So, once again, HTC has come out with a killer new phone, and I had to spend some extended time with it...
So here's my thoughts, versus my iPhone 5s. This is NOT an iOS vs Android bash thread, so please keep those sorts of thoughts to themselves.
Build quality:
HTC has absolutely nailed it here. The build quality is absolutely Apple's equal. While it's not quite as sophisticated looking as Apple's 5s, it's undoubtedly the best-feeling Android handset on the market. It's stunning, especially in the gun-metal color I've got here. Gorgeous.
Screen:
As I said about the previous HTC One (M7), HTC has a stunning IPS display here in 1080p. Because the screen is a little larger here than the previous generation One, the PPI is a little lower, but still much, much higher than Apple's "Retina" displays, which quite frankly are not high enough resolution anymore. I have extremely good vision, and for example I like to read http://www.nyt.com on my iPhone (desktop version), but don't zoom in on the text. On the HTC One the text is sharp and clear, whereas the iPhone's Retina display is noticeably more fuzzy.
The idea of a "Retina" display is great marketing, but HTC has much more a Retina display on the HTC One than Apple does. And because it's an IPS LCD, the most important number: the sub-pixels per inch, are noticeably higher than the Samsung Galaxy S4/S5 or any iPhone, and text is much, much sharper on the HTC One.
Sound:
HTC has hit a home-run once again. The sound on the HTC One is the absolute best thing on any phone, ever. Louder and more crisp than even the previous generation HTC One, the dual speakers facing the user during video etc are just brilliant. The HTC One has better sound than anyone iPhone or iPad on the market. Well done, HTC.
Camera:
This is where things get interesting. I know HTC has stuck with the same camera as last year (losing the image stabilization, though), but there's some serious magic going on with the One's dual cameras and U-Focus technology. I'm very, VERY impressed with it.
Here's a quick example at my neighbor's house. I took the original picture, and then just edited it in less than one second to look like the second picture. I'm not saying this technology is perfect, but it's the kind of camera genius I'd expect from Apple, not HTC, and, quite frankly, I think it's brilliant. (notice how much sharper the dog/pillow is in the edited picture, even aside from the yummy bokeh). This literally required one touch on the screen to change the focus point, after the picture was taken.
Before:
After:
Overall, I'm super, super impressed with the new HTC One. I really hope Apple rises to the challenge, as this new HTC is one of the best phones on the market, and without any doubt the best Android phone out there.
So here's my thoughts, versus my iPhone 5s. This is NOT an iOS vs Android bash thread, so please keep those sorts of thoughts to themselves.
Build quality:
HTC has absolutely nailed it here. The build quality is absolutely Apple's equal. While it's not quite as sophisticated looking as Apple's 5s, it's undoubtedly the best-feeling Android handset on the market. It's stunning, especially in the gun-metal color I've got here. Gorgeous.
Screen:
As I said about the previous HTC One (M7), HTC has a stunning IPS display here in 1080p. Because the screen is a little larger here than the previous generation One, the PPI is a little lower, but still much, much higher than Apple's "Retina" displays, which quite frankly are not high enough resolution anymore. I have extremely good vision, and for example I like to read http://www.nyt.com on my iPhone (desktop version), but don't zoom in on the text. On the HTC One the text is sharp and clear, whereas the iPhone's Retina display is noticeably more fuzzy.
The idea of a "Retina" display is great marketing, but HTC has much more a Retina display on the HTC One than Apple does. And because it's an IPS LCD, the most important number: the sub-pixels per inch, are noticeably higher than the Samsung Galaxy S4/S5 or any iPhone, and text is much, much sharper on the HTC One.
Sound:
HTC has hit a home-run once again. The sound on the HTC One is the absolute best thing on any phone, ever. Louder and more crisp than even the previous generation HTC One, the dual speakers facing the user during video etc are just brilliant. The HTC One has better sound than anyone iPhone or iPad on the market. Well done, HTC.
Camera:
This is where things get interesting. I know HTC has stuck with the same camera as last year (losing the image stabilization, though), but there's some serious magic going on with the One's dual cameras and U-Focus technology. I'm very, VERY impressed with it.
Here's a quick example at my neighbor's house. I took the original picture, and then just edited it in less than one second to look like the second picture. I'm not saying this technology is perfect, but it's the kind of camera genius I'd expect from Apple, not HTC, and, quite frankly, I think it's brilliant. (notice how much sharper the dog/pillow is in the edited picture, even aside from the yummy bokeh). This literally required one touch on the screen to change the focus point, after the picture was taken.
Before:
After:
Overall, I'm super, super impressed with the new HTC One. I really hope Apple rises to the challenge, as this new HTC is one of the best phones on the market, and without any doubt the best Android phone out there.
