And it may well be the best Android 4.0 phone available to boot. That may be a small pool thus far, with just the upgraded HTC Vivid and Samsung Galaxy Nexus in the US, but the One S beats both in size and design by a longshot. From the slightly curved body, which molds to the hand, to the three touch sensitive buttons below the display, the One S looks and feels like a phone from the future. And that’s not limited to just the physical device.
We already reviewed Android 4.0, and the One S runs the OS buttery-smooth, with zero lag when navigating the menus, opening apps, or running just about anything. The flow of software operations is so fluid that it more closely resembles the iPhone than other Android phones. HTC’s Sense4.0 add-on software isn’t particularly stunning, and occasionally gets in the way, but it does simplify some aspects of Ice Cream Sandwich like the notifications bar and multitasking.
The biggest software improvement Sense offers, however, is with the camera. Android 4.0 already provides a huge update to the camera software, mostly with how fast shots are taken, but the One S takes shots so quickly it isn’t even noticeable if the phone’s muted. The TouchSense improvement is twofold: adding two shutter releases – one for stills and another for video – right beside each other to quickly shoot either way, and the ability to take full 8MP stills while shooting video. Both are revolutionary for smartphones.
Unfortunately, the camera itself leaves a bit to be desired. Photos lack the color quality and depth I expect from the high-quality f/2.0 lens, though night shots are improved over competing phones with slower lenses. Video quality is average, certainly good enough for everyday use, though some of HTC’s earlier phones like the lower-end myTouch Slide 4G took better stills and video. The One S takes good, but not great video, and the stills are decent.
Buyers will not only get one of the best looking and fastest phones on the market, they get the best Android experience to date.
There are a few more dings against the One S as well. In the US it’s exclusive to T-Mobile, so it comes with plenty of bloatware that can’t be uninstalled easily. The network, at least in the LA area, has slightly deteriorated as well, and while call quality is still decent, it isn’t getting any better. Fortunately, the One S provides clear and crisp audio on both ends for calls.“
The screen is also not quite as good as expected. It’s a real shame that the One S has a qHD 960x540 resolution display. With the incredible speed and power of the device it could boast a 720p HD display, providing better pixel density for reading and image quality. Videos and images look crisp and clean on the AMOLED screen, providing excellent color and light contrast, though in direct sunlight it lacks brightness. When looking closely at the display however, pixelation and aliasing are noticeable.
Battery life is decent, and for most users will last a full day, but under heavy use, with constant texting, web browsing and app use, the One S can discharge by mid-afternoon. If you need an all-day battery you’re better off with the Motorola Droid Razr Maxx. Unlike most Android phones the battery isn’t removable, so be sure that it matches your phone usage needs before buying. Furthermore, without expandable memory potential buyers have to really consider whether they want a phone on contract with just 12GB of space (the other 4GB is the required OS and software).
There are also some occasional software hiccups. The One S has crashed apps and shut down entirely during my testing. The problem is known and documented, but there is currently no fix for it yet.
Finally, the Beats by Dr. Dre integration is highly improved over the HTC Rezound, which was limited to the default Android music player. On the One S, the audio equalizer works across all media and apps. Users can instantly activate Beats when playing media from the notifications bar. Does Beats improve audio quality? It makes it more bass-heavy and provides clearer vocals, but you’ll have to decide for yourself if you like the dramatized audio over how it was originally intended. And unlike the Rezound, no iBeats earbuds are included.
The HTC One S is a very solid, very pretty, and very fast Android smartphone, one of the best and most enjoyable I’ve ever tested. Buyers will not only get one of the best looking and fastest phones on the market, they get the best Android experience to date. It’s limited to T-Mobile, but the One X – HTC’s AT&T variant – is expected to release within the next few weeks. Web-savvy users should also know that purchasing the One S delivers 25GB of free cloud storage through Dropbox for two years, which would otherwise cost $100/y for 50GB, making the phone a great deal. For T-Mobile subscribers, the One S is the best Android phone you can buy.
The HTC One S is available now for $200 plus a two-year service contract, exclusively through T-Mobile.