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HTC announces HTC One 4.7-inch flagship smartphone

19 February 2013 by
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HTC today announced its new flagship smartphone with the HTC One. A 1.7 GHz quad-core model with a 4.7-inch Full HD display, Beats Audio and 4 megapixel camera

HTC One announced

The HTC One is one of a handful smartphones with a display resolution of 1920 x 1080. Full HD 1080p as we like to call it. It will compete directly with Sony Xperia Z/ZL and LG Optimus Pro.

HTC One is the first smartphone from the Taiwanese company to feature a UltraPixel Camera. In short, each pixels in this camera sensor is larger than conventional 8 and 13 megapixel sensors. This makes is better in capture light in low-light environments. While most smartphone manufactures are increasing the pixel count from when releasing a new model, HTC has been brave and reduced the pixel count to just 4. Most of you probably know that the Nokia 808 PureView has an enormous amount of pixels (41) but the camera merge many of these pixels into one superpixel which result in less image noise. HTC has done everything the opposite way by reducing the number of pixels and instead improve the quality of each pixel. The combination of a large f/2.0 aperture and larger pixels is that the sensor will capture much more light. Optical image stabilizer helps capturing non-moving objects without adding blur to the photo.

HTC does not mention a 4 megapixel camera in any of its web pages about the HTC One. Marketing a high-end smartphone with such a low megapixel count will for sure make some potential buyers choose a competitive product. Because of that, HTC chose to use the term UltraPixel when it talks about the new camera. You will have to dig into the camera technical whitepaper to find out that HTC UltraPixel actually means a 4 megapixel camera with a good low light sensor.

Pixel peepers will not like what HTC has chosen to do in regards to the relative low camera resolution. HTC claims that the new sensor will capture 3 times more light than what most smartphones with 13 megapixel will do. We guess HTC has done some research about what most users are doing with their images. We did a non-scientific poll where we asked our users if the ever made printing copies of photos captured by a mobile phone and we found that more than half of mobile phone photographers do not print any of their captured photos. Things has changed since that poll was active, and today mobile phones and smartphones do capture better photos which are more suitable for print. But today's usage pattern could be similar.

The engineers at HTC might have such thoughts in mind when designing the new camera: "We do not need the high megapixels because most people do not print large photos anyway. And we need a good camera in low light. Let us reduce the number megapixels while keeping the sensor size the same to reach this goal".

Fewer megapixels also means that the ImageChip has fewer numbers to crunch and the user experience  could be felt smoother for the user. Browsing through images should also be quicker with smaller image files. If you do make print copies of your smartphone photos, 4 megapixel might be too little. But if just upload your photos to G+, Facebook, Twitter or send them to friends and family via email 4 megapixels should be enough.

 

HTC UltraPixel camera

The new HTC ImageChip offers a range of powerful features for those shooting in auto-mode. Continuous autofocus, real-time video HDR, noise removal and lens compensation and color shading.

Camera specifications:

  • 4 megapixel sensor
  • Sensor size: 1/3"
  • Sensor type: CMOS BSI
  • 2688 x 1520 pixels (16:9 ration)
  • 3.82 mm focal length
  • F/2.0
  • 5 lens elements
  • Optical image stabilizer
  • Up to 8fps continuous shooting
  • HDR video capture

HTC One highlights

  • Size: 137.4 x 68.2 x 9.3 mm
  • Weight: 143 gram
  • 4.7-inch touch display, 1080 x 1920 pixel resolution, 468 PPI
  • Networks: GSM/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900, UMTS/HSPA 850/900/1900/2100
  • Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac
  • Bluetooth 4.0
  • NFC
  • DLNA
  • 1.7 GHz quad-core processor. Qualcomm Snapdragon 600
  • Android 4.1.2 with HTC Sense
  • 2 GB RAM
  • 16 or 32 GB internal storage
  • Sensors: gyro, accelerometer, proximity, ambient light
  • 3.5 mm audio jack
  • microUSB port
  • 4 megapixel camera BSI sensor, optical stabilizer, f/2.0
  • 2300 mAh battery

 

 




