Wow I'm surprised you don't use your mobilephone more, I guess having the latest device is not a necessity although how you made any android device last that long with any use as a smartphone is beyond me. I can't get my phones to last a year without slowing down or running out of ram in the case of iphones.
Oh my SGS2 still takes calls and text messages fine. My father and brother got one at the same time I did - my brother's one does not charge anymore, but my father's phone is fine (he uses it almost exclusively as a phone/camera and not a lot else). For apps I find myself using something like Advanced Task Killer a lot, even though it is not really recommended.
I'm using a note 2 and it wouldn't let me install apps for a while as it kept saying not enough memory, even when I deleted a ton of apps. Then suddenly worked one day and updated all my apps. Then a few days later ran out of memory again :-( . I also lost a ton of photos on the device but retained the thumbnails which was annoying, even used recovery software and they were gone. I think I use my devices a bit too much, but I'm glad yours is still going. I'm hopefully receiving my note 3 tomorrow.
When you get your Note 3, you can have your photos backed up to Google+, DropBox, SkyDrive and/or any other number of services. There is no need to lose photos in the mobile-era with the many cloud services available.
I know in the US, my Note 3 came with 50GB of additional Dropbox storage for two years. That should be plenty of additional storage to backup photos for the time you have the device before an upgrade.
I've got the Note 2 as well...we've also got access to Dropbox, albeit I didn't get a free 50GB storage addition, that's cool. But we've got Google drive with I think 20/25GB. Dropbox, Cloud...you're right, excellent options for backup in the cloud....and for free. 50GB is a lot. If you're storing RAW files. I get it...me, I only back up my jpegs to Dropbox and the RAW photo and video files are redundantly stored on external drives via thunderbolt in RAID. Maybe you were already aware or this....even his SG2 is able to utilize most of these services...not sure about GDrive though depending on the ROM he's using and generation of Android's OS.
Man I can't get out of my Note contract quick enough. I can't STAND the damn thing (Note 1 & then I did an early upgrade after reading the healthy, positive reviews). Same as you. Even with my micro SD card it's ALWAYS coming up 'out of memory' when background apps are updated...the little question mark, pull down and see the app wasn't able to update....try it, get the message. Pisses me off....I've found a weird fix though. A lot of times, uninstalling the app and reinstalling it (obviously the new install has the update) tends to work, for me, at least 7/10 times. The other issue, and perhaps Ian could comment...I'm still having a hell of a time downloading apps from the Play Store on my Note. It'll say 'incompatible with this device, it's a phone app' or something to that affect. Drives me NUTS! And lastly, don't get me started on these silly SD cards. Indeed, if you're using it as a 'content consumption' device....it makes sense throwing some movies or music on it. But I can't get ANY apps to install it. Half the time it's not showing up in storage as an option and asks to be formatted....I've never messed with the ROM or deeper level 're' programming of the phone. Perhaps I should....but I've played with the '3' and spoke personally with a pair of long time AT&T employees....guys that have been taking care of me for a long time....and the three of us all enjoy owning both Android and iOS devices. We've all three got iPhone 5s phones, one has the S4 and HTC1--- the other, a Note 3. The fella with the S4 got rid of his Note3. Couldn't stand it. The other gentleman that has lived with the Note 3 (IMHO I think it's very cool these guys own the latest of both and have 'working' knowledge of the actual gear they're selling), same response. He says they got it right with the '2' but the '3' is filled with a lot of 'junk' half baked and doesn't work consistently OR fluently....TouchWiz has turned into a pile of turd bloat while HTC's Sense is getting it 'right'....then you've got the carriers (I'm on AT&T and can't speak intelligently about the others or outside of the USA), adding their crapware on top of T/W----the move I'm making next time is hopefully the SG4, HTC2, or Nexus 6....from the Play Store. Android stock. Or I'll give HTC a shot. That said Ian, I'm sorry to hear about your problems with the fingerprint reader. That sucks. As an owner of the 5s, I can Honestly say it's been a revelation for me. Works 14/15 times for me (wet or extremely dry fingers can glitch it first try, but typically the second responds immediately). And like you, I NEVER utilized security on my phones. Like you I want fast and immediate access. Apple's implementation is incredibly fast. For me, it's as quick as hitting the home button....and 'swipe to unlock' execution Thanks for the review. Obviously you're coming from an almost three generation old phone now so the improvement is gonna be astounding....but what were your thoughts about the display quality? The speed and fluency of the UI? How DID you end up carrying it? I must've missed Anand's review and I don't usually do that ;)---that said, I'm getting more and more curious about HTC. Although their financial issues concern me....I've owned three Samsung phones and two tablets and I'm just not a fan of the length of time for updates and bug fixes (Samsung? Carrier.)---& can't stand TW. I'm not too high on either Nexus 7 either...I've got last years 16 and this year's 32. Again....the whole tablet 'optimized apps'....or lack there of.....and with such a phenomenal display..their decision to go 16:9 absolutely destroys the ability to surf or even read documents in 'portrait'...even in landscape, a lot of scrolling is involved in comparison to the 4:3 aspect ratio..as always, ymmv...but that would be my last question Ian, what is the aspect ratio of the 'Max'? Thanks. Sorry to be so long winded J
Here's a very simple solution that works on my Galaxy Note; Open the Phone app and switch to Keypad. Dial *#9900# On the screen that appears, click on the button labelled "Delete dumpstate/logcat" I've restored about one GB of system space this way.
