Mini phones are big business, as HTC follows Samsung in releasing a mass-market version of a flagship handset, in this case the HTC One mini. Near-identical to its bigger sibling, the HTC One, the new mini variant slims the original 4.7-inch screen down to 4.3-inches, for a phone that’s easier to hold and cheaper in stores. They’re not the only changes, however; read on as we run through what’s new.
Size is the obvious differentiator, with the HTC One measuring in at 137.4 x 68.2 x 9.3mm and 143g, while the One mini is 132 x 63.2 x 9.25mm and 122g. The One mini has a glossy plastic ring running around its edge, however, which has a completely different feel to the metal and glass edge of the One, though both have the same bowed aluminum back.
Inside, you get a slower processor in the smaller phone. The HTC One mini uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 400 dualcore, running at 1.4GHz, whereas the HTC One has a Snapdragon 600 quadcore, running at 1.7GHz. More disappointing is the cut in memory: the One mini has only 1GB of RAM, versus the 2GB in the One. You’re more limited on storage, too, with the One mini coming as just a 16GB option, rather than the 32GB or 64GB of the full-sized One. Neither phone has a microSD slot.
Connectivity has changed a little, too. The One mini is still an LTE device, just like the One, with UMTS/HSPA and GSM/EDGE for when you’re out of 4G coverage. Both have WiFi a/b/g/n, but only the larger One gets 802.11ac support; similarly, both have Bluetooth 4.0 with aptX support, but only the larger phone has NFC. HTC tells us that’s down to size constraints in fitting in the necessary antenna.
HTC One mini hands-on:
HTC’s UltraPixel-branded camera has been carried over to the One mini, complete with HTC Zoe and Full HD 1080p video recording. There’s still the f/2.0 aperture and 28mm lens, along with an LED flash, but the One mini lacks optical image stabilization (OIS) unlike its bigger sibling.
Other omissions include the useful IR blaster, which was cleverly integrated into the power button on the One. The TV app itself is missing from the phone, too. A smaller chassis means a smaller battery, too: it’s now down to 1,800 mAh, rather than the One’s 2,300 mAh.
Pricing is yet to be confirmed, though HTC says the One mini should come in at two price points lower than the One.
It’s been leaked on more than adult diapers, and now the HTC One mini (all lowercase, because it’s so small, see?) is real. The idea is that it’s a smaller, cheaper version of the our current favorite phone, the HTC One. But to accomplish such shrinkification and encheapenment, sacrifices must be made. Let’s take a look.
HTC isn’t just relying on the One to turn its 2013 around: the company has the HTC One mini to help with that, a new 4.3-inch version of the aluminum smartphone. Slimming the flagship down – as well as some of the core specifications – the One mini is fronted by a 720p touchscreen where the One has 1080p, but still keeps the UltraPixel camera and Zoe photography system, among other things. We caught up with the new smartphone to see if the One’s undoubtable charms have been distilled down to a more hand-friendly size.
We made no bones about how appealing we found the original One, and in many ways the One mini is the same phone. At first glance you could mistake them for each other – at 132 x 63.2 x 9.25 mm and 122g the actual difference between the two unibody aluminum casings is surprisingly small – and the 4.3-inch screen isn’t far off the 4.7-inch of the first One.
Nonetheless, there are aesthetic changes, most noticeably the plastic frame that runs around the One mini. It combines both matte finishes – on the back – and gloss – on the edges – which is something HTC tells us prompted no small amount of discussion internally. We’re not quite convinced by it, however; considering it’s where your fingertips generally land when you’re holding the phone (which is, otherwise, nicely sized for the palm and shows exemplary build quality), it feels a little cheap, certainly in comparison to the smooth aluminum back and the toughened glass fascia.
HTC One mini gallery:
It’s a rare blip in the design, however, and in comparison to the Galaxy S4 mini for instance, the One mini is still leagues ahead in aesthetics. With the smaller size, though, you get a shrinking of power: the processor is now a 1.4GHz dualcore Snapdragon 400, paired with 1GB of RAM (versus the 2GB and quadcore of the full-sized One), and there’s just 16GB of storage with no microSD expansion.
