***The Official HTC One Thread***

[titaniumx3]

I think the issue with the HTC One's defects is just how jarring they look against the phenomenal quality of the product as a whole. On most phones these defects wouldn't be so apparent because the rest of the build quality isn't so spectacular to begin with. When I briefly had the One, I just couldn't get over this huge disparity in build quality, especially when one of the main selling points of the phone was superior build quality.

It's quite obvious to me that they cut corners at some point in the manufacturing process or there was a massive lack of communication between their design and manufacturing units. I really think HTC shot themselves in the foot here and I can't possibly imagine this corner cutting has paid off for them.

 

[e36Adz]

I've had a chance to inspect mine closely and I can't find any fault with it at all. Finally, a phone that runs Android which surpasses the iPhone in terms of having a high quality premium feel. The weight of the thing is just right imo, I don't like phones that are too heavy or too light. The screen is razor sharp.

This is the first HTC phone I've ever owned so I don't know my way around it yet. I've installed Nova and set things how I prefer, makes the transition a bit easier for me. Also installed a combination of apps and games which simply wasn't possible on my Note 2. Around 14GB worth of games plus Sky Go!

Will test camera and battery life over the next few days but I already know my Note 2 is gone. If you have been on samsung phones for the past few years like me, just go and try this in a shop. Don't even try it, just hold it.

 

[Ricochet J]

Not that kind of software! The other one, it should begin with something like 1.29 or 1.28.

Essentially the phone is picking the wrong ISO to use even if you choose it manually, this has been fixed in the newest version of 1.29 iirc.

e.g.

A photo with the wrong ISO

http://farm1.staticflickr.com/73/191334058_37d30067c5_b.jpg

A photo with the right ISO

http://farm1.staticflickr.com/72/191333773_c21d9e920f_b.jpg

And then in low light:

wrong iso

http://images.anandtech.com/reviews/gadgets/HTC/HTCOne/cameracomp/nightmode-HTC One-6.jpg

right iso

http://images.anandtech.com/reviews/gadgets/HTC/HTCOne/cameracomp/nightmode-HTC One-7.jpg

Hi,

version 1.29.401.12

Is there a fix for the ISO problem or shall I return the handset?

 

[kitch9]

I think the issue with the HTC One's defects is just how jarring they look against the phenomenal quality of the product as a whole. On most phones these defects wouldn't be so apparent because the rest of the build quality isn't so spectacular to begin with. When I briefly had the One, I just couldn't get over this huge disparity in build quality, especially when one of the main selling points of the phone was superior build quality.

It's quite obvious to me that they cut corners at some point in the manufacturing process or there was a massive lack of communication between their design and manufacturing units. I really think HTC shot themselves in the foot here and I can't possibly imagine this corner cutting has paid off for them.

The hyperbole is strong in this one.....

 

[kitch9]

Hi,

version 1.29.401.12

Is there a fix for the ISO problem or shall I return the handset?

LOL, do not return a phone on the basis you've taken a few bad pictures FFS.

Even professional photographers take a lot of shots because they know the vast majority of them will be bunk or not quite good enough, but in the middle of them will be some gems where everything has come together perfectly.

 

[molinari]

I'm very tempted at that price, but I'd be worried about DialAPhone rejecting the redemptions. Do you have any experience with them?

I used them for my HTC One X deal a year ago and had no problems with them. Also, the £100 cashback offer from Quidco expires in 4 days I think.

@Belloni
Many apologies, I have all my info and contract comparisons in a spreadsheet so put the overall info from that in my post. The contract is £36 a month (£648 in total), but with 4 months free (£144), it works out at £28 a month over 18 months (£504 in total). A bit misleading from me, sorry!

 

[Spit]

Sorry it appears I have misjudged the front, The speaker parts look like they are made from plastic it appears not. I haven't handled one yet & won't until my contract is due.

Well hardly anyone even knows about the Nexus 4, Its hardly had the marketing that the S4 & One have had. So maybe that is one reason? First I've heard of the N4 being horrible to handle though. I respect your decision but I disagree & I strongly disagree that the S4 feels more premium

How can you have a strong opinion on the One when you have not even held it?

HTC should be applauded for what they have done and deserve our full support. No one else at the moment has put as much thought into their mobile product over the last 12 months. Radical camera, excellent speakers, a new Sense 5.0, state of the art SoC, fast NAND, 32Gb minimum, premium build quality.

I suppose its a good thing that all we can find to bitch about is a tiny gap problem and the slightly older Jelly Bean version.

Well done HTC and thanks for caring about our tech.

PS. I have played with all of the new phones from the Nexus 4, Xperia Z, Galaxy S4, Nokia 920 and the One. Only the One has ticked all the boxes for me.

Seriously Sony, 2-3 seconds to load the camera app on the Z!

