HTC One Mini Review

HTC has announced the HTC One mini, a compact version of its flagship smartphone, the HTC One. HTC One Mini runs Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean and HTC Sense 5, and the software experience is the same as on the HTC One.

The HTC One mini sports a 4.3-inch display with a resolution of 1280x720 pixels and pixel density of 341 ppi. It’s a great-looking screen, with rich colors, a high maximum brightness level and wide viewing angles. The Mini is powered by a Snapdragon 400 dual-core CPU, clocked at 1.4 GHz, and backed up by 1 GB of RAM. The One Mini also packs 16 GB of internal storage, of which around 12 is available for your own stuff.

The rear camera is a 4-megapixel “Ultra pixel” shooter — the same unit used in other HTC phones, including the full-sized One. The phones front and sides are made of poly-carbonate, while its back is made of aluminum, unlike the HTC One which is made entirely from aluminum barring the glass display.

The camera and gallery apps represent another important pillar of the HTC Sense experience, and theyve made the transition across to the HTC One Mini.

HTC One Mini vs. the HTC One

Both the phones run on the same versions of software and HTC sense. The usability features, like connectivity, sensors and camera specifications and options are almost identical.

But there are three major omissions — first, theres no OIS (Optical image stabilization), which means photos will be more vulnerable to shaking. Next, theres no IR blaster, meaning you cant control your TV using the phone. Finally, theres no NFC support.

The internal hardware of the Mini is a step down from the full HTC One — a dual-core Snapdragon 400 at 1.4 GHz versus a quad-core Snapdragon 600 at 1.7 GHz. Theres half the RAM, at 1 GB versus two, and half the base storage, at 16 GB versus 32. Despite this, performance in day-to-day tasks is virtually identical on the Mini.

For casual users the HTC One Mini is a well built and great performing phone but for power users the big brother HTC One wins the game.