HTC One S review

This 4.3in Android Ice Cream Sandwich handset comes with a 1.5GHz dual-core processor and lightweight chassis, but it's the all-day battery life which is the outstanding feature.

IT Pro Verdict

The One S is the best 4.3in Android device on the market when it comes to features, battery life and design. HTC Sense is simply the best pre-installed overlay available from a manufacturer.

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Design and Display

The 7.8mm thick chassis means the device is not much thicker than a pancake. The 119.5g weight, may not make it as light as the Samsung Galaxy S II (116g), but it is noticeably lighter than fellow Android ICS handset, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus (135g). When holding the One S for the first time, you won't believe the battery is sealed inside, it is so light.

HTC One S - speakers

HTC One S - speakers

HTC has created speaker holes using micro-drilling instead of cutting out a chuck of the chassis and using a plastic grill. This might be a small detail, but provides an exceptional boost to call clarity. Noise cancelling has also been enhanced and we were surprised at the clarity of phone calls when walking down noisy streets such as Tottenham Court Road and Euston Road.

Access to the microSIM slot is provided by flicking off a piece from the back cover. This does feel flimsy, and is the only part of the design which we are not too keen on.

HTC One S - back

HTC One S - back

The 4.3in display uses Super AMOLED technology, which provides a 540 x 960 resolution and has a pixel density of 256ppi. This isn't as crisp or bright as the Super IPS screen found on the HTC One X, which has a 720 x 1280 resolution and a pixel density of 312 ppi. However, we had no issues with clarity or colour reproduction provided by the One S.

AMOLED technology is known for providing bright images, and this is particularly noticeable when watching videos. HTC has found the balance between delivering good picture quality and battery life.

HTC One S - Video

HTC One S - Video
Khidr Suleman
Khidr Suleman is the Technical Editor at IT Pro, a role he has fulfilled since March 2012. He is responsible for the reviews section on the site  - so get in touch if you have a product you think might be of interest to the business world. He also covers the hardware and operating systems beats. Prior to joining IT Pro, Khidr worked as a reporter at Incisive Media. He studied law at the University of Reading and completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Magazine Journalism and Online Writing at PMA Training.
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