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admad11 years, 1 month ago
Hmmm weird move with only 4 megapixel camera. It has to be really good, I'm looking forward for some samples.
brunosr2311 years, 1 month ago
Amazing.
Tsepz_GP11 years, 1 month ago
Incredible stuff by HTC, sounds like they've gone all out, and its being released soon after announcement, shows that they are serious unlike some other OEMs.
So thats the 1st major Android flagship outed, now we have to just see what LG and Samsung bring in the Optimus G Pro and GS4 respectively.
admad11 years, 1 month ago
First photos from this phone, two words, not impressed.
http://blog.gsmarena.com/here[....]the-htc-one-ultrapixel-camera/
rickster2kuk11 years, 1 month ago
Agree with you. I know they are indoors but they certainly aren't anything special.
cu01517011 years, 1 month ago

On 2013-02-19 20:44:12, admad wrote:
First photos from this phone, two words, not impressed.
http://blog.gsmarena.com/here[....]the-htc-one-ultrapixel-camera/

That type of sensor would not perform well if you need to use higher ISO setting, which is what was required for those samples.. it should shine outdoors when the sun is out Let's hope that HTC managed to put decent optics on there and the jpeg processing is on par.. otherwise that sensor would go to waste.
etaab11 years, 1 month ago
Stereo speakers on a flagship again ? About time !
Lets face it, we all want to say it, its better than the Xperia Z.
Better benchmark scores with a better up to date chipset, better skin in Sense, intriguing camera and it'll still be getting up to date updates more often after Sony give up on their device.
Oh and well done HTC on not feeling it necessary to go crazy with increasing the screen size. Anything more than 5" is too big now.
[ This Message was edited by: etaab on 2013-02-19 23:04 ]
Bonovox11 years, 1 month ago
The recent HTC Butterfly got a decent 45 hours battery time in GSM Arena tests. I say this as it's a recent similar device
reeflotz11 years, 1 month ago

On 2013-02-20 00:02:57, etaab wrote:
Lets face it, we all want to say it, its better than the Xperia Z.
Better benchmark scores with a better up to date chipset, better skin in Sense, intriguing camera and it'll still be getting up to date updates more often after Sony give up on their device.
[ This Message was edited by: etaab on 2013-02-19 23:04 ]


that's just your opinion, better skin in sense? everyone has their own preferences for that, getting up to date updates more often than sony? how can you be so sure when it hasn't happened yet?
the only thing I agree is with the updated chipset on the HTC, but still I cannot understand people wanting faster cpu, better chipset, better gpu, when they don't even use all of it's potential, so yeah specs is really more of a geek talk, people complaining about lag on a dual core and that they need quad core only means they don't know how to maintain their phone software-wise.
[ This Message was edited by: reeflotz on 2013-02-20 03:51 ]
randomuser11 years, 1 month ago
Full Size camera samples.
http://www.sogi.com.tw/newfor[....]cle_list.aspx?Topic_id=6209481
Just average IMO.
MyP91011 years, 1 month ago

On 2013-02-20 00:02:57, etaab wrote:
Stereo speakers on a flagship again ? About time !
Lets face it, we all want to say it, its better than the Xperia Z.
Better benchmark scores with a better up to date chipset, better skin in Sense, intriguing camera and it'll still be getting up to date updates more often after Sony give up on their device.
Oh and well done HTC on not feeling it necessary to go crazy with increasing the screen size. Anything more than 5" is too big now.
[ This Message was edited by: etaab on 2013-02-19 23:04 ]


Strange. I couldn't find anything that the new HTC is better than Xperia Z especially from customer point of view. I don't think a customer will choose based on a tad different in terms of benchmark. Customer will choose based on the responsiveness (lag free, fluidic). There is no different between the two.
I believe, the first thing a customer will look is the look of a device. Most people will choose based on the look and sony xperia Z got this covered.
Next, maybe they will look into the built quality. Premium feeling. Sony Xperia Z got this covered.
Next, they will look into the touch response (how smooth the touch) and a lag free phone will always be preferred. Sony Xperia Z got this covered.
Next, They will look into the display quality. The sharpness etc. Sony got this covered.
Next, small portion of people will look into the camera quality, features and how easy to take picture. Sony got this covered.
and with additional features like water and dust resistance (if marketed correctly) will seal the deal.
However, all of this will not happen if the marketing is not good. The only thing that is required is marketing/adverts.
>50011 years ago

On 2013-02-19 20:39:20, Tsepz_GP wrote:
Incredible stuff by HTC, sounds like they've gone all out, and its being released soon after announcement, shows that they are serious unlike some other OEMs.
So thats the 1st major Android flagship outed, now we have to just see what LG and Samsung bring in the Optimus G Pro and GS4 respectively.