Christ! People still use "Advanced Task Killer" Not only is it not recommended it can in fact make your phone work incorrectly. Why would you use something that isn't recommended and isn't needed to begin with? Some people just think their special and since their special their phone must be special and needs a Task Killer no matter what any of the commoners say? Here's a Hint: This is an Android phone OS not Windows?
So you didn't read his actual comment? Or is a comprehension thing? He's on an extremely old phone right now with a limited SoC, RAM, and poor battery performance. He made it pretty clear he's using it SO he can USE his phone still....and I quote 'even though it's not recommended' You're right. With today's RAM in the phones....4.0's memory management has improved with each point updates and Advanced Task Killer isn't needed, necessary...and, as you said, can actually do more harm than good (though you and I both know this isn't the case if you're knowledgable in the least about your phone....it was a GodSend when we had 512mb or even a lot of the 1GB handsets, as the Gingerbread OS that was SO prominent for SO long! These days though, I agree. Shouldn't even be installed on your phone
"Both of these scenarios warranted removable microSD and batteries to work."
They don't *require* removable batteries. An external battery pack works perfectly and as a bonus can also both charge other devices and can be charged on it's own without being inserted into your phone.
I do have two battery packs almost always fully charged for on the go now. It made sense when doing Computex this year due to all the data going back and forth for news and images.
Yeah, there's definitely two sides to that coin. A pickpocket may easily notice the One Max in your pocket, but there's no way they could take it without being noticed. Even if they're really skilled, you're going to notice the sudden absence of its weight. Unless they can slip a brick in simultaneously, I guess.
What you state is pretty much the reason I am very much against ever owning a large phone. I use my phone with 1 hand often, and I put it in my jean pockets. Larger phones like the SG4 or this one would never fit. Which is why its so unfortunate that the iPhone is the only high end, small phone.
I have not used the One max, but the fingerprint scanner on my iPhone 5S works great. I can easily unlock it while sitting at my desk without picking it up, and the scanner is very accurate.
P.s. great review Ian. Its good to get a bit of anandtech goodness UK style!
P.p.s - those pictures in London were fantastic - by far the most interesting pictures taken on an anantech review ever - it's the first time I've looked at every image really carefully.
I like your perspective as a reviewer, Ian. You are always so pragmatic and sceptical about whether we really need any of this tech stuff, and you have a great, understated sense of humour.
Thanks for your kind words! I uploaded a few more images I forgot to add to the gallery. I still think for something like Computex I'll need my (very) cheap DSLR over a camera phone like the HTC One max, but the gap is certainly narrowing: especially if by the time I get around to writing at an event, all the images are already in my dropbox. That saves some SD card transfer.
It was fun hearing about your experience with the One max since you don't seem that interested I phones. It's one thing to hear Brian talk about a phone, and another thing to listen to a "tech savvy but not super interested in phones" person talk about their experience. Maybe you should try some other phones such as the HTC One or Nexus 5 and see what you think about them. Maybe HTC can send you a regular One to test. That should address a few of the drawbacks of the max you mentioned.
Oh and it's nice to hear that not everyone on Anandtech are anti-removable batteries and microSD cards.
If you're going to go to the effort of making use that the "m" in "max" isn't capitalized, why are you capitalizing "HTC". It should be either hTC or hTc according to their logo.
"I normally have very basic unlock tools on my phone – I am a person that likes to switch the screen off when I am not using it, even if I end up needing the phone two seconds later."
I'm not sure about the max, but on the regular HTC One, you could set a timeout after which the phone locks itself after switching it off, basically delaying phone lock. So if it is set to say 3 minutes, you can switch your phone off and back on again within those 3 minutes without the need to unlock it. This is very handy.
I enjoyed this little review-let. Informal, very user-focused and giving a completely different perspective from the usual Anandtech line. It was much appreciated.
