HTC's flagship Android model for 2013 has picked up heaps of praise since its April launch, with many declaring the HTC One the best ever smartphone and one of the tech highlights of the year so far.
One of the key features is HTC's own "ultrapixel" camera system, which does an incredible job of capturing images at low light levels, with the phone's latest HTC Sense user interface skin making it a joy to use throughout when you're done taking photos of your dinner, children and the sunset.
HTC's packed the phone with its own apps and tools, but with over 700,000 available to install yourself through Google's own Play Store app shop, there's still plenty of room to expand your horizons and extra functionality to the hot new phone. Here are five of our favourites.
1. Poweramp, £2.49
One particularly awesome thing about the HTC One is the volume kicked out from its onboard speakers. It's a very noisy phone that produces some of the best-quality sound out there in the mobile world today. So you might benefit from installing Poweramp, a custom music player that gives you a decent graphic equaliser, gapless playback of your tunes and many more nerdy audio features that'll add extra depth to your musical adventures.
Cinemagram is a simple video recording app that captures four-second clips, which are then uploaded and shared via Twitter or Facebook. It has a dead simple user interface where you hold down a button to record, meaning you can stitch together scenes without having to do any actual editing. Results are then looped, plus your short films can be saved as animated GIF files for sticking up anywhere online. It's like HTC's own ZOE format, only made a little more sociable.
If HTC's own Buzzfeed tool has you gagging for more beautifully presented social feeds and news, give Flipboard a shot. It pulls in news stories from the web, generating your own personal little mini magazine, building stylish pages to endlessly scroll through. It's all about adding a pretty skin to news stories and your social network feeds, ensuring text is easily readable on mobiles and saving you the effort of having to zoom in on pages to read in comfort.
The HTC One's camera is one you'll want to show off, seeing as it manages to capture bright images even on gloomy British days, so get yourself signed up to the celebrity image sharing tool of choice. It's free to use, with photos you take live (or load from your phone's memory) edited into a uniform square shape and enlivened with a selection of frames and filters, before being shared with the world. It's a social network for people who like photographing everything.
Adobe's popular image editing tool has fully mobilised, with this new phone version of its picture tool now ready for use on phones. The £2.99 asking price is modest compared with the full desktop versions of the software, plus you get access to Adobe's cloud storage servers along with 2GB of storage space -- meaning you can start editing an image on your HTC One, then continue making amendments on the desktop software.
More details are coming together about the anticipated release of the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini. We have learned from information discovered by a User Agent profile that the S4 Mini will be given the model number GT-i9190. This also helps back up the previous rumors the phone will have a 4.3 inch screen with a 860×540 pixel resolution.
Unfortunately, there is still quite a bit we don’t know about the S4 Mini, though previous rumors help us fill in the blanks. If the rumor mill is to be believed, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini will feature a dual-core processor with 1GB of RAM, an 8 megapixel camera, and either a 8GB, 16GB, 32GB variant. It will likely run Android 4.2.2 OS with the standard Samsung features that have already been introduced with the Galaxy S4.
So when is it coming? We still can’t say for sure, though Samsung will probably release it not too terribly long after the Galaxy S4′s launch in order to best capitalize on the hype. Would you consider a Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini or would you rather stick to the more powerful Galaxy S4?
Rumors and leaks about the Nokia Lumia 928 for Verizon have been flying around for a while now. Now we might finally have leaked images showing us exactly what the 928 looks like.
The leaked press shots, which come to us courtesy of @evleaks on Twitter, allow us to take a peek at both the black and white versions of the 928. This probably is what’s heading to the Big Red as this Twitter account holder has a reasonably solid track record of leaking press shots of unannounced devices (though even he gets things wrong from time to time).
Looking at the images, the 928 features a PureView camera with Carl Zeiss optics and both a xenon and LED flash. It also appears to have an upgraded speaker and is compatible with 4G LTE.
