The HTC One Google Play Edition is the answer to many user's dreams for a device approaching Android perfection. When we originally reviewed the HTC One, we expressed appreciation for some of the software enhancements packaged in HTC's Sense 5 user interface, but felt that the pure Google Android experience found on Nexus devices offered a less cluttered, cleaner and more consistent user experience. HTC has now delivered on this wish in the Google Play Edition of its vaunted One 2013 smartphone flagship. So how does it stack up in reality?
It is universally acknowledged that HTC has sculpted a beautiful product in the HTC One. When you pick it up, it immediately conveys a sense of prestige and quality that puts it on par with Apple's equally stunning iPhone 5 design. However, it is considerably larger than the iPhone 5 in the hand and also slightly heavier. In addition to the large 4.7-inch display that dominates the front of the device, the micro-drilled stereo speaker grills also help to accentuate the design while producing the best smartphone speaker experience we have yet to hear. However, by comparison with the Samsung Galaxy S4, its bezel is noticeably larger as a result, giving Samsung the opportunity to create an edge-to-edge design though this pushes the Samsung speaker to the rear of the device, compromising audio quality and clarity.
The hardware of the pure-Google HTC One has remained the same as what its "regular" sibling has to offer. The combination of a Snapdragon 600 SoC with a potent quad-core Krait CPU, 4.7" of a 1080p display, an optically-stabilized camera, and built-in stereo speakers is about as fine as its gets in the smartphone realm these days.
Positives
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Negatives
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Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2
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Highly prized
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2300mAh battery
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Camera app offers only basic settings
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4.7" 16M-color 1080p Super LCD3
display with 469ppi pixel density; Gorilla Glass 2
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Screen brightness isn’t the strongest
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4 MP autofocus "UltraPixel"
camera with 1/3'' sensor; 2µm pixel size; LED flash; OIS
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Underwhelming 4MP ultra-pixel camera
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2.1 MP front-facing camera with 1080p
video recording
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No
memory card slot
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32 GB built-in storage; 2GB RAM
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Available only in the United States
with no subsidies for $599
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Qualcomm APQ8064T Snapdragon 600 SoC
with four 1.7GHz Krait 300 cores; Adreno 320 GPU
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Only a few of the HTC Sense
enhancements are present
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Quad-band GSM; Quad-band HSDPA; LTE
support
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32GB version available only, single
silver color scheme
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GPS with A-GPS and GLONASS support
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Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac with DLNA and Wi-Fi
Direct; Bluetooth 4.0; NFC
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Considering the HTC One has been selling for a few months now, the main highlight of the Google Play Edition is the presence of stock Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. The unmodified OS, coupled with the One's powerful hardware and sleek design are bound to offer an experience straight from the dreams of Android purists.
Of course, plenty of people will argue that the HTC One Google Play Edition is an exercise in wasting precious cash. With the latest version of HTC Sense sporting functionality which closely resembles that of a Swiss army knife, it is not easy to make a case for spending six hundred dollars and the applicable taxes on an unsubsidized HTC One which comes with less functionality out of the box.
As with both the design and display on the HTC One Google Play Edition, and the rest of the hardware for that matter, the UltraPixel camera remains unchanged. It continues to offer a larger than usual F/2.0 aperture, with an oversize sensor that can capture more light than many 13-megapixel cameras, HTC’s dedicated ImageChip that delivers continuous auto-focus, color shading, noise reduction and an enhanced HDR function, along with optical image stabilization. So while the fundamentals remain in place to produce exceptional photos in low-light conditions and in general use, the built-in software that helps to further differentiate the HTC One with Sense 5 is missing. In its place is the stock Android 4.2.2 ‘Jelly Bean’ camera app that is one of the few relative weaknesses in Android, Photo Sphere notwithstanding.
However, on the plus side, there are numerous Android photography apps that can be downloaded to take the place of HTC’s Sense 5 inclusions such as HTC Zoe, that can achieve very similar results. However, it does mean replacing one Sense 5 app, with at least two or more. This example, brings into sharp focus the double-edged sword of an Android device running customized software, versus the stock Android build. There is some give and take, but it does make a difference to the overall use experience and it something we will discuss further below. Regardless, the camera on the HTC One continues to be a brave experiment by HTC, as it puts forward the case for optics, sensor quality and imaging technology first, side stepping the smartphone megapixel arms race. It is not the best camera on a smartphone in all instances, but in typical smartphone usage scenarios it is very competitive. The photos below are have not been edited and are illustrative of the capabilities of the HTC One camera in general use.
We’ve already explored some of the benefits and disadvantages of the HTC One running the pure Google experience versus the same device running HTC Sense 5. Playing with the two devices back to back really highlights just how important the operating system is to the entire look, feel and function of a device. HTC’s hardware is the one gorgeous constant in this. Either way you go, you are getting a what is probably the premier smartphone experience going around at the moment. Ultimately, your decision may depend upon what it is you want from your device.
If you want all the features that HTC can pack into the One, then the Sense 5 version is for you. The raw hardware specifications may be exactly the same, but HTC has added a number of very useful additions to the pure Google experience, without messing with Google’s fundamental formula too much. This is most notable in the in-built camera app, as discussed above, which not only includes the Vine-like HTC Zoe functionality, but also a burst mode that can simultaneously capture up to 20 photos at once as well as a three second video. The gallery app is also enhanced and features some neat capabilities including being able to automatically stitch together a 30 second movie, and automatically set up create photo slideshows. BlinkFeed is also a useful and interesting news and social updates live feed for your home screen, as is the Sense TV integrated TV remote control app.
In reality, you can’t go wrong with any of the options listed here. The Nexus 4 is great buying, but it does not offer the cutting edge design or specifications of the HTC One. The HTC One with Sense 5 is an outstanding device that does not stray too far from the pure Google experience, yet it brings with it some interesting and useful software enhancements over and above the stock Google user experience. However, in addition to getting faster software updates when they become available, the HTC One Google Edition is also extremely fast and responsive. Google’s Android has never looked as good and worked better than it does on the HTC One Google Play Edition. Right now, it is the pinnacle of the Android user experience and it will only get better when it gets the Android 4.3 update in the near future.
