HTC has announced its new flagship One smartphone. The device features a number of high-end specs and innovations such as a full 1080p display and the latest Qualcomm CPU, and aims to make a greater impact on the market than its One X and One X+ predecessors.
The first thing that stands out about the One is its design. Like the Blackberry Z10, the One takes some cues from the iPhone 5 and is decidedly more premium that its predecessors. The design is sleek and boasts a machined aluminum unibody construction. The already impressive display has also been upgraded, with the new device packing a 4.7-inch 1080p Super LCD 3 display with Gorilla Glass 2. That gives the display a pixel density of 468 ppi, compared to the iPhone 5's 326 ppi and the Samsung Galaxy S3's 306 ppi.
Internally, the One features Qualcomm's latest 1.7 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor and a hefty 2 GB RAM. The device comes with NFC, Bluetooth 4.0 and WiFi a/ac/b/g/n connectivity, and offers a choice of 32 and 64 GB non-expandable storage. The device's 9.7 mm (0.38 inch) thickness is similar to that of the Z10, and it weighs in at 143 g (5 oz).
Powering up the device will reveal HTC's new Sense 5 overlay for Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, which includes the new BlinkFeed home screen. Both practically and aesthetically, the company seems to have borrowed some ideas from Windows Phone, with the Flipboard-like tiles streaming live information such as social network activity and news feeds to the device's home screen. The One also features dual stereo speakers (with dedicated amps) along the top and bottom of the display.
HTC has taken a different approach to its megapixel-loving past when it comes to the One's cameras. While the front-facing 2.1-megapixel offering is fairly impressive, it's the 4-megapixel BSI sensor and f/2.0 lens on the back that's really intriguing. This setup, known as the UltraPixel Camera, reportedly gathers 300 percent more light than “most leading 13 megapixel cameras," allowing for more life-like images, better low-light performance and a greater range of colors. The camera is also capable of taking 1080p video at 60 fps.
The Taiwanese company seems to be making a statement with the One, with a design and features on par with or exceeding just about every device currently on the market. However, a look at the company's One X device proves that top of the range specs aren't always enough to drive up sales. Will the One succeed where its predecessor failed? Only time will tell.
There's no word yet on pricing, but you can expect to see a global roll-out of the One this March.
Source: HTC