There’s LTE and HSPA – complete with a 4G version suitable for AT&T’s bands in the US – along with WiFi a/b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0 with aptX support, but no NFC since, HTC tells us, there simply wasn’t room for the necessary antenna. HTC BoomSound is accommodated, though, with the stereo speakers upfront, flanking the 341ppi Super LCD display, though the front camera is now down to 1.6-megapixels, and there’s no clever IR blaster integrated into the power button.
HTC One mini hands-on:
Thankfully, there’s still HTC’s UltraPixel technology, which trades megapixels for low-light performance. On paper, the 4-megapixel resolution should be underwhelming, but in practice the physically larger pixels themselves make for an impressive camera; the One mini gets the same f/2.0 aperture and dedicated ImageChip 2 processor, along with 1080p Full HD video recording and HDR video support. What you don’t get is optical image stabilization, which is a disappointment.
There’s also HTC Zoe, the company’s photography system which snaps both twenty full-resolution stills and a 3.6s Full HD video simultaneously. The HTC One mini gets the new Zoe highlight video presets included for the original One in the recent Android 4.2.2 update – in fact, it runs v4.2.2 out of the box – as well as the ability to use 30s of music from a track of your own choosing for the backing. If you opt for your own music, Zoe automatically beat-matches the transitions to the audio.
The obvious comparison, perhaps, is the iPhone 5 – something many smartphone users point to when they request a smaller device without compromising on specifications. The HTC One mini is still bigger than Apple’s phone, though (plastic ring aside) it feels on a par with its premium construction. Of course, HTC has diluted the specs somewhat, though the One mini still feels swift, with only minimal slow-down when processing the Zoe highlight reels.
HTC One vs iPhone 5:
There’ll also be various accessories to go with the One mini, ranging from flip-cases (with brightly colored internal lining) to a car kit. That works with the phone’s in-car interface, complete with larger buttons offering access to common features like hands-free calling, navigation, and media playback.
HTC One mini car-kit:
HTC tells us that the One mini is expected to begin its global roll-out in August 2013, in silver and black. There’s no word on which carriers will get the handset – nor which specific countries – though HTC tells us that North American partners will be “announced soon”. Pricing is also unconfirmed, though HTC told us it expects the One mini to come in “two price points below” the original One.
All the way over in China today we’re seeing the HTC One Mini make its final trip through certification processes before it’s revealed in kind to the public. While HTC hasn’t yet confirmed the existence of this machine – so to speak – rumors and tips thus far appear to match up quite well with this final breath of behind-the-scenes action. Here comes HTC One’s little brother, looking like a clone.
What you’ve got with this device is a 4.3-inch display with 720p resolution and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 dual-core processor. If you see the word “Xiaolong” attached anywhere, don’t fret, that’s just a different translation of the same mythical beast. Also paired with this processor is 1GB of RAM.
What we’re seeing here courtesy of China’s Tenaa (Ministry of Industry and Information Technology Ministry of Telecommunications Authority) and microblogging hub Digital Tail are a series of photos of this machine, front and back. What we’re to understand is that this will be a much more palm-fitting push for HTC’s software in a light silver or dark black metal casing.
UPDATE:HTC UK has teased the phone as well: “We have a ‘little’ bit of news tomorrow.” – there it is, peeking! Looks like we may see this machine as early as tomorrow!
Around the edges you’ll find a plastic ring a bit more robust than the original HTC One’s similar surround, while it would appear that all of the original machine’s trappings remain in-tact. This device will likely appear soon with HTC Sense, the company’s own unique vision for Android, atop Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, complete with Google Now. For the full official announcement you’ll just have to wait and see!