The device is expected to be a bit lighter and thinner than the 920, but it still looks quite bulky. As for the specs of the device, most likely it’s coming with a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, 1GB RAM and 32GB storage. That might appear to be primitive by modern standards, but Windows Phone 8 is lighter than Android and does not need the best available specs to run smoothly.
We have heard reports that the 928 will be announced on April 25th. We will let you know as soon as we get more info, so stay tuned to Mobilemag.
Are you looking forward to getting the Verizon Lumia 928?
Google's Nexus (ten points to anyone who can tell us if Nexi is the correct plural) smartphones have always set the standard when it comes to a pure Google experience.
The first Nexus One was a true geek device. Sold only through Google directly (apart from a brief flirtation with Vodafone), it never achieved massive sales. But it gave the world the true raw power of Android without the bloatware of other variants. As of January 2010, the ball was well and truly rolling.
We've had several now – and everyone, it seems, had a go: HTC, Samsung, Asus and LG – though strangely, not Motorola, which is now part of Google itself.
Some handsets we look forward to with much anticipation – only to feel deflated when we actually use them. Others, we wait for with little expectation – and they absolutely blow our socks off.
A stealth surprise. We'll lay our proverbial cards on the table here from the outset. The Nexus 4 is one of those rare devices.
LG's not had the best track record of late. Sure, we thought the Optimus 4X HD was a pretty decent offering, but too little, too late compared to what was already out there by the time LG got it to market.
And whereas LG did have good form when it came to innovation back in the day (who remembers the Chocolate, the Shine – and even the dubious widescreen BL40?), the mojo seemed to have passed.
That's not a dig at the South Koreans – far from it. But just to set the scene to show why we weren't expecting much from the Nexus 4.
Perhaps the worst kept secret since the iPhone 5, the Nexus 4 even got left in a bar in true cliché style. And from the pictures, we weren't alone in thinking it looked like a copy of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.
The difference is, when we took the Samsung model out of its box this time last year, we thought it was nice. When we took the Nexus 4 out of its box last week, we thought it was beautiful.
Size wise, the Nexus 4 comes in at 133.9 x 68.7 x 9.1 mm – which means it is similar to its predecessor. But it is far more stunning to look at and hold.
The front is all glass in piano black. Extra tough too thanks to the Corning Gorilla Glass 2. Think iPhone 4 territory, but just a little nicer looking (we are aware that is a matter of opinion, iFans!)
The whole front is set within a dull chrome bezel and the shininess even extends to the rear of the handset, which has an attractive, though unusual sparkly pattern adorning it - although newer shipments seem to be shorn of that element now.
Think the glittery kind of jacket that you could see Cilla Black, Joan Rivers or Shirley Bassey in at an awards ceremony, and you catch our drift.
Since launch LG has updated the design very slightly on the rear of the Nexus 4, with newer handsets sporting two tiny bumps at the bottom of the phone, which elevates the handset slightly.
This means sound isn't as distorted when played through the rear speaker, plus it stops the shiny glass back of the Nexus 4 scratching on the surface it's sitting on.
At 139g, the Nexus 4 isn't the lightest handset in school – but it's just about solid enough to get away with carrying that extra weight and puts those who say Android devices look like toys firmly in their place.
The screen is invisible when off – but when it lights up, you're treated to 4.7-inches of True HD IPS Plus beauty. That's 768 x 1280 pixels with a pixel density of 318. It is razor sharp – blowing Retina out of the water and we'll venture it is one of the best we've seen on a handset.
Another reason for this is because there is such little space between the glass and the display. So where we berated the Optimus 4X HD for leaving enough room here to park a small car, the Nexus 4 leaves no gap at all.
It exudes a clarity that has to be seen to be believed. Colours look beautiful, icons and text are razor sharp and everything floats perfectly.
We find it hard to see how this could be beaten. When you're looking at icons on a black background (like in the app drawer), you can't even see the black, if that makes sense. It is so deep, that icons just float. Beneath the screen, in the centre, but hidden until needed, lies a pulsating notification light.
