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HTC One S
87
Engadget Review
The One S could be HTC's flagship: it's far ahead of its rivals performance-wise and looks great. However the screen is slightly lacking, particularly compared to its bigger brother's.
Mat SmithApril 02, 2012
Pros
- Beautiful designFantastic cameraGood battery lifeImpressive performanceSense 4 is unobtrusive
Cons
- Display is a little underwhelming
View All Critic & User Reviews
HTC One S
- Critic Reviews (17)
- User Reviews (20)
- 86AVERAGE CRITIC SCORE17 ReviewsGizmodo80HTC One S Lightning Review: Sturdy and Speedy. ShaIf you're already on T-Mobile, seeking an upgrade, then totally. It's fast, sleek, and pretty excellent. If you're in between contracts, then it's not worth switching over for. The HTC One X on AT&T and the HTC Evo 4G LTE on Sprint are both better phones, with better screens, plus LTE and NFC.AllThingsD80In Race to Beat iPhone, One Android Weighs InT-Mobile's HTC One S is an elegant, fully loaded phone with well-designed features. If you don't mind the network's slower speeds, it's a great find. If you prefer faster speeds, another carrier's One model might be a better fit.Computerworld90HTC One S review: T-Mobile's new shining starThe One S may be the middle child of HTC's new lineup, but make no mistake about it: This phone is no slouch. In fact, aside from its screen and overall size, there are few things separating it from its One X sibling -- and for some users, it may actually be the preferable choice.PC World90HTC One SThe HTC One S is the ultimate multimedia phone, from gaming to music to snapping high quality photos.Engadget90HTC One S for T-Mobile reviewDon't mess with a good thing -- that's clearly, wisely and rightfully the approach T-Mobile chose to follow when minting its own version of HTC's One S. There's no doubt this handset is the carrier's new flagshipLaptop Magazine80HTC One S (T-Mobile) ReviewWith its gorgeous looks, eye-popping screen, and powerful camera, its the most compelling choice on T-Mobile and one of the top Android handsets overall. Users looking for more battery life should consider the Samsung Galaxy S II and those who want a faster network should consider an LTE handset.Engadget90HTC One S reviewThe One S could be HTC's flagship: it's far ahead of its rivals performance-wise and looks great. However the screen is slightly lacking, particularly compared to its bigger brother's.Pocket-Lint90HTC One S reviewAlthough it doesn't hit all the highest points on the spec sheet, the HTC One S is a great performer. The display could be better, but you can't argue with the solid battery performance and lighter, fresher, UI.CNET UK90HTC One S reviewThe HTC One S is a very tasty handset indeed -- delivering lashings of Android goodness topped off with a sensible sprinkling of HTC's own software. The latter that makes Android easier to use for the majority of users who don't want to spend their evenings geeking around in settings menus.SlashGear90HTC One S reviewIt’s tough not to like the HTC One S’ physical feel. The design is subtle and discrete; it’s more how the smartphone feels in your hand that proves alluring ... The AMOLED screen is clear and highly usable ... For the midrange, this is an excellent smartphone.T380HTC One S reviewThe HTC One S is a mightily impressive smartphone: it’s powerful, stylish, beautifully thin and blessed with classy features including a fantastic screen, top notch 8-megapixel camera and music-enhancing Beats Audio technology.GSM Arena90HTC One S review: OnderfulAt this moment competition simply doesn't have a smartphone to match the One S in terms of both aesthetics and performance and that really tells you what an excellent job HTC has done.Android Central80HTC One S review (European version)This is no mid-range handset. The One S is a smaller, sleeker, leaner version of the X (with much better battery life, we might add), and it’s just as capable a smartphone as HTC’s new flagship. If you can get past the lower screen resolution, it’s definitely worth a look.phoneArena80HTC One S reviewThe HTC One S seems a better value for the money compared to the One X for our averagesmartphone user, which is its main target.Gadget Review70HTC ONE S REVIEWA very solid Android phone, and the fastest one tested thus far, but with an only-OK camera and some serious software bugs.IntoMobile90HTC One S Review : Is this the ‘One’ for you?Simply put, the One S is a great phone that is a joy to use and hold. There are enough bells and whistles to satisfy most users today, and it's packaged in a shell that's both solid and sexy. And I'm going to reiterate that this probably is the most solid device I've ever touched.MobileBurn100HTC One S review - plenty of X appeal, but smallerIt's a fantastic phone that slots in wonderfully behind the One X, but only barely behind it. If you like the One X, but want something a little thinner, lighter, and friendlier to hold, then the One S is the perfect device for you.
