HTC One S review

The HTC One S is the second in command in HTC's new One series rankings, one rung down on the size and power ladder from the HTC One X. That's no bad thing because the giant scale and quad-core power of the One X won't be for everyone.

Spec sheet top trumps are all very well when you're jawing off down the pub about who's got the flashiest phone, but most people prefer to have bragging rights and a mobile that fits in their pocket. That's where the One S comes in.

This handset is fully loaded with the newest version of Google's Android operating system, Ice Cream Sandwich, and the latest HTC Sense software, plus a dual-core 1.5GHz chip and an 8-megapixel snapper. Did I mention it's also waif-thin? There's even a choice of fancy finishes -- either a black, carbonised ceramic coating that looks like it should be adorning the underside of an astronaut's boots or a snazzy gradient grey metal finish.

SIM-free, the One S will set you back around £400, or it's available free on a two-year contract for as little as £21 per month. Alternative Android handsets at this price include the Beats Audio-branded HTC Sensation XE, the perennially popular Samsung Galaxy S2 or the 'acquired taste' LG Optimus 3D.

Processor

In my view the HTC One S is the Goldilocks choice of HTC's new One series -- neither too big to pocket, nor too small to feel cramped. Rather than having four cores -- the majority of which would surely sit idle most of the time -- it packs a powerful dual-core 1.5GHz processor, which is plenty of power for most people's mobile needs.

In benchmark tests, the One S showed itself to be no slouch. Its smaller screen size and lower screen resolution than the One X, coupled with its powerful dual-core chip, give it the edge in certain scenarios -- as the quad-core bigger sibling has to shift around a lot more pixels.

The One S bats another benchmark out the park -- scoring 6,886 on Antutu's test.

In the Antutu benchmark, the One S scored a very respectable 6,886 -- beating the Sony Xperia S and the Samsung Galaxy S2 (but trailing the One X, which scored a whopping 10,827).

In the Quadrant benchmark, the One S managed 4,877 versus the One X's 4,904. And in Vellamo's benchmark, the One S beat the One X -- scoring a a huge 2,437 -- topping the Android power charts by a distance.

The One S puts in an Olympic performance -- running away with Vellamo's Android benchmark gong.

I also ran GL Benchmark's standard Egypt test, which the One S handled with aplomb, running at 60 frames per second versus the One X's 52fps.

Performance

The One S was ludicrously fast and responsive during testing, with menus zipping around and apps loading in a flash. To my eye, it looks generally faster than the One X -- although the latter's engine is more capable in certain specialist situations. But for everyday mobile tasks, such as browsing the web, flipping through emails, opening apps, and the like, the One S is blisteringly -- nay, terrifyingly -- quick. As Jezza Clarkson would say, it goes like stink.

For example, loading up a photo gallery filled with snaps is near instantaneous. Yet the Sony Xperia S, which also has a dual-core chip, has a noticeable lag when you open the gallery as it builds the photo cache -- leaving you waiting for blurry snaps to come into focus. By contrast, the One S is white-knuckle-ride fast -- with photos appearing in focus before you can shout "I hate the iPhone".

Shifting around the pixels of the desktop version of a rich HTML5 website is also nay bother. And its pinch-to-zoom performance seems smoother than the One X -- although it does have a similar glitch where it annoyingly realigns page content after you stop pinching. This can mean the portion of the page you were trying to get closer to jumps off screen.

During my time with the One S, I also encountered the same occasional issue that strikes the One X, where the phone stops responding for a few seconds, displaying a loading screen over an empty home screen. This bug -- if indeed it's a bug -- is not frequent and only causes a short delay.

The HTC One S is a slinky number, but there's plenty of punch in that wiry frame.

Ice Cream Sandwich and Sense 4.0

The HTC One S runs both the latest Android OS -- Ice Cream Sandwich -- and HTC's newest interface, Sense 4.0. The presence of ICS means you get the option to unlock the phone just by looking at it, thanks to Face Unlock. You can also download Google's Chrome for Android browser, which is ICS-only.

