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.
This smartphone's 4.3-inch Super AMOLED screen from Samsung is above average when it comes to imaging quality. The One S has a 540 x 960 pixel resolution, which offers a 256-ppi pixel density on this display size.
Features
The One S runs on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and the latest version of its Sense UI.
You'll get the same 8-megapixel BSI camera with ImageSense technology on the One S that my colleague Aloysius Low raved about in his review of the One X. The One S also has a dedicated imaging chip, and overall camera performance was brisk. The camera was able to focus in less than a second, capture continuous shots in machine gun succession and snap crisp photos while recording video. It may not have a 41-megapixel sensor like the Nokia 808 PureView, but the BSI sensor captured clear photos in low lighting, and the smart LED flash could fill a scene with enough light.
As with all smartphones in its One series, HTC has integrated Beats Audio sound enhancing software in its music player app.
The difference between using the bundled Beats Solo headset and non-Beats branded headphones is audible. With the Beats Solo headset, music seems to have more presence, punchier bass and clearer vocals. Other headsets we tried also showed some improvement with the sound enhancer turned on. Do note that the sound enhancer only works with headphones or external speakers that are plugged in to the phone and you can't tweak the settings--only turn it on or off.
The HTC One S is not the fastest smartphone on the market, but it is one of the fastest. It does not offer the best screen, but its display is one of the best. Finally, it is definitely not the best smartphone at the moment, but it is one of the best available.
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