Cheap shot at Sony? If so, the XZ coming out a month after announcement isnt too bad really.
And the 1st major flagship this year? Um, XZ? Sony isnt exactly a small company. Sure they dont sell as many handsets and may make less money. But they are sure as hell a bigger company than the likes of ZTE, Huawei, if thats the class you are putting Sony in, that is. They're even bigger than LG and HTC when it comes to brand recognition.
edit: I dont care if its directed at Sony, I for one use a Blackberry, just dont agree with what you said
edit 2: Moving onto the phone itself, specs sound ace, I just dont like the look?? HTC's design language has changed a tiny bit here, but I would have liked to see a complete redesign. Too many of their phones are looking very similar.
And I hope for HTC's sake the reception is on par with other handsets. That One S of theirs and a couple other aluminium handsets were really not up to scratch in terms of reception. (not just an issue with HTC either)
Finally, all this talk of 'better handsets' is highly subjective. Of course there are handset better equipped than others, but defo doesnt make them 'better'. All comes down to how we use our phones, what features we require etc etc. I think the processing power found in the XZ, the s4 pro, is more than enough for current uses in a phone. I just dont get what people need that extra oomph for, benchmark bragging rights? If not, than what else? Honestly, an s4 pro or equivalent will handle all tasks just fine, even on a full hd screen. Sure the CPU's are becoming more efficient, but id prefer manufacturers work battery tech.
[ This Message was edited by: >500 on 2013-02-20 07:31 ]
randomuser11 years ago
Oh please, get real.
HTC's Q1 sales target is half a million. Sony sold more Z's than that in a single WEEK in Japan.
Last year, Xperia S sold a lot more than Htc One X + One S + OneX+ combined. And we all know Xperia S was way behind One X/OneS/One X+ hardware wise. Z and One are not THAT different.
So just like how Sony Xperia Z is no threat to Galaxy S4 in terms of sales, HTC One is no threat to Sony Xperia Z.
Anyway I do like this handset. A good but inadequate flagship IMO with design copied from Blackberry Z10, Iphone 5 andSony Xperia Ion
Ultrapixel ? FAIL. An average joe isn't gonna understand what ultrapixel is, they will walk into a store and see 4mp - Instant turn off !!!
[ This Message was edited by: randomuser on 2013-02-20 08:03 ]
>50011 years ago

On 2013-02-20 08:59:19, randomuser wrote:
Oh please, get real.
HTC's Q1 sales target is half a million. Sony sold more Z's than that in a single WEEK in Japan.
Last year, Xperia S sold a lot more than Htc One X + One S + OneX+ combined. And we all know Xperia S was way behind One X/OneS/One X+ hardware wise. Z and One are not THAT different.

If your post was directed to me because I said Sony dont sell as many handsets, it was just a general comment comparing the whole market, ie, Sony not number one. Calm down
Tsepz_GP11 years ago

On 2013-02-20 00:02:57, etaab wrote:
Stereo speakers on a flagship again ? About time !
Lets face it, we all want to say it, its better than the Xperia Z.
Better benchmark scores with a better up to date chipset, better skin in Sense, intriguing camera and it'll still be getting up to date updates more often after Sony give up on their device.
Oh and well done HTC on not feeling it necessary to go crazy with increasing the screen size. Anything more than 5" is too big now.
[ This Message was edited by: etaab on 2013-02-19 23:04 ]


+1 exactly. They seem to have paid a lot of attention to detail with this one, from materials used to the audio amps powering the stereo speakers, this is the Htc i know and like, and they have gone with one of the best chipsets which seems to have demolished Sony's effort.
Must admit, I do wish they had bumped up the screen size by a bit, wouldnt hurt to have bumped it up to 4.85inch. Glad they have a 64GB variant this time though, i feel thats part of what let them down with the One X.
Randomuser
Considering the One's wide availability when its released? It shouldn't have a problem passing the XZ's sales, Sonys Japan sales are a poor way of gauging how a device will do internationally, i remember people thinking the Xperia X10 would be a major success due to its sales in Japan.
Indiandawg11 years ago
Sorry, HTC One does not beat XZ. Even the new UI is nothing great. What I really like is the Dual Stereo Speakers.
What are you'll always talking about chipsets, who gives a damn? If a smartphone can function smooth with a particular chipset then what's the problem? Look at BB Z10, It's a dual core and it's still very fluid. Talking about XZ, there is no lag found yet.
I don't think HTC One has anything exclusive besides the beats audio which is indeed good and I appreciate that. Also it's got IR blaster which is a great add on for lot of people. Ultra-Pixel? I'm very much excited to see the samples and if they turn out to be better than 13megapixel, than thank you HTC for starting a new revolution of a better smartphone camera.
Still even after all this I think XZ has a very good design, amazing glass materials and a rich polished UI. It's a beautiful smartphone inside out. I really don't see any better smartphone than XZ as this moment.
Waiting for S4!
randomuser11 years ago

