Sections
- Page 1 HTC One Review
- Page 2 Android 4.3, Sense 5 and BlinkFeed Review
- Page 3 Sense TV, Browsing, Keyboard and Audio Review
- Page 4 Internal Speakers, Camera and Zoe Review
- Page 5 Call Quality, Battery Life and Verdict Review
HTC One – Call Quality
Isn’t it odd that making phone calls are so low down the list of people’s priorities in a phone? Thankfully, the HTC One offers perfectly fine audio quality, with a decent earpiece speaker that offers clear sound with a forthright mid-range that takes on ambient noise with relative ease.
There are also dual microphones on the HTC One, letting it use active noise cancellation to cut out some noise from the phone signal. 
HTC One – Battery Life
One of the biggest drawbacks of the new technology in the HTC One is that the 1080p screen is a pretty serious battery drain. HTC has tried to combat this with a 2,300mAh battery – 500mAh larger than the battery of the HTC One X.
Battery performance isn’t great, though. We set the backlight to automatically change its level based on ambient light and the battery drained down within a day. The only way to get this phone to last two full days will be to severely restrict its wireless connectivity when it’s not needed – switching off mobile internet when you’re not browsing. 
HTC One – Value
The HTC One looks and feels every bit the top-end phone. Its body is carefully and cleverly designed, and while many may not appreciate the lack of expandable memory, the feel of the device benefits from the lack of a removable backplate.
Not every part of the phone is a roaring success. Its camera is only a moderate success, falling short of the detailing higher pixel count phones manage in good lighting. And battery life is depressingly mediocre. However, HTC has succeeded in making a more attention-grabbing, iconic phone than it has done in years. 
Verdict
The HTC One might be the most desirable phone available right now. Its metal-backed body feels fantastic in the hand, its screen is superb, performance is great and Sense 5 offers some interesting new features that you can choose to side-step if you prefer old-style Sense. The UltraPixel camera is a mite disappointing given the ballyhoo made at its launch, but it proves that HTC is one of just a few mobile companies trying something truly interesting.
How we test phones
We test every mobile phone we review thoroughly. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly and we use the phone as our main device over the review period. We’ll always tell you what we find and we never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Trusted Score
Score in detail
-
Performance 9
-
Camera 8
-
Design 9
-
Usability 8
-
Value 8
-
Features 9
-
Screen Quality 9
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
