Editors’ note: For this review, we focused on how a HTC One Google Play Edition differs from a carrier-branded versions of a handset. For my finish comment of a HTC One’s design, features, and performance, greatfully see a full review.
Though a HTC One is a stellar phone usually as it is, we know that many Android purists would cite that it shipped with Google’s batch OS while forsaking all of a imagination tricks and glitzy program that HTC layered on it. Fortunately, with a new $599 HTC One Google Play Edition, that day is here.
Using a same hardware and pattern as a 32GB GSM HTC One model, this unbarred handset runs pure, honeyed Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, a freshest chronicle available. Even better, Google has affianced that a HTC One Google Play Edition qualifies as a loyal Nexus device, so it will be initial in line for destiny updates. It all sounds like a dream come true, nonetheless there are trade-offs for pulling HTC Sense aside. For instance we can lick goodbye all of a customary HTC One’s pointy camera features, such as Zoe Share, TV remote control, and BlinkFeed. If that’s a cost you’re peaceful to compensate for Android purity, though, besides a lot of money adult front, afterwards this phone is value a look.
The HTC One Google Play Edition is still one looker of a smartphone.
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Sarah Tew/CNET)
Alternatively, if you’re a Samsung fan, note that Google currently also expelled a batch Android chronicle of a Galaxy S4.
Pure Android meets reward pattern (pictures)
Design
I’ve gushed formerly during length about a HTC One’s reward design. we won’t gimlet we with all a bloody sum here, nonetheless sufficient it to say, this phone’s all-aluminum framework is meticulously chiseled from one square of metal. It’s also discriminating with solid brushes for that additional bit of panache. Basically your palm and reptilian mind know they’re traffic with a gloriously crafted device a present we collect it up. When your unwavering mind catches adult a few nanoseconds later, it all clicks into place.
The One’s all-metal framework is overwhelming to demeanour during as good as hold.
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Sarah Tew/CNET)
The HTC One’s 4.7-inch LCD shade is impediment as well, charity a pointy 1080p fortitude (468 ppi) along with clear colors. The arrangement gets extremely bright, too, and you’ll have no problem observation it in splendid sunlight.
Software and interface
As we mentioned, a genuine star of this HTC One uncover is a batch Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean handling system. If you’ve hold a LG Nexus 4 recently, you’ll feel right during home. That batch Android means a integrate of things: a HTC Sense interface is totally scoured divided and there’s no BlinkFeed, a Flipboard-style news aggregator. The latter change will come as a service to some given we can’t mislay BlinkFeed on a customary HTC One (you can usually banish it to a far-flung home screen).
The close shade is clean, simple, nonetheless bare.
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Brian Bennett/CNET)
In nonetheless another change, a close shade doesn’t handily arrangement arriving calendar appointments, stream continue conditions, or other info during a discerning peek (a effect of losing HTC Sense). On a other hand, plain Jelly Bean offers one additional home shade for a sum of five.
Other navigation differences in a HTC One Google Play Edition embody a side-scrolling focus tray, that we indeed prefer, as against to Sense’s straight app by-pass layout. we also like being means to entrance widgets from within a app tray, how Jelly Bean serves things up. Sense on a HTC One separates widgets out so we contingency perform a long-press on a home shade to squeeze them.
Android Jelly Bean’s widget list is kept in a app tray.
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Sarah Tew/CNET)
The 4-megapixel Ultrapixel sensor is still during a ready.
(Credit:
Sarah Tew/CNET)
Camera
While batch Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean brings many slight tweaks over HTC Sense, a many evident changes we found impact how users work a One’s camera. Indeed HTC creates a lot of sound about a One’s photo- and video-taking abilities, with a Zoe Share underline and Ultrapixel sensor. we have to acknowledge these are bells and whistles we skip a many on this chronicle of a HTC One. It’s gimmicky, we know, nonetheless as a new parent, we adore how a HTC Sense print gallery files cinema and video we record around a date, what a focus calls “events.”
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