So I had to go back to EE and buy a micro SIM for £10 then spend 15 minutes on the phone to EE’s call desk getting my regular number onto the new SIM.
While on three now (unlimited data, whoo!), when I was on T-Mobile and had to move to a micro-SIM for the Nexus 4, all I had to do was walk into an EE store and ask for my SIM to be swapped over, and they did it then and there for free, and it was acvive within a few minutes.Might want to report your lcoal store to EE corporate if they're fleecing customers a tenner for a free service.
But, it’s oversized and unwieldy –– unnecessarily so. There are other options on the market which give as good an experience while being considerably less cumbersome – most prominently is the <a href="http://galaxynote-3.net/" >samsung galaxy note 3</a>.
But, it’s oversized and unwieldy –– unnecessarily so. There are other options on the market which give as good an experience while being considerably less cumbersome – most prominently the samsung galaxy note 3 here http://galaxynote-3.net/
The fact that on huge devices like this (but also the Nexus5) one has to go through the trouble of buying a microSIM, is amazing for me. I can't see any justification, whatsoever, if not to try to make it a tad bit easier to switch from (some of) the iPhones to Android. I hope that soon we'll all be on the smallest possible SIM size and be done with this useless variety.
An excellent review which answers meaningful user questions about portability, usability, and real world use instead of paragraphs obsessing about whether the champfer of the bezel edge is different to an iphone, or making snarky (and meaningless) comments directed towards people who don't match the reviewer's preconceived notions of what the "correct" usage pattern is.
I love this article. I am always reading about the latest greatest smart phones. I just enjoy the technology. I have to say ... I agree with a lot of the content. I know what I want in a phone. i want removable storage and battery. For me it's a big plus, especially the removable battery. Batteries go bad and one would have no recourse on a no contract service ...no warranty! My dailey is a Samsung S2 running Jellybean. I use the Nova Launcher. After two years I can still do everything that is needed .... or download an app that gets close enough. My original battery became weak and wouldn't last. Spent $12.00 for a new battery and I'm still in business. Sure it isn't as fast as the new phones ...... but it still does it all fairly well. But let me say ... it isn't slow either. The 4 1/2" display is very adequate for media and does it well. The article, for me, re-affirms that you don't to have the "latest and greatest" to be well connected. Don't take this wrong ........ I love the new phones ..... I want one. LOL!!! But I cannot justify throwing money at a device that adds little additional value to what I already have.
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Badelhas - Thursday, December 5, 2013 - link
Great review, congrats!neoraiden - Thursday, December 5, 2013 - link
Wow I'm surprised you don't use your mobilephone more, I guess having the latest device is not a necessity although how you made any android device last that long with any use as a smartphone is beyond me. I can't get my phones to last a year without slowing down or running out of ram in the case of iphones.IanCutress - Thursday, December 5, 2013 - link
Oh my SGS2 still takes calls and text messages fine. My father and brother got one at the same time I did - my brother's one does not charge anymore, but my father's phone is fine (he uses it almost exclusively as a phone/camera and not a lot else). For apps I find myself using something like Advanced Task Killer a lot, even though it is not really recommended.neoraiden - Thursday, December 5, 2013 - link
I'm using a note 2 and it wouldn't let me install apps for a while as it kept saying not enough memory, even when I deleted a ton of apps. Then suddenly worked one day and updated all my apps. Then a few days later ran out of memory again :-( . I also lost a ton of photos on the device but retained the thumbnails which was annoying, even used recovery software and they were gone. I think I use my devices a bit too much, but I'm glad yours is still going. I'm hopefully receiving my note 3 tomorrow.stirredo - Thursday, December 5, 2013 - link
You might want to try and do this:http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2...
tigger2u - Friday, December 6, 2013 - link
When you get your Note 3, you can have your photos backed up to Google+, DropBox, SkyDrive and/or any other number of services. There is no need to lose photos in the mobile-era with the many cloud services available.I know in the US, my Note 3 came with 50GB of additional Dropbox storage for two years. That should be plenty of additional storage to backup photos for the time you have the device before an upgrade.
akdj - Sunday, December 8, 2013 - link
I've got the Note 2 as well...we've also got access to Dropbox, albeit I didn't get a free 50GB storage addition, that's cool. But we've got Google drive with I think 20/25GB. Dropbox, Cloud...you're right, excellent options for backup in the cloud....and for free. 50GB is a lot. If you're storing RAW files. I get it...me, I only back up my jpegs to Dropbox and the RAW photo and video files are redundantly stored on external drives via thunderbolt in RAID.Maybe you were already aware or this....even his SG2 is able to utilize most of these services...not sure about GDrive though depending on the ROM he's using and generation of Android's OS.
