot. I may try an android again in the future.

That is fine. You tried out the One and found it just wasn't for you. No harm in that. I also do appreciate your commenting on why you chose to return it. We all have different tastes and are also used to different products. Don't let some of these comments from discouraging you from posting your opinions.

So, the phone is in sleep mode, with no applications running and you just tap the screen and it turns on? You don't touch any of the buttons? I'd like to see that video.

The Nokia N9 has no physical buttons on the front. To wake it, you double tap the screen. This feature is due to be available on the Lumina 920 on an upcoming update.

To wake the BlackBerry Z10, you swipe from off the edge of the screen to across the screen.

And the iPhone has a 3.99" display vs HTC One with a 4.7" screen. Easier to manipulate with one hand? Yeah, I would agree. But I can handle the S3, which is even bigger, just fine with one hand.

It took me a while to get used to the size of the S3. My first impression is that it is a two-handed phone. Over time, I got used to the size and can navigate it with one hand. My old phone was a 3.7" Desire Z.