Is HTC ‘The One’?

Techies give a thumbs up for HTC’s latest bid to stay in the smartphone game. 

Is this The One? Image credit: Wired

The HTC One is “undoubtedly a striking” device, declared Julian Jest, Analyst at Informa Telecoms & Media.

Announced in London and New York overnight, the 4G HTC smartie boasts a 4.7″ Full HD (1080p) screen, 1.7 Ghz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, runs Android Jelly Bean for “blazingly-fast browsing” and spits out a massive 468 pixels-per-inch (PPI).

Jest also commends HTC on “an industrial design rivalling any handset previously released” by HTC or high-end smartphones on the market.

The One will debut in Oz tomorrow night.

The device is highly distinguishable from the “Android mass” in terms of usability and elegance of design and will help “HTC to differentiate its brand from the typical Android identity,” he believes.

 Mashable’s Pete Cashmore agrees.

“The HTC One might be the most consumer-conscious smartphone ever made.

“HTC says it built the One to address the way people actually use their phones today, as opposed to building high-tech features for their own sake (hello, Samsung Share Shot).

“And with a metal design that feels high-end, it’s also a phone consumers will actually want to hold in their hands.”

Wired.com said: “the One is a top-notch, beautifully designed handset packed with the best specs and a ton of compelling features. It also runs a unique, fresh take on Google’s Android operating system.”

“Impressive design, superb look & feel. Now down to getting it in shops in March,” tweeted Ben Wood, Mobile Wireless Analyst for CCS Insight, following the unveiling of One in London.

HTC Sense TV, UltraPixel Camera (300 % more light than traditional smartphone camera sensors) and Blink Feed are just some of the new features found in One.

But its 4.3 Mp camera may still be a drawback for some, in a world where smartphone cameras are 8-13MP normally. 

“Blink Feed” home screen is similar to live tiles perused by Windows Phone 8 devices and is  “particularly unique” says Jest, and “should prove popular with consumers” as it  dynamically provides a view of all relevant information.

However, such functionality could shorten the battery life “quite significantly.” 

The analyst says HTC pounced “an ideal time – iPhone sales are slowing down and advanced users are now desperately looking for more innovative devices” to satisfy their appetite for newer and faster technology.

HTC is currently the No. 2 Android smartphone maker in Australia behind Samsung and ahead of LG and Sony.

However, HTC has to get the pricing right with the One, the Informa Telecoms analyst warns.

But if HTC get it right, it “may just give it the head start it needs to grow its market share ” ahead of Samsung.

But you only know something is The One when you can feel it.

Aussies can cop a feel at Optus, Telstra and Vodafone stores from March.