akdj - Sunday, December 8, 2013 - link
Man I can't get out of my Note contract quick enough. I can't STAND the damn thing (Note 1 & then I did an early upgrade after reading the healthy, positive reviews). Same as you. Even with my micro SD card it's ALWAYS coming up 'out of memory' when background apps are updated...the little question mark, pull down and see the app wasn't able to update....try it, get the message. Pisses me off....I've found a weird fix though. A lot of times, uninstalling the app and reinstalling it (obviously the new install has the update) tends to work, for me, at least 7/10 times. The other issue, and perhaps Ian could comment...I'm still having a hell of a time downloading apps from the Play Store on my Note. It'll say 'incompatible with this device, it's a phone app' or something to that affect. Drives me NUTS! And lastly, don't get me started on these silly SD cards. Indeed, if you're using it as a 'content consumption' device....it makes sense throwing some movies or music on it. But I can't get ANY apps to install it. Half the time it's not showing up in storage as an option and asks to be formatted....I've never messed with the ROM or deeper level 're' programming of the phone. Perhaps I should....but I've played with the '3' and spoke personally with a pair of long time AT&T employees....guys that have been taking care of me for a long time....and the three of us all enjoy owning both Android and iOS devices. We've all three got iPhone 5s phones, one has the S4 and HTC1--- the other, a Note 3. The fella with the S4 got rid of his Note3. Couldn't stand it. The other gentleman that has lived with the Note 3 (IMHO I think it's very cool these guys own the latest of both and have 'working' knowledge of the actual gear they're selling), same response. He says they got it right with the '2' but the '3' is filled with a lot of 'junk' half baked and doesn't work consistently OR fluently....TouchWiz has turned into a pile of turd bloat while HTC's Sense is getting it 'right'....then you've got the carriers (I'm on AT&T and can't speak intelligently about the others or outside of the USA), adding their crapware on top of T/W----the move I'm making next time is hopefully the SG4, HTC2, or Nexus 6....from the Play Store. Android stock. Or I'll give HTC a shot. That said Ian, I'm sorry to hear about your problems with the fingerprint reader. That sucks. As an owner of the 5s, I can Honestly say it's been a revelation for me. Works 14/15 times for me (wet or extremely dry fingers can glitch it first try, but typically the second responds immediately). And like you, I NEVER utilized security on my phones. Like you I want fast and immediate access. Apple's implementation is incredibly fast. For me, it's as quick as hitting the home button....and 'swipe to unlock' executionThanks for the review. Obviously you're coming from an almost three generation old phone now so the improvement is gonna be astounding....but what were your thoughts about the display quality? The speed and fluency of the UI? How DID you end up carrying it? I must've missed Anand's review and I don't usually do that ;)---that said, I'm getting more and more curious about HTC. Although their financial issues concern me....I've owned three Samsung phones and two tablets and I'm just not a fan of the length of time for updates and bug fixes (Samsung? Carrier.)---& can't stand TW. I'm not too high on either Nexus 7 either...I've got last years 16 and this year's 32. Again....the whole tablet 'optimized apps'....or lack there of.....and with such a phenomenal display..their decision to go 16:9 absolutely destroys the ability to surf or even read documents in 'portrait'...even in landscape, a lot of scrolling is involved in comparison to the 4:3 aspect ratio..as always, ymmv...but that would be my last question Ian, what is the aspect ratio of the 'Max'?
Thanks. Sorry to be so long winded
J
Stanley33 - Monday, December 9, 2013 - link
Here's a very simple solution that works on my Galaxy Note;Open the Phone app and switch to Keypad.
Dial *#9900#
On the screen that appears, click on the button labelled "Delete dumpstate/logcat"
I've restored about one GB of system space this way.
CuriousMike - Friday, December 6, 2013 - link
Replacement batteries for the GS2/3 can be damn cheap and work well enough as a bridge until your next phone.piiman - Saturday, December 7, 2013 - link
Christ! People still use "Advanced Task Killer" Not only is it not recommended it can in fact make your phone work incorrectly.Why would you use something that isn't recommended and isn't needed to begin with? Some people just think their special and since their special their phone must be special and needs a Task Killer no matter what any of the commoners say? Here's a Hint: This is an Android phone OS not Windows?