On 2013-02-20 09:30:23, >500 wrote:
If your post was directed to me because I said Sony dont sell as many handsets, it was just a general comment comparing the whole market, ie, Sony not number one. Calm down

Sorry if it seemed that way, my post was not directed at you
@Tsepz_GP
Please don't say something that stupid. No point bringing Xperia X10 to the discussion. That was a very old SE device.
HTC One Q1 sales target is 0.5 million. It will be available starting March 15 in various countries. Xperia Z sold 0.6 million in the first week of release in Japan alone (just one country). It would have sold at least 2 million units by the end of Q1 in Japan alone.
And anyway, it's not something I should even discuss. When Xperia S (which was heavily outdated compared to 2012 HTC flagships) beat HTC One X + One S + One X+ combined in terms of sales numbers, Z has absolutely nothing to worry about.
Sadly, another FAIL by HTC.
Not to mention, they might soon get sued by Blackberry/Apple/Sony. Maybe all 3.
[ This Message was edited by: randomuser on 2013-02-20 09:09 ]
>50011 years ago
What do people think of the new Sense? Not liking the look currently, obviously will need to test in real life.
Sadly, it looks like the Bberry Z10.
Also, very surprised the s600 is available, I wasnt expecting it til about mid year, yet HTC and LG have it?
edit: all good randomuser
[ This Message was edited by: >500 on 2013-02-20 09:10 ]
randomuser11 years ago
>500
Since LG/HTC want only a few hundred thousand units, Qualcomm would have no problem providing them with s600
LG I couldn't care less, but HTC I do genuinely feel sad for. They were a good brand, sad they are making some silly decisions lately.
feryshad11 years ago

On 2013-02-20 10:03:52, randomuser wrote:

On 2013-02-20 09:30:23, >500 wrote:
If your post was directed to me because I said Sony dont sell as many handsets, it was just a general comment comparing the whole market, ie, Sony not number one. Calm down

HTC One Q1 sales target is 0.5 million. It will be available starting March 15 in various countries. Xperia Z sold 0.6 million in the first week of release in Japan alone (just one country). It would have sold at least 2 million units by the end of Q1 in Japan alone.
[ This Message was edited by: randomuser on 2013-02-20 09:09 ]


are u sure Ramu?
sonyviet said 140,000 Xperia Z slod in japan in 1 week
140,000 Xperia Z "all flying" within 1 weekLink text...
Tsepz_GP11 years ago

On 2013-02-20 10:03:52, randomuser wrote:

On 2013-02-20 09:30:23, >500 wrote:
If your post was directed to me because I said Sony dont sell as many handsets, it was just a general comment comparing the whole market, ie, Sony not number one. Calm down

Sorry if it seemed that way, my post was not directed at you
@Tsepz_GP
Please don't say something that stupid. No point bringing Xperia X10 to the discussion. That was a very old SE device.
HTC One Q1 sales target is 0.5 million. It will be available starting March 15 in various countries. Xperia Z sold 0.6 million in the first week of release in Japan alone (just one country). It would have sold at least 2 million units by the end of Q1 in Japan alone.
And anyway, it's not something I should even discuss. When Xperia S (which was heavily outdated compared to 2012 HTC flagships) beat HTC One X + One S + One X+ combined in terms of sales numbers, Z has absolutely nothing to worry about.
Sadly, another FAIL by HTC.
Not to mention, they might soon get sued by Blackberry/Apple/Sony. Maybe all 3.
[ This Message was edited by: randomuser on 2013-02-20 09:09 ]


Nothing stupid about it, Japan is Sonys home country, the sales of Sony there are bound to be above average in the beginning, same story with the Xperia X10 and other passed SE/Sony flagships, it's the same with Samsung in Korea, Nokia in Finland and other Nordic countries etc... Sales in the home countries tend to be big in the beginning and then level off pretty quickly, unless you're Samsung of course.
HTC One Q1 sales target is 0.5 million. It will be available starting March 15 in various countries. Xperia Z sold 0.6 million in the first week of release in Japan alone (just one country). It would have sold at least 2 million units by the end of Q1 in Japan alone.

