HTC officially unveils the HTC One (yes, practically all of the rumors were true) [Updated]
HTC just sent Pocketables a press release summarizing the announcement of its new flagship smartphone, the HTC One, which was unveiled this morning in New York City. It features a 4.7-inch 468ppi 1080p screen, a “zero-gap” aluminum unibody frame, 32GB-64GB of on board storage, and several new features called BlinkFeed, Zoe, and BoomSound.
BlinkFeed is basically the HTC/Android equivalent of Live Tiles, although HTC describes this as “a bold new experience that transforms the home screen into a single live stream of personally relevant information, all in one place, eliminating the need to jump between multiple applications.” Content will be provided by more than 1,400 sources, and users can program the tiles to display relevant social media updates and news.
The “UltraPixel” camera will combine three separate images taken simultaneously into one that will include 300% more light than before (this is better if you’re in a lower light environment), better colors, and improved overall quality. The camera will also feature enhanced 360-degree panoramas, time sequencing, and object removal, all of which will utilize “Zoe,” which is simply HTC’s marketing term for this underlying technology. It also includes the ability to “transform still galleries into moving memories. With the ability to automatically create integrated highlight films that can be remixed or set to different themes, HTC Zoe ensures those memories can be easily shared.”
BoomSound refers to the two front-facing stereo speakers, which have a dedicated amplifier and (of course) Beats Audio integration enabled across the entire experience. Additinoally, HTC’s new Sense Voice technology purports to boost call volume and quality in noisy environments (HTC says you’ll be able to make calls during a concert), and when recording HD video, the dual microphones and new audio processing will produce better sound.
The HTC One will be available globally on 185 carriers in 80 regions and countries starting in March, available in both silver and black. There’s no official word either way yet, but I have a feeling that – given HTC’s new marketing push and desire to make one phone available for all carriers, along with the somewhat odd timing of this release – this might be the beginning of the end of the EVO name.
Update #1: Sprint has just released its own press release, confirming that it will carry the new “international” HTC One, and that it will be compatible with its 4G LTE. It’s fantastic to see that Sprint’s version will also be compatible with global GSM networks, but at the same time this does seem like another nail in the EVO coffin.
Update #2: Here’s a full(er) spec sheet:
- 1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 quadcore processor
- 2GB of RAM
- 32GB or 64GB of onboard storage
- 137.4 x 68.2 x 9.3mm body (tapering to 5mm at the edges) CNC’d from a solid slab of specially formulated aluminum alloy
- 4MP back camera
- 2.1MP front-facing camera with an 88-degree wide-angle lens
- 4.7-inch 1080p Full HD LCD3 display
- 25GB of free Dropbox storage
- Sense 5
- Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, with Android 4.2 coming shortly
Update #3: AT&T and T-Mobile have both confirmed that they will be carrying the HTC One, along with Sprint. Verizon remains notably absent.