 

[Ricochet J]

LOL, do not return a phone on the basis you've taken a few bad pictures FFS.

Perhaps it is my inability to take great photos, but quite a few of the shots do seem to have a lot of noise in the pictures.

 

[snitcher]

try out a good YouTube HD movie trailer - you'll be amazed by the speakers SQ!

dont even mention the speakers. those speakers sound crystal clear.
i reckon the strong point for the htc is the speaker, that is what sets them apart.

 

[Matteysan]

How can you have a strong opinion on the One when you have not even held it?

HTC should be applauded for what they have done and deserve our full support. No one else at the moment has put as much thought into their mobile product over the last 12 months. Radical camera, excellent speakers, a new Sense 5.0, state of the art SoC, fast NAND, 32Gb minimum, premium build quality.

I suppose its a good thing that all we can find to bitch about is a tiny gap problem and the slightly older Jelly Bean version.

Well done HTC and thanks for caring about our tech.

PS. I have played with all of the new phones from the Nexus 4, Xperia Z, Galaxy S4, Nokia 920 and the One. Only the One has ticked all the boxes for me.

Seriously Sony, 2-3 seconds to load the camera app on the Z!

I didn't say I had a strong opinion on the HTC One, I have a strong opinion of the S4 being more premium though as it simply isn't at all. Like the majority of Samsung products they feel cheap.

 

[Em3bbs]

But yet it doesn't feel cheap at all to me & everyone else I have shown it to. Most people who have asked me about the N4 & asked how much it cost couldn't believe it was so cheap.

What about the plastic on the front of the one? isn't that cheap? must be because of all the gaps......

Oh yeah while I'm at it:



HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAHAHAHAHHAHA. Just no.

I have to ask as you are commenting on the One without even having seen one in real life, but have you held an S4? I have a Nexus 4, a One and an S4 and I'd agree with Fox that the Nexus 4 feels the cheapest of the lot. It's a wonderful device for the money but you can certainly see/feel it's a cheap phone compared to current flagship models. That perception even if a personal opinion hardly warrants your response here.

 

[Matteysan]

I have to ask as you are commenting on the One without even having seen one in real life, but have you held an S4? I have a Nexus 4, a One and an S4 and I'd agree with Fox that the Nexus 4 feels the cheapest of the lot. It's a wonderful device for the money but you can certainly see/feel it's a cheap phone compared to current flagship models.

I haven't held the One no. But I was referring to the S4 feeling more premium than the N4 which to me it isn't as per my last post. I have held a S4.

No i haven't held the One I have only seen pictures, Just the pictures I have seen make the front look like its made out of plastic & I have already said sorry to Fox for my confusion with that.

People seem to think i'm picking on the HTC One? Even though I'm going to be getting one in about a weeks time? If it was that bad I wouldn't be bothering with it! Now the S4 I have strong opinions about.

 

[Ryan-3]

I haven't seen either the N4 or S4 in person, but the front of the One looks a lot better in person than in photo's

For me, the N4 is that price because of its construction and construction materials - which make it very good value. Where as the S4 is made of similar stuff, but has the [sarcasm]amazing "S extras" tacked on, making it worth so much more[/sarcasm]...

 

[stoosh]

It's fairly obvious, no? Plastic things feel cheaper than glass and metal things.

The N4 is a bargain - but it feels like it's a cheaper phone, too. They've put less effort into things like the quality of materials used and more effort into making sure they hit a bargain pricepoint.

We really need to get the 'defect' thing into perspective. It's a small gap where the speaker grille joins the screen. Yes, its annoying. Yes, it winds us perfectionists up because we are ridiculously anal and like things to be perfect but to say it's a negative point against something like an N4 doesn't really work - the N4 doesn't even attempt premium feel in the first place. The reason why there are no gaps between the glass screen and brushed alluminium body on a Nexus 4 is because... err... it doesn't HAVE a brushed aluminium body. It's just made of cheap plastic.

To say that the N4 feels cheaper than the S4 doesnt make sense, having played with a S4 it is better built than the S3 but it still feels quite plastic. The plastic on the S4 makes it feel light whereas the glass front and back on the N4 adds to the weight of it.
No doubt the N4 is made out of plastic but the glass sheet that sits on top of it makes it feel more premium than a phone that is just made out of plastic.

The weight is another factor that adds to the perceived value of a phone and the N4 is certainly heavier than the S4. Yes LG and Google have probably skimped on the materials used to produce the N4 to bring the cost down but isnt that why the N4 is so effective in terms of price against all the other manufacturers in the market? To effectively bring out a phone back late last year that can hold its own in terms of performance yet be so much cheaper in terms of price I know what I would rather do.

In terms of defects on the HO yes we are all perfectionists and expect the best when it comes to shelling out £500 odd for a device but weren't you contemplating returning your HO because of the dust that was settling between in the gap between screen and speaker grille?

