HTC Tuesday announced the launch of its latest flagship smartphone, the HTC One. The specifications and design are pretty much in line with what we'd seen in several leaks over the past few weeks.
The HTC One comes with a 4.7-inch full-HD display with 468 pixels per inch packed in an aluminium unibody. It is powered by a 1.7GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor alongside 2GB of RAM. HTC One will come in Grey, Black and Red colours with 32GB and 64GB storage options, but without expandable storage. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 802.11 a/ac/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, NFC, Infrared (see below) and Micro-USB.
HTC One runs a completely overhauled Sense UI atop Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.
HTC has done something unique with the HTC One camera, swapping the megapixel race for what it calls the UltraPixel camera. HTC says the One takes photos at 4-megapixels resolution, but claims "the quality of each pixel is substantially higher than the industry average". Combine that with the new sensor that HTC claims is the largest pixel size on a smartphone, you apparently get better overall image quality, especially in low-light conditions. We can't wait to test this out personally.
Both front and rear cameras come with full-HD video recording capabilities as well as Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS). HTC One packs a 2,300mAh battery.
HTC has bundled in a few other features like HTC Zoe (automatically capture up to 20 photos and 3-second videos), HTC BoomSound (enhanced sound thanks to dual frontal stereo speakers powered by built-in amplifiers) and HTC BlinkFeed (live updates on home screen). The power button doubles up as the IR port that converts HTC One into a remote control.
"People today immerse themselves in a constant stream of updates, news and information. Although smartphones are one of the main ways we stay in touch with the people and information we care about, conventional designs have failed to keep pace with how people are actually using them," said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corporation. "A new, exciting approach to the smartphone is needed and with the new HTC One, we have re-imagined the mobile experience from the ground up to reflect this new reality."
HTC One will be available globally through more than 185 mobile operators and major retailers in more than 80 regions and countries beginning in March. With Reliance Communications listed as one of the 185 operators, we fully expect India to be on this list, though there's no official confirmation from HTC on the exact date of HTC One India launch.
HTC One technical specifications- 4.7-inch full-HD display
- 1.7GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor
- 2GB RAM
- 32GB/ 64GB internal storage
- UltraPixel camera
- Wi-Fi 802.11 a/ac/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, NFC, Infrared, Micro-USB
- 2,300mAh battery
- Android 4.1
- 137.4 x 68.2 x 9.3mm
- 143g