HTC reveals One X and S with Snapdragon S4 CPU at MWC 2012
HTC One X with AT&T branding. (Source: AT&T)
HTC just made its flagship superphone lineup, the HTC One, official at Mobile World Congress 2012 (CNET News roundup).
Although HTC CEO Peter Chou cheekily kicked things off by declaring, "I've never been so excited by a phone like HTC One," he eventually revealed there are three siblings in this family: the One X, One S and One V.
HTC One X
AT&T will be carrying the 4G/LTE HTC One X with Qualcomm's new dual-core, 1.5 GHz Snapdragon S4 processor with Krait architecture under the hood, in a polycarbonate body like the Nokia Lumia/N9. (According to AnandTech, the dual-core S4 would actually out-duel an identical device powered by the quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 CPU.) Contrary to earlier rumors published by various tech sites, only the HTC One V will be using the Tegra 3 processor.
HTC One S
The One S manages to cram everything its more high-end brother has into a 7.95mm thin, scratch resistant unibody design, albeit with a slightly smaller 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED display. This is the model T-Mobile will be offering customers this Spring (see below, right). Not only will the One S be the sleekest phone in T-Mobile's portfolio, it will also be among the fastest 4G (HSPA +42) phones available as it is capable of 42 Mbps that can be faster than some home broadband speeds.
HTC One S from T-Mobile. (Source: T-Mobile)
Otherwise, all the HTC One brothers share the same DNA, including: (For a more detailed breakdown, check out Matthew Miller's post.)
- OS: Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
- UI: HTC Sense 4 with ImageSense
- Wi-Fi Sync means you will be able to update your media content library automatically and wirelessly after hooking the phone up to a computer for the first transfer
- Lock screen offers a shortcut to launch the camera quickly
- Every HTC device with Sense 4 will get 25 GB of free storage from Dropbox for two-years
- Audio: Beats Audio is integrated into all apps (games, music services like Pandora); AT&T will be carrying Beats Audio accessories beginning this Spring
- Camera: 8-megapixel rear camera with a f/2.0 lens and back illuminated sensor; 1080p HD video capable of 60 fps for slow motion videos
The One series' camera actually offer some sophisticated features normally reserved for higher-end cameras. All three models allow users to take still photos while recording videos and during playback, with a fast 0.7 second shutter speed, a 0.2 second auto-focus, as well as auto-burst mode for continuous shots. Videos are also said to automatically remove jitters so they will look more sharp and focused. It's hard to say whether the camera in these HTC phones will live up to its billing, but who would say no to a phone that happens to have a reliable camera embedded into it?
No exact price or release date for the HTC One X was announced at the press conference or by either carriers, but Chou did conclude the event by saying the One portfolio will launch globally starting in April, so HTC fans have some time to save up for this superphone.
[Source: Engadget, AT&T, T-Mobile]
Related:
- MWC 2012: CNET News roundup
- A closer look at the HTC One X (photos)
- MWC 2012: HTC unveils the One series in three flavors, two bound for U.S. carriers
- T-Mobile's 42.2 Mbps HSPA+ network earns my respect as a 4G network
- LG & Fujitsu to unveil quad-core superphones at MWC 2012
- CES 2012: Qualcomm shows Snapdragon S4 running Windows 8
- Samsung previews quad-core Exynos for tablets
- AnandTech: Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 (Krait) Performance Preview - 1.5 GHz MSM8960 MDP and Adreno 225 Benchmarks