Another element worth pointing out here is the way the phone curves at the sides, from the main panel into the bezel. It seems to make the screen look even more realistic and beautiful. It's one of those things you really have to experience to appreciate.
Round the edges, you'll find the usual adornments. A 3.5mm headphone jack on top, volume rocker and micro SIM tray on the left, micro USB port plus a few dubious screws on the bottom, and a perfectly placed lock/unlock/power button on the upper right hand side.
It's just in that sweet spot where it's easy to press with the thumb if you're right handed and not impossible if you're a leftie.
There's no way of getting the back off – so you know what that means, peeps. No removable battery and no expandable storage. The former doesn't faze us too much since the 2,100mAh battery pack is no slouch but the lack of memory card allowance is annoying.
Yes, we know that ever since the Nexus S, expandable memory is out. Google's said that it doesn't offer it because it's confusing. But for those with lots of content who can't or don't want to stream, it's a real pain. We don't quite buy Google's argument.
As for the innards, LG has cut no corners here. Make no mistake, this is a premium handset. DC-HSDPA, the very latest iteration of Jelly Bean 4.2, a Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset, quad-core 1.5GHz processor, A-GPS with GLONASS, NFC and so forth.
But what makes this so sweet is the price. Let's just point out that sim-free, a HTC One X with similar specs will set you back around £320 (around $490/AU$475) and the Samsung Galaxy S3 can now be snapped up for £329 (around $525/AU$503).
And while last year's Galaxy Nexus will leave your wallet £299 (around $477/AU$458) lighter, this brand new model, the Nexus 4 is priced – almost unbelievably – at £239 ($299/AU$349) for the 8GB version and £279 ($349/AU$480) for 16GB. Yes, the newer Nexus is cheaper than the year old Nexus. Word!
We can't overestimate just how revolutionary this is and it leaves us open-mouthed at how Google is doing this. Either it's selling the Nexus 4 at a loss – or the mark-up on handsets is now shown up as being ridiculously high. Whichever it is, it means the Nexus 4 has a distinct advantage over the competition.
Bizarrely, in the UK Google has promised O2 that it can sell the Nexus 4 as an exclusive for the first month. We can't understand why – especially because you could end up paying £800 for the device over the course of the contract.
Virgin Mobile has also joined the Nexus 4 brigade by offering LG's handset on a contract - but with prices starting at £31 a month, it's not going to be a decent way to get a cheap Google phone in your hand.
Most people with sense (and a bit of spare cash) will buy the Nexus SIM-free and get themselves a cheap as chips SIM-only plan. The only downside is that LG has been a little slow on actually making these devices, despite Google subsidising the cost of the handset to the tune of hundreds of pounds per device.
In fact, a Google exec called the supply 'scarce and erratic' and could explain why there are only 400,000 in circulation at the end of December 2012, despite the low price and popularity.
But anyway, with an early November release, that means there'll still be plenty of networks marketing this heavily pre-Christmas once that month-long deal with O2 expires. And we can see the Nexus 4 being on a lot of Christmas lists.
Samsung and Apple better beware – the HTC One combines stunning design, a supreme screen and explosive power to offer one of the best smartphones around.
It's got a full HD screen crammed into 4.7-inches, which brings a 468ppi – well above what's needed for the eye to discern, and it does definitely bring sumptuous sharpness throughout the use of the phone.
On top of that there's a CPU and RAM combo that is barely bettered, a more-than-enough 32GB of storage and top-end Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and 3G / 4G connections, all topped off by a completely re-imagined version of HTC Sense. What's not to like?
It's at the sharp end of the smartphone price scale, although can be had for around £34 per month on a two year deal in the UK, which isn't too bad at all compared to the competition. There was something of a delay in getting the phone out on the shelves, but that's been fixed now (rumours that it was down to the camera production are strong, but unconfirmed).