News flash, sales targets do get broken, just ask Apple and Samsung, just because 0.5million is their sales target doesn't mean they won't go over that, especially when you consider the One is being released in 80markets to around 185 carriers, that's JUST in March, so clearly they have got themselves some excellent distribution, overtaking Xperia Z sales shouldn't be an issue at all, especially in the long run, put this together with Htcs update policy which is much better than Sonys, and Htc may have a winner here.
Btw, saying Sony have nothing to worry about here is a very ignorant statement to say the least, Htc, Sony, Huawei and the lot are battling for scraps, a very tiny piece of the pie, they ALL have to worry about each other, each quarter there seems to be a shift in market share amongst them, so I'd say Sony has a lot to worry about, in the same way that Htc, Huawei, ZTE and so on do.
randomuser11 years ago
I think it's 0.6 million. There was a link with chart in the rumor thread.
@Tsepz_GP
Really no point arguing with you since you will only believe what you want to believe. And you are free to do that of course, and I don't really care.
[ This Message was edited by: randomuser on 2013-02-20 09:30 ]
Tsepz_GP11 years ago

On 2013-02-20 10:22:53, feryshad wrote:

On 2013-02-20 10:03:52, randomuser wrote:

On 2013-02-20 09:30:23, >500 wrote:
If your post was directed to me because I said Sony dont sell as many handsets, it was just a general comment comparing the whole market, ie, Sony not number one. Calm down

HTC One Q1 sales target is 0.5 million. It will be available starting March 15 in various countries. Xperia Z sold 0.6 million in the first week of release in Japan alone (just one country). It would have sold at least 2 million units by the end of Q1 in Japan alone.
[ This Message was edited by: randomuser on 2013-02-20 09:09 ]


are u sure Ramu?
sonyviet said 140,000 Xperia Z slod in japan in 1 week
140,000 Xperia Z "all flying" within 1 weekLink text...

oh dear.
admad11 years ago

On 2013-02-20 04:45:29, randomuser wrote:
Full Size camera samples.
http://www.sogi.com.tw/newfor[....]cle_list.aspx?Topic_id=6209481
Just average IMO.

Wow, that's very average. Like taking 13 MP photo from Z and resizing to 4MP, or even worse. I would rather have 13MP and resize as much as I want rather than 4 MP max. But let's wait for proper review.
Tsepz_GP11 years ago

On 2013-02-20 10:29:09, randomuser wrote:
I think it's 0.6 million. There was a link with chart in the rumor thread.
@Tsepz_GP
Really no point arguing with you since you will only believe what you want to believe. And you are free to do that of course, and I don't really care.
[ This Message was edited by: randomuser on 2013-02-20 09:30 ]


I only believe facts you on the other hand seem to be living in some sort of reality distortion field, I mean come on:
Z has absolutely nothing to worry about.
??? Anyone and everyone (except you and any other blind fanboy) knows that's utter BS in this industry.
se_dude11 years ago
I think people should stick to what they like and not try to influence people on what is good or what is bad. The Xperia Z is the most rugged phone in the market, which in itself will gather a lot of sales, a first in the market. Sony havew a lot of fancy terms to back themselves which, to the end user is gospel. Bravia,Exmor,Walkman,etc are known names which will do better than the ultrapixel brand being developed by HTC. Also, with the PS4 event scheduled, expected to offer the Sony Smartphones with a slight edge in keeping with the PS World, Sony has a lot going for itself.
Tsepz_GP11 years ago
Early days but excellent benchmark scores coming from the One:
http://www.slashgear.com/htc-[....]d%3A+slashgear+%28SlashGear%29
MyP91011 years ago
I still couldn't find what is so great about this phone ? What is the selling point ? Why should the customer choose this phone ?...and why someone call this flagship ?
>50011 years ago
@Tsepz_GP
Not to add fuel to the fire, but, should we really be that concerned still about benchmarks? 9/10 consumers use of the phone wont be hampered if it had a lower benchmark. TBH, its gotten to the point where its all about bragging rights. We simply dont need the extra oopmh for the ways we CURRENTLY use our phones! And, despite what many forum goers think, the average consumer still dont CLEARLY understand the technical differences. Its only a very minute population, in the grand scheme of things, that buy for this sort of thing.
Moving on, as some sites have reported, despite it having different camera tech, its still 4mp, and consumers will see that, and be turned away. And most sales people wont be able to explain the tech properly. Not to sure if this will be affected when viewing on higher resolution screens?

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