If you’re planning on picking up the Verizon iteration of the HTC One, you’ll do well to know the battle said phone will be facing when it appears amongst the 4G LTE smartphone ranks of the big red carrier. What we’ve done here is to run down the rest of the devices that will be carried by Verizon at the time the HTC One will be released (likely August 1st), along with reviews if we’ve got them (if they’re on the market already, that is), or connections to information on potential specifications if they’re not.
Non-Android
Before we get too far into this competition and analysis, lets go ahead and get the devices NOT running Android out of the way. If you’re here in the summer of 2013 looking for a smartphone and are considering the HTC One, you already know you’re not going to want to pick up anything with iOS or Windows Phone 8 running on it. That much can be readily assumed.
If on the other hand you’re one of the odd folks out there that’ve found yourself in a predicament where you absolutely must decide between the operating systems, there really are only a few devices you’ll be deciding between.
Starting with the iPhone 5 and the iPhone 4S, you’ll either be paying $199.99 for the newest in new or $99.99 for the next-best thing. There’s always the iPhone 4 if you only want the form factor and the cool factor, and that’s free, but as far as getting anywhere near the processing and photo/video power that the HTC One has, the iPhone 5 is your only choice.
If you’re all about Windows Phone 8, Nokia’s 920 family entry with the Lumia 928 will indeed be the cure you’re looking for. It has a display that comes nowhere near the sharpness of the HTC One – or the iPhone, for that matter – but if you’re looking for high-quality photos and video and the most solid package running this mobile OS, the Lumia 928 far and away beats any other Verizon-bound machine at this time.
There’s also the BlackBerry Z10 and the BlackBerry Q10. If you’re thinking about purchasing the HTC One and you’ve also got either one of these devices on your “maybe” list, please do yourself a favor and hold either of them in your hand and the HTC One in the other. Mobile OS completely aside, the HTC One makes both of these BlackBerry devices appear as though they’ve been released more than a year ago – they’d be better suited to do battle with the original HTC One S, and even then your humble narrator would choose the latter based solely on software ecosystem – and the HTC One S wasn’t even carried by Verizon. You’d be better off waiting for the BlackBerry A10 instead.
Samsung
With the Samsung Galaxy S 4 and the Samsung Galaxy Note II, HTC’s biggest competition comes in two hero-styled form factors. You’ll be able to see our full Samsung Galaxy S 4 vs HTC One run-down in a separate article – such is the nature of this topmost competitor for the HTC device. Both machines have the same processor, both have nearly the same display sharpness and size, and both are aimed squarely at being king of the heap.
The Samsung Galaxy S 4 rings in at $199.99 while the Galaxy Note II still costs $299.99 – a surprising price point given its makeup vs the GS4 and the notion that a next-generation Galaxy Note III is well on the way. The Galaxy Note II remains a high-powered beast of a unique addition to the Verizon lineup, on the other hand, continuing to be the one machine to offer a stylus built in to its body – and not some half-effort capacitive pen, either, a real value of an accessory in and of itself.
Have a peek at our Samsung Galaxy Note II review and Verizon hands-on to see why this device has only yet been size-checked by the HTC-made DROID DNA on Verizon – we’ll get to that soon.
LG
At the moment there’s no real competitor both made by LG and carried Verizon that can compare to the HTC One. There’s always the LG Intuition if you want to, once again, just be as unique as possible, but if you’re going to that device for its stylus, you’ll still be better off with a Galaxy Note II based solely on its software updates and relatively solid future-proof styling.
Verizon may get the LG Optimus G2 later this year, but it’ll be – at the very least – two months after the release of the HTC One that this fabled powerhouse is set loose with any carrier – and there’s no guarantee it’ll be released with Verizon either way. The LG Optimus G2 event is set for August 7th, if you’d like to follow along.
Motorola
There are three devices running on Verizon’s 4G LTE network right this moment that could very well be updated in kind by the end of September – or very soon thereafter. There’s a Verizon event scheduled for July 23rd to bring DROID back up to speed and based on every leak and tip we’ve come in contact with over the past few weeks, it would appear that these three machines are on the docket for replacement.