HTC's Sense 4.0 software has been pared back, with the company jettisoning some of the animations and flourish it added over the years. In the main, this is a welcome evolution with a more streamlined and capable interface emerging.

One key change is a new customisable launch bar on the home screen, which lets you choose up to four apps or folders to quickly tap into. These apps can also be displayed on the lock screen, where you can pull an app or folder into the ring to launch it straight from wake-up.

Sense 4.0 also has fancier folders than Sense 3.5. They're much easier to fill with apps as you can just drag and drop them together to create a folder, and use a checklist-based add function that allows you to speedily pile various apps into a folder. There's also a more streamlined notifications tray -- and you can now flick items out of the list to delete them.

It's not all new by any means. Sense 4.0 has retained plenty of the trademark Sense features -- such as the pinch gesture that brings up a multi-home screen view, so you can easily see all the home screens and choose which one to dive into.

You'll also still find scores of great HTC widgets that can be added to your home screens -- including the familiar flip clock and weather widgets, plus all manner of handy toggle tools, utilities and more. You can preview the widgets before adding them and easily select which home screen to send them to via a useful overview feature.

The recent apps menu has had a makeover. Instead of a grid of app icons, you now get a 3D deck of cards with each card depicting a recent app. These can be flipped through or flicked off screen when you've had enough of them with a satisfying flick -- an action that hat-tips HP's webOS. Despite these fancy 3D graphics, the menu is lightning quick.

For a closer look at how HTC has evolved Sense 3.5 into Sense 4, check out this photo story.

Design and build quality

The One S has a generous 4.3-inch display, which is big, but not so gigantic that even dainty-handed folk like me can't hold it comfortably. The device feels long and narrow in the hand, not least because it's so thin -- a skeletal 7.8mm thick.

The One S has a perfectly-proportioned screen for browsing your favourite website.

While the One S's design is that oh-so-familiar HTC rounded oblong, it feels a lot more stylish than many of its slabby predecessors -- thanks once again to that size-zero waist and some fancy finish options.

There's a choice of either a black ceramic option, created using a micro arc oxidation process that involves bathing the metal unibody casing in a plasma field, and electrocuting it so it carbonises. Ouch. This has a stylish, matte look. Or there's an anodised, shiny grey metal coating that has a gentle colour gradient going from light grey at the top to darker grey at the base.

The One S has a sexy, matte ceramic black -- unless you get the anodised grey metal version.

HTC claims the ceramic finish is five times tougher than the anodised casing. It should also resist light scratches but don't take your keys to the back of the device -- it's not that tough.

Despite having a mostly metal casing, the One S feels relatively lightweight -- it's just 119.5g, which includes the battery since that's not removable.

My review handset was the ceramic model. I like the matte feel of the finish, which is not as slippery as the plastic casing of the One X. The black One S also has a snazzy red metal collar protecting the camera, which protrudes slightly from the back of the casing.

The top and bottom sections of the case are rubberised plastic to aid grip. The top one of these sections can be fully removed to get at the micro-SIM card slot.

The HTC One S is slim and lightweight -- a real gift to the palms.

Despite being so thin, the black One S feels solid and well made, and does not have the problem with screen flex at the edge that I encountered on the One X. Despite copious poking and prodding, the One S's screen remains rigid on all four sides.

There are only two ports on the exterior of the One S: a 3.5mm headphone jack on the top, and a micro-USB port for charging on the left-hand side. There are also only two physical buttons: a volume rocker on the right-hand side and a power key up top. Both these physical keys are responsive, but the plastic power key does seem as if it might be prone to damage since the button is removed every time you take the plastic door off to get to the micro-SIM.

There are three touch-keys on the front of the device, which I found to be generally responsive to a light tap. These are the same keys as on HTC's other One Series devices -- a back button, home and a recent apps key. HTC has ditched the menu key found on previous generations of its Android phones.