- 90AVERAGE USER SCORE20 ReviewsEngadget Reader90December 30, 2013Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Pretty good phone, was bit less expensive then One X. Great battery life, camera was quite a disappointment, though things did improve in Jelly Bean but not so much. Lack of update after JB 4.1.2 was a put off though can be complemented thanks to the geniuses at Cyanogenmod but custom roms have there caveats, hence I sold it and moved on.Engadget Reader80December 4, 2013Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!There's a lot to like about this in spite of a few flaws. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90November 30, 2013Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90July 1, 2013Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I love this phone, and even though I have multiple phones. I will not get rid of this phone. 2 years old and its still super fast and hangs with the new crowd. Love its unique look and camera. Id recommend it to anyone who wants a 4.3 inch screenEngadget Reader90February 15, 2013Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader70January 27, 2013Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!This phone has a good hardware. But it's software is awful. It has Android 4.0 preinstalled, which is fine. But it also has "Sense" which is kind of a bloatware. Also HTC is very slow for system updates. (I still don't have Jelly Bean (4.1) yet). Without Sense it would be one of the best upper-middle end phone in the market.Engadget Reader90December 2, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!One of the best Android mid range phones.Engadget Reader90October 24, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The HTC One S is an excellent phone in almost every department and I'd happily recommend it to anyone. However, coming from an iPhone 4, it feels like a step up in terms of hardware look-and-feel (display but a step down in terms of software. However, that's not the fault of the phone or HTC but rather the nature of Android, and that's just reality. Nothing is perfect and for every drawback there's an advantage when comparing an iPhone to any Android, though the HTC One S is probably the Android most similar to the iPhone in terms of overall user experience (hardware and software combined) which is why I bought it and why I think it's the best Android out there (unless you really like supersized or supersmall phones, of course - but if you want something in the same array as an iPhone, this is The One You've Been Waiting For).Engadget Reader100October 22, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The only bad thing in this phone is the PenTile display.Engadget Reader90October 19, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Feel of phone is amazing.....SLEEK AND LIGHT :)Engadget Reader90October 4, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader100June 22, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best smartphone I have ever had! Well built, beautiful, fast, with an amazing camera and a brilliant display. Next to the Android ecosystem all the HTC goodies, including a huge extra space on Dropbox and the best camera software. Absolutely recommended.Engadget Reader100June 13, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!It's a great phone, I have it on the Bell network here in Canada. The first thing I noticed was the thinness and weight, it very slim and light compared to other phones I looked at. It's screen is bright and vibrant easy to read in bright sunshine, an vast improvement over my old HTC Legend. I'm not a rooter, and actually don't mind the Sense interface, in fact some freinds are jealous of the power control widget that are include this this phone. I ran a stress test to test the battery life of the phone, I was very impressed, using the phone for over 9 hours resulted in a 50% battery use. I love this phone and am very happy with my choice.Nick100June 11, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetWill100May 23, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader90May 23, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I had been waiting for an ICS-native phone on T-Mobile, and HTC delivered. The One S is sleek and responsive, and has a real quality feel that IMO Samsung phones lack. Sense 4.0 brings some great interface changes to Android 4.0, but some of the changes are baffling and a little annoying. I'm not happy about the lack of SD card or NFC, but my media needs are met by Google Play Music and my trusty iPod. Overall, I would