HTC One (M7) Review

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Review posted 04/24/2014

Quick Take
Pros
  • Sharp-looking metallic smartphone
  • Good low-light photography performance
  • Individual pixels on image sensor are much larger in size than average smartphone image sensor pixels
  • Slightly above average image quality versus other smartphones
  • Fun special effect options for still images
  • Zoe mode provides good hybrid still image/video capabilities
  • HD videos have a slightly above average quality versus other smartphones
  • Full HD touchscreen display is sharp and bright
  • Dual speaker setup provides above average audio quality when viewing videos
  • Smartphone camera works fast thanks to quad-core processor
Cons
  • Photographs and videos tend to have excessive noise and chromatic aberration when lighting conditions are harsh
  • Photos almost look over-processed at times, leading to slight softness and noise
  • Image quality flaws are noticeable when viewing images at large sizes
  • Overall image quality can't quite match that of an entry-level point-n-shoot digital camera
  • Battery drains quickly in some usage scenarios
  • Cannot remove battery on your own
  • No optical zoom option
  • No memory card slot to add more memory
  • With only 4MP of resolution, you need to compose photos properly each time, rather than relying on cropping
Bottom Line
Don't let the 4-megapixels of resolution listed with the HTC One smartphone camera fool you. Using pixels on the unit's image sensor that are quite a bit larger in size than is average for a smartphone camera, the HTC One's camera is able to capture images at a quality that is a little bit above average versus other smartphone cameras. The HTC One is able to work fast in all tasks, including photography. This device's full HD display screen is sharp and bright, and the touchscreen is responsive. Don't expect this unit's camera to match what you'd find with an average point-n-shoot digital camera, but it performs adequately in most situations, especially in low light. Read more in our Full Conclusion.
The HTC One is the company's flagship smartphone for 2013. Dubbed the "M7", this Android Phone features a 4MP BSI CMOS image sensor camera, a large 4.7-inch HD display, Full 1080p HD Video recording, and numerous wireless connectivity options, including cellular (up to 4G), Wi-Fi, NFC, and Bluetooth 4.0.

HTC One (M7) Features
  • Android OS
  • 4G
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 quad-core 1.7GHz CPU
  • 2GB DDR 2 RAM
  • 4.7-inch Full HD 1080p Display
    • 468 ppi
  • HTC UltraPixel Camera (Rear Camera)
    • 4.0-megapixel BSI CMOS Image Sensor
    • F/2.0 aperture
    • 28mm lens
    • Optical Image Stabilization (OIS)
    • Smart Flash
    • 1080p Full HD Video
      • HDR Video
      • Slow Motion Video Recording
    • Continuous Shooting
  • Front Camera
    • 2.1-megapixels
    • HDR Capability
  • HTC Zoe (Picture Gallery)
  • 3.5mm stereo audio jack
  • NFC
  • Bluetooth 4.0
  • WiFi
  • DNLA Certified
  • HTC Connect
  • Dual frontal stereo speakers

The HTC One (M7) retails for $699 when unlocked and configured with 32GB. If you sign up for a two-year contract with cellular carriers (AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon), the same phone will cost you about $99. Color choices vary depending on carrier, but they include black, red, and silver.



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