It's been a few months since I purchased the HTC One and I'm frankly still in my "honeymoon phase" for a plethora of reasons. I've honestly looked at other phones to "upgrade" to, but for some reason this damn phone is still in my pocket. So many people have asked me "What phone is that?" while pointing at my device. The phone conveys a harmonic balance of precision and performance. So what makes this phone such a pleasurable device to have?
Hardware
The phone is crafted with an aluminum unibody that enables the phone to have a premium finish. In comparison to other devices with a poly-carbonate body such as the Galaxy S4, this feels sturdier with it's chamfered edges. When placing the phone on a solid surface it will move since the back is curved so you can comfortably hold it in your hands. Looking at the device is pleasurable and I'm guilty of taking it out of my pocket to just look at my phone - sometimes I don't even care what time it is. I'm glad that the One has front facing speakers which I'll express in a detailed manner below.
Sound
I've never experience such an amazing depth of sound from a phone until I had the HTC One. The sound produced from the phone is loud, clear, and has a slight depth of bass. When talking to people on the phone I rarely find myself missing a word they say. The earphones that came with this device produced clear music and I noticed sounds that I've never heard before in songs I've listened to repeatedly.
Display
This phone has a 1080p screen which produces bright colours, detailed shadows, and amazing viewing angles. The side-by-side black bezel for the display incorporates a viewing experience you could find with the Macbook Pro so you can be fully aware of the content on your screen.
Camera
HTC took a different approach than others in the smartphone market and decided to only include 4 megapixels in the phones sensor. Before you complain how that will be bad for images, I'll explain why it isn't and why it's actually better than having 6 megapixels. When you view an image on a computer monitor you realistically need up to 3 megapixels for a clear image, if you where to print an image you could develop a 6x8 photo with the One. An advantage with the One's camera is that is has less pixels to register information for low light images - you have bigger pixels to absorb light into the sensor so your low light images can retain detail within highlights and shadows. The lens in the HTC One is 28mm which is wider than other smartphones (Galaxy S4 - 31mm) which helps when capturing family photos or getting a couple of friends in your front facing pictures. I noticed the power of this phone with my 'One' Photographer Project and now that VSCO Cam is coming to Android I can even produce images with dynamic tones. Here's a few recent images I've taken with the One and edited with an Android beta version of VSCO Cam.
Battery
I occasionally glance at my phone from 6 A.M until 4 P.M on the weekdays and reach home with 30-40% battery. The reception at my school hinders the battery to quickly discharge, because my phone is searching for signal constantly until I'm out of school. on weekends I can use my phone from 11 A.M on a Saturday and find myself looking for a charger Sunday afternoon. Within that time-span I'm on social networks, texting, and taking pictures. The battery life will vary upon how/when you use your phone.
The software found in my HTC One is a stock version of Android 4.3 and I'm pleased with it. I've recently used iOS 7 and while I have mixed feelings about Apples new OS, I'll express my views with my upcoming iPhone 5s review. The HTC One is a remarkable device that captivates innovative features in a smartphone. The One re-kindled my admiration with the hardware offered with Android devices.
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Feel free to stay up to date with my images taken with the HTC One on my Instagram Feed.