The N4 has no such problems with dust or any other build quality issues for that matter and IMO the build quality issues on the HO (the raised screen in particular) are a valid point to make and bring up.

Fortunately I have both the N4 and HO in front of me and yes the HO looks amazing and the materials that are used makes it look and feel like a premium device but you can't discount the N4 and says it looks and feels cheap. It has its own place in a highly competitive mobile industry and I applaud Google and LG for bringing out a phone with a decent feature set (albeit with a poor camera) and sell it sim free for an affordable price and it doesn't IMO feel like a fisher price toy.

Then again you have to give kudos to HTC as well for shaking up the mobile industry and for bringing out a phone which has been designed so well and which uses two front speakers and a ultra pixel camera instead of going for the standard let's chuck in more megapixels to wow the consumer.

 

[Jono8]

I'm excited about receiving my ONE. Got the pre paid package to send my S4 back to Phones4U today so i am hoping they can do a quick turnaround. Hope to receive it by Monday (puts optimistic hat on..).

It will be nice to have something different. Apart from the horrible pink tints on the three S4's i have had, i think i made a mistake with what i wanted from a new phone. It just isnt different enough from my S3.

 

[ShortWarning]

Can someone do me a favour (who isn't on three).

Look up Rayman Jungle run and see if it's compatible with your One.

My device is showing up as "3 HTC HTC One" on the play store and I'm not sure if that is causing compatibility problems.

 

[j224]

Can someone do me a favour (who isn't on three).

Look up Rayman Jungle run and see if it's compatible with your One.

My device is showing up as "3 HTC HTC One" on the play store and I'm not sure if that is causing compatibility problems.

I'm on O2. Mine says 'HTC HTC One' and it's not compatible.

 

[stoosh]

I haven't held the One no. But I was referring to the S4 feeling more premium than the N4 which to me it isn't as per my last post. I have held a S4.

No i haven't held the One I have only seen pictures, Just the pictures I have seen make the front look like its made out of plastic & I have already said sorry to Fox for my confusion with that.

People seem to think i'm picking on the HTC One? Even though I'm going to be getting one in about a weeks time? If it was that bad I wouldn't be bothering with it! Now the S4 I have strong opinions about.

I'm with you on this one, the N4 is more premium feeling than the S4 which uses the same materials as the S3. Granted Samsung have somehow made the S4 to feel more slightly better than the S3 possibly by adding the faux aluminium band around its body.

LG adding a glass front and back to the plastic of the N4 just makes it feel better and weighty than the S4 but that's just my opinion.

You're not picking on the HO, just making some valid points Dude and the majority of the people on this forum have strong opinions about the S4 and its build quality. When you get your HO just enjoy the best of both worlds

I haven't seen either the N4 or S4 in person, but the front of the One looks a lot better in person than in photo's

For me, the N4 is that price because of its construction and construction materials - which make it very good value. Where as the S4 is made of similar stuff, but has the [sarcasm]amazing "S extras" tacked on, making it worth so much more[/sarcasm]...

+1 £289 for a phone which granted has a slightly inferior chipset (S4 Pro vs S4 600) but still is no slouch in terms of performance against a plastic phone which obviously has an amazing display that takes up most of the phone but is over £550 sim free?

I know what I would take in a heartbeat.

 

[Nexus18]

Will have to side with stoosh and Mattey on this , the nexus 4 does feel & look like a premium phone, maybe not quite to the standard of the one s, one, iphones etc. which should be expected considering they have an aluminium and/or unibody chassis instead of plastic and glass.

It certainly feels a lot more premium than the GS 3 imo, haven't held a GS 4 yet but supposedly it feels a bit more premium than the GS 3.

I would have had a N4 in a heartbeat if it weren't for the poor camera overall and some things, which lack in the features department i.e. browser and camera when compared to sense. I really like the phone especially considering the price, I couldn't care less about the CPU chipset as iirc the main advantage of the S600 is simply more power efficient by 45 % (iirc) when the chipset is mostly utilised, the reason the nexus 4 doesn't perform as well in demanding games is due to throttling. I found the screen to be really good overall too.

Of course it won't match the GS 4 and one when it comes to the other hardware stuff but look at the price difference..... £290 VS £500-600

Hi,

version 1.29.401.12

Is there a fix for the ISO problem or shall I return the handset?

Hmm, the fix should be in that update.......

How often does it happen??? With what conditions does it happen in the most? Have you changed any camera settings?

 

[Nexus18]

A good read by a professional photographer who tested the HTC one camera

http://www.bryanv.com/updatesnews/2013/4/22/the-htc-one-camera-review

Also he mentioned an interesting point about the right side blur:

There is also a quirky blur to some of the pictures, especially when taking the picture immediately after tapping on a focal point. I've found that by waiting a second or so between focusing and clicking the shutter, the image tends to sharpen considerably.