recommend this phone to anyone looking for an upgrade.Engadget Reader80May 9, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!If you're a slave to good design like I am, you'll love this phone, as it looks and feels amazing. It isn't particularly durable though, which is rather an understatement. Enjoy the matte black while it lasts before you have large silver chips all over it. Not sure about the screen durability, as I've only used it without a screen protector for a day (as I ran out of them while trying to get rid of an air bubble).The camera app on mine was crashing a few times today, the top bar has disappeared in an explorer.exe crash style, and it's rebooted itself twice. When it is working, it's fairly smooth and Sense doesn't get in the way as much as it used to.I don't like the way everyone seems to be copying Apple nowadays. Sure, use a unibody and have a good design, but non-removable battery? The Legend had a unibody and that managed to have a removable battery. Oh, and the lack of microSD card expandability? If HTC couldn't fit the space for a slot in, likewise with the battery, could they please just tell us? They've been getting a lot of flak from other people complaining there isn't enough storage, but having moved up from the 8GB Trophy, WP7 prepared me for an ever-syncing non-expandable world.I used to think the Trophy was thing and well designed. Then I got this. The Trophy now seems tiny and chunky when I hold it. However, the One S doesn't seem that big when you use it, though it is a bit slippery. The Sense camera is great, it's fast, it's crisp, and it makes Instagram's functional side kinda redundant.Oh, one last thing, don't get excited about Beats. When using a pair of JVC XX in-ear earphones I did the following comparison (with the same audio file):- HTC 7 Trophy with SRS enhancement turned on- HTC One S with Beats turned onThe Trophy's sound sounded a lot fuller. The bass was good on both, but the One S somehow still sounded a bit hollow and empty. Plus the inbuilt speakers on the One S are nowhere near as good as the Trophy, but I guess that's one of the sacrifices you make to get a phone that's a mere 7.8mm thick.Engadget Reader90May 3, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader80April 25, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The HTC One S may not be the top phone in the One series, but it's still a solid performer. It's slim, lightweight, yet sturdy, and, in general feels good in the hand. The processor handles all of the usual games, streaming and productivity tasks well, and the camera takes decent, albeit somewhat soft, photos. The display, though hardly outstanding, is adequate for a phone this size, and is fine for viewing photos, watching Netflix videos, and reading emails. My biggest gripe, and it's one that most people probably won't share, is the lack of a microSD card slot. I tend to pile a lot of data on my phone, including music, videos and stacks of documents, the ability to add storage capacity is one of the things that drew me to Android in the first place. However, the phone's built in 16GB of storage is probably fine for most people, and if it's not, the fact that HTC is throwing in 25GB of Dropbox storage should sweeten things.Engadget Reader90April 24, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!This is my 3rd HTC phone. It's build quality is unprecedented for this manufacturer - the thin unibody with ceramic finish feels extremely comfortable. Phone is very, very fast. HTC Sense 4.0 is unobtrusive and I have tried vanilla (stock) Android 4.0 before and I actually like ICS with Sense more. Unfortunately phone was freezing a lot with the shipped ROM 1.53.401.2 - this was fixed by HTC with 1.77.111.5 update. There has been lot of talk about the screen - PenTile matrix can be seen if you try to, not with daily use in my opinion. I am coming form HTC Desire which had regular AMOLED and HCT One S screen is so much better so I am not complaining at all.The only thing I don't like is the inability to replace battery. I am a heavy user and I usually use hotspot functionality couple of hours a day so my battery will be dead in a year or two because of recharge wear and I haven't seen any information from HTC about internal battery replacement program. Battery life itself is above average right now.
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Key Specs
TYPE
Smartphone
OPERATING SYSTEM
Android
SCREEN SIZE
4.322
INTERNAL MEMORY
161
CAMERA
Yes
CARRIERS (US)
T-Mobile
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