There’s the DROID RAZR HD, the slightly larger battery capacity-toting DROID RAZR HD MAXX, and the palm-ready smallest family member of the pack in the DROID RAZR M. As each of these smartphones runs with the same software, the same processor, and has effectively the same update schedule set from Motorola and Verizon, we must recommend them all the same.
Each has proven itself to be a top-to-bottom solid experience, and though they’re certainly not going to win any photography contests, each device has proven itself an effective workhorse for our everyday mobile communication device needs.
If you’ve waited this long for the HTC One to hit Verizon and you’re willing to wait a little longer for this DROID trio to bring on a reboot, we certainly wouldn’t hold it against you.
Until that reboot is made official, keep this in mind: if the DROID RAZR HD MAXX can back up both Chris Burns here on SlashGear and Android Community’s Cory Gunther through the entirety of CES 2013 (earlier this year, that being the most intense week of on-site tech reporting of the year), this line is certainly good enough to continue trucking into a competition with the HTC One.
Though they may not be as stylish – depending on your perspective – as the HTC One or the Samsung Galaxy S 4, the DROID RAZR HD family is a high-class match of 2013 smartphone abilities with rugged cant-bust-em bodies to boot. That’s a rarity on the market today, and we’re expecting Google to make the most of it with the DROID line reboot – not to mention the Moto X.
You’ll also want to check out the Moto X since it’s tipped to be hitting Verizon before the end of August as well – there you’ll find what’s essentially a cousin of this DROID family reboot, only made to seem of paramount importance to the future of Android in its push by Google as they push Motorola, a Google company. Expect the Moto X to seem a lot cooler than the DROID family reboot, though a specifications battle it will not win, by any means (that’s not the idea, after all).
HTC
Here at the birth of the Verizon HTC One ends Verizon’s push of the DROID DNA. It was because of the DROID DNA, make no mistake, that the HTC One was so very “delayed” as such. Whenever Verizon has a hero smartphone like the DROID DNA (aka the HTC Butterfly J, as it’s known internationally), you’ll find a frame of time that’s placed between it and any other smartphone that directly conflicts with its specifications – this is especially true when there’s another phone made by the first phone’s same manufacturer.
Because the DROID DNA and the HTC One are so very similar, Verizon’s release of the HTC One will soon be followed by a distinct lack of interest by the public – and by Verizon – in the larger smartphone. If you’re not too worried about software updates – especially if you’re a hacking-friendly user – the DROID DNA remains a lovely device in its own right. Especially since it’s current price at $49.99 is well below any other device rolling with a 5-inch display with sharpness so HD.
The DROID DNA offers the same amount of pixels that the HTC One does, spread out a bit more (so it’s just slightly less sharp) with a set of specifications that are more than ready to continue feeling impressive through the end of the year. Of course with the HTC One you’re getting better external speakers, a better set of cameras, a processor that’s literally the next generation replacement of the one living in the DROID DNA, and you’ve got a metal body instead of the DROID DNA’s plastic, too.
But maybe plastic – polycarbonate, that is – is more your style. For you there’s also the competition in the Samsung Galaxy Note II, a device with a rather similarly-sized display and the added bonus of Samsung’s own S-Pen. If you’re not all about Samsung’s software family and don’t feel the need to write with an accessory such as that, the DROID DNA still has a feature set that’ll continue to fight with the Samsung “handheld.”
Verdict
The HTC One is one of the most celebrated smartphones of the year, and it continues to be a smartphone worth releasing by Verizon even though it’s been out on several other carriers for weeks – and out internationally for months. As it also appears as a pure-Android HTC One Google Play edition, it should be clear how good a job it was that HTC did with this smartphone.
We’re expecting HTC to release a smaller and a larger edition of the HTC One by the end of the year – code-named for now (only because the company hasn’t given them full official final names) HTC One Mini and HTC One Max. Though these devices may offer unique perks in and of themselves when they’re revealed fully, they’ll be based in hardware and software largely on the HTC One, the original hero for HTC’s 2013 generation of smart mobile devices.