There are now a number of PAYG and off-contract deals for the HTC One, but all will ask for between £470-£480 for the phone before letting you walk off with a slice of UltraPixel pie. It's a little under what's been asked for other high end phones (iPhone 5 and Galaxy S4, for instance) which is a real feather in the cap for the One.
The design of the HTC One is something that you simply have to experience in the hand. Where those that pick up the Samsung Galaxy S3 will go ' Oh, it's a bit plastic, isn't it? But ooh, it's quite light' and those who encounter the iPhone 5 will, to a person, say 'Ooh, it's very light isn't it? You don't expect it to be that light!' those that try the HTC One will simply intone: 'Oh, that's really nice. Really, really nice.'
And do you know why? Simple: the HTC One is one of the best-designed phones on the planet. Not content with inventing a new machining process to allow the body to be all aluminium, the Taiwanese firm has extended the screen to the edges of the chassis further than ever before, meaning you're getting a 4.7-inch Full HD display without the additional heft you'd probably expect.
It's even thinner than its predecessor, the HTC One X (we know, that naming strategy leaves a lot to be desired) and as such slides nicely in the pocket. It's not light either, weighing more than most of the competition, but rather than feeling overweight, combined with the metallic chassis is oozes a premium build. Samsung is probably hoping not a lot of people hold this phone side-by-side with the new S4 as otherwise the buying choice is going to be a lot more of a worry for the Koreans.
On top of that, there's a whole host of little design wins that delight when you first try the HTC One. For instance, the machined holes that allow sound toe emanate from the dual front-facing speakers (can you say BOOMSOUND?) looks amazing, and the lines on the back of the phone give a nice textured movement to things, helping to break up the constant greyness of the aluminium.
You could argue that straight on it looks far too much like either an iPhone 5, with its chamfered edges, or a BlackBerry Z10 front on, and you'd have a good point as this phone doesn't reinvent the rectangle-with-rounded-edges formula that we're so used to, but in the hand the curved back brings a whole new dimension to things.
There's a zero-gap construction at work here as well, which means that you won't find any gaps, holes or light leakages to make you feel like you've not spent your hard-earned cash on something wonderful.
The volume control on the right-hand side of the phone is in the same dazzling metal, and contrasts nicely with the rubber/plastic that makes up the sides. Our sample actually showed a fair amount of wiggle in this area, and slightly detracted from the overall premium feel.
The power button resides on the top, and doubles as the infra-red blaster - however, this is one of the poorer points as it doesn't have a whole lot of travel.
Similarly, the placement of this button, even on a phone that's been shrunk down while accommodating a larger screen, is still a bit inconvenient. We had to shuffle the phone around in the palm to turn it on and off on many occasions, and a lot of the time we couldn't use our thumb to hit the whole of the screen without jiggling the phone up and down.
That's another problem with the design: it's pretty slippery thanks to the metallic chassis. We thankfully only ever suffered two serious drops when we were about a foot off the carpet (basically scrabbling for it to turn off the alarm in the morning) and a more alarming one stepping out of a cab, but there have been a few near misses when trying to manoeuvre around the screen.
If only that power button was on the side, or a physical home button unlocked the phone, this whole issue would be negated for a large part.
But as we mentioned, HTC has wandered away from the physical buttons - where once it put a trackpad in the Nexus One, now it's stripped the capacitive buttons down from three to two, with the multi-tasking option going the way of the dodo. You can still get the same functionality by double tapping the home button, but it's not the same.
Overall though, you can guess we're impressed with the construction and design of the HTC One. We're not even looking at final hardware here - although we appear to have got lucky with our sample, as there are few design flaws in sight - so the chances of metallic chipping ('because that's just what it does....' OK, Apple) are slight to say the least - providing you don't fling it on tarmac. Seriously, we tried that... don't do it.
We thought we'd scuffed it so many times during our test, but each time it was simply a slight amount of dirt or dust that wiped right off. Tick from TechRadar on the design front, HTC.
