HTC
has unveiled the HTC One mini,
a
smaller version of its flagship that brings many of the high-end
handset’s features to a more compact package and makes them available to
anyone who may be
reluctant to fork out for an expensive device.
The mini follows a very similar form factor to its high-end cousin
and aside from size the most noticeable difference between the two is in
the bezel that
surrounds the smaller handset’s frame. The device feels great in the
hand, with the same comfortable and premium feel of the HTC One,
and its sleek bodywork looks very stylish.
The distinctive BoomSound speakers also make an appearance on the
HTC One mini, adding to its resemblance to the firm’s flagship, and
their performance
during our short time with the device looks to be equally
impressive.
Audio played through them is certainly louder than on other
smartphones, although we did notice that the same lack of bottom-end
frequencies that troubled
the HTC One also occurs here. Beats Audio technology is
included, adding to the handset’s audio performance through the external speakers and headphones as well.
Featuring a 4.3-inch Super LCD 2 display, HTC hasn’t cut back too
much on the mini’s screen and while it is of a lower resolution than
that seen on the
flagship it’s still of a very high quality. The display is certainly
not as bright as that on the HTC One, but that handset’s screen is
absolutely stunning
and the same degree of performance cannot be expected from this
device.
Nevertheless, details on photos show up clearly and the display
certainly isn’t dull, leading to this being a more than adequate screen
even if it doesn’t
quite match the power that has been seen from the Taiwanese firm’s
flagship.
HTC’s Sense 5.0 is included, running on top of Android 4.2.2, giving
users access to the very latest mobile software. The distinctive
BlinkFeed feature
sits on the homescreen, pulling through news and social updates, and
the rest of HTC’s UI once again proves to be attractive and very easy
to use.
Also in terms of software, the firm’s
Zoe
camera functions make an appearance, bringing an impressive degree
of functionality to the trimmed-down device. What is especially
promising is that the
dual-core, 1.4GHz processor seems more than capable of handling the
advanced camera functions and renders the data-heavy images and clips
quickly.
The UltraPixel
camera itself is
exactly the same as that seen on the HTC One, bringing the
innovative technology to this lower-priced handset and making the HTC
One mini a viable option
for taking photographs.
Overall, HTC looks to have done an impressive job of bringing the
key features of its flagship to this mini device without cutting back
too much. We’ll be
taking an in-depth look at the HTC One mini at a later date but for
now it seems that the Taiwanese firm has done an excellent job of
creating a partner
handset to its high-end device that offers some stiff competition to
others on the market.