You can expect HTC to continue to support the HTC One’s software for many moons, as its placed so much of its faith in this machine that it’s all but annihilated any other efforts they’ve pushed for the rest of the year. Remember any other HTC smartphone releases since the HTC One was made official earlier this year? There certainly have been a few, but none championed nearly so hard as the One.
Expect the HTC One to grow in its software abilities well into the future while the hardware remains a solid package through the next several seasons with ease. Don’t go away without making sure you’re up-to-date with our AT&T HTC One Review and our original HTC One Review (international edition) before we get our hands on the Verizon edition – soon, and very soon!
HTC One users are anxiously waiting for the Android 4.2 update. The update has long been rumored, HTC confirmed it multiple times that it would be releasing Android 4.2 for HTC One soon. The update has started rolling out in […]
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
“Can you think of anything else that packs a big punch into a small package?” That’s an inquiry posed by HTC on a fresh company blog post, lathered with hyperbole and dominated by an infographic that can be seen in part after the break. It’s tough to tell when the company plans to officially unveil the more bantam edition of its glorious One, but here’s something that’s bankable: it won’t be long.
It would seem that the folks at HTC do indeed have the HTC One mini – and that’s the name – in their system with a rather imminent release ready to roll. In a blog post posted then pulled this afternoon, the company suggested that there is indeed room for a smaller version of the hero smartphone HTC One out there in the wild, complete with infographic power to back it all up. Now that we’ve seen the smartphone itself, it’s time to hear the back story.
The HTC One mini has been suggested to bring a little body and a “BIG Punch”, leading us to believe that the look and the feel of the machine will be along for the ride – the same ride we saw them take a couple of times over the past several weeks. Here you’ll see the HTC official blog post as it sat moments before being pulled:
“The HTC One, by many accounts, is the pinnacle of smartphone achievement. The beautiful metal design, powerful hardware, and innovative user experience pack a lot into a svelte package, making it hit with critics and consumers alike. This success has only boosted our passion to bring the One experience to as many people as possible.
In that spirit, here’s an homage to little things that back a big punch.
Can you think of anything else that packs a big punch into a small package?”” – HTC
There’s an image that accompanied the post as well, one you can have a peek at in the gallery below amid several images leaked over the past few weeks of the device in question. It’s likely the HTC One mini will be appearing with a body that’s essentially a miniature version of the HTC One, bringing with it a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM.
The HTC One mini has been tipped to bring on a 4.3-inch display with 720p and a brightness and sharpness more than ready to take on the rest of the devices ringing in at that size range. Have a peek at the HTC One mini timeline below as well for more information on this imminent release.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it — just build it in a variety of sizes for profit. Duh!
That seems to be the thinking over at HTC, as MobileGeeks has surfaced some new information regarding HTC’s One line. According to the rumors, HTC will unveil a giant-sized version of the flagship HTC One with a 6-inch 1080p display, dubbed the One Max.
This follows some other recent rumors that point to a smaller version of the HTC One, as well, likely to be called the HTC One Mini. While the One Mini is expected to debut in July, based on rumors, MobileGeeks has the One Max pegged for September.
The guys also nailed down some specs, which include a 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 chip, 2GB of RAM, a 3200mAh battery and either 32GB or 64GB of internal memory. Plus, you can expect the phone to look quite a bit like its stylish predecessor the HTC One.
However, not much else is known about the device, though some have been speculating we may see some sort of stylus input on the device, considering it’s clearly aimed at competing with the Galaxy Note 3.
Samsung has dominated the phablet market with the Note series, which must be hard news for HTC as the Taiwanese phone maker failed to enchant the market with a 7-inch tablet called the Flyer, which offered text input via an $80 stylus. Unfortunately, the Flyer didn’t fly at all really.
Perhaps leveraging the One branding alongside new device sizes will yield better results.
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