akdj - Sunday, December 8, 2013 - link
So you didn't read his actual comment? Or is a comprehension thing?He's on an extremely old phone right now with a limited SoC, RAM, and poor battery performance. He made it pretty clear he's using it SO he can USE his phone still....and I quote 'even though it's not recommended'
You're right. With today's RAM in the phones....4.0's memory management has improved with each point updates and Advanced Task Killer isn't needed, necessary...and, as you said, can actually do more harm than good (though you and I both know this isn't the case if you're knowledgable in the least about your phone....it was a GodSend when we had 512mb or even a lot of the 1GB handsets, as the Gingerbread OS that was SO prominent for SO long! These days though, I agree. Shouldn't even be installed on your phone
gobaers - Thursday, December 5, 2013 - link
:) maybe they can have you test the One Mini next.adityarjun - Thursday, December 5, 2013 - link
The fact that you watch Naruto videos makes you awesome.I just caught up on the latest one released today on narutoget.
kyuu - Thursday, December 5, 2013 - link
Naruto is the primary reason I subscribe to Hulu Plus. Daily Show, the Colbert Report, and some other occasional animes as well (like GITS).tipoo - Thursday, December 5, 2013 - link
Maybe I should watch it, I just finished my first anime (Attack on Titan) and loved it, but it's a long ass wait till the second season.owbert - Thursday, December 5, 2013 - link
"By jove, it is MASSIVE." Haha!steven75 - Thursday, December 5, 2013 - link
"Both of these scenarios warranted removable microSD and batteries to work."They don't *require* removable batteries. An external battery pack works perfectly and as a bonus can also both charge other devices and can be charged on it's own without being inserted into your phone.
IanCutress - Thursday, December 5, 2013 - link
I do have two battery packs almost always fully charged for on the go now. It made sense when doing Computex this year due to all the data going back and forth for news and images.hrrmph - Thursday, December 5, 2013 - link
Removable batteries have the following potential *ha* uses:- Easy reload / recharge while traveling;
- Easy replacement when battery is permanently dead or dying (ideally without having to use risky "maintenance" tools to access it); and
- If all else fails and you want to kill power or reboot, just re-slot the battery.
Spunjji - Friday, December 6, 2013 - link
Works perfectly if you don't mind wielding a telephone/battery nunchuk for a while ;)RoninX - Thursday, December 5, 2013 - link
Would a pickpocket actually be able to remove an HTC One Max from your front pocket without you noticing it?kyuu - Thursday, December 5, 2013 - link
Yeah, there's definitely two sides to that coin. A pickpocket may easily notice the One Max in your pocket, but there's no way they could take it without being noticed. Even if they're really skilled, you're going to notice the sudden absence of its weight. Unless they can slip a brick in simultaneously, I guess.Stuka87 - Thursday, December 5, 2013 - link
Good follow up review.What you state is pretty much the reason I am very much against ever owning a large phone. I use my phone with 1 hand often, and I put it in my jean pockets. Larger phones like the SG4 or this one would never fit. Which is why its so unfortunate that the iPhone is the only high end, small phone.
I have not used the One max, but the fingerprint scanner on my iPhone 5S works great. I can easily unlock it while sitting at my desk without picking it up, and the scanner is very accurate.
Bubbacub - Thursday, December 5, 2013 - link
In London, it's more a case of being mugged or having it snatched from your hands whilst walking then being pick pocketed.Bubbacub - Thursday, December 5, 2013 - link
P.s. great review Ian. Its good to get a bit of anandtech goodness UK style!P.p.s - those pictures in London were fantastic - by far the most interesting pictures taken on an anantech review ever - it's the first time I've looked at every image really carefully.
Klug4Pres - Thursday, December 5, 2013 - link
Agree that the pics were great fun!I like your perspective as a reviewer, Ian. You are always so pragmatic and sceptical about whether we really need any of this tech stuff, and you have a great, understated sense of humour.
IanCutress - Thursday, December 5, 2013 - link
Thanks for your kind words! I uploaded a few more images I forgot to add to the gallery. I still think for something like Computex I'll need my (very) cheap DSLR over a camera phone like the HTC One max, but the gap is certainly narrowing: especially if by the time I get around to writing at an event, all the images are already in my dropbox. That saves some SD card transfer.jimbo2779 - Thursday, December 5, 2013 - link
I agree the photos were great. I did my Software Engineering degree at Hull Uni so it was a great little blast from the past to see the pics there.Great review as well by the way.
Martuv93 - Thursday, December 5, 2013 - link
It was fun hearing about your experience with the One max since you don't seem that interested I phones. It's one thing to hear Brian talk about a phone, and another thing to listen to a "tech savvy but not super interested in phones" person talk about their experience.Maybe you should try some other phones such as the HTC One or Nexus 5 and see what you think about them. Maybe HTC can send you a regular One to test. That should address a few of the drawbacks of the max you mentioned.
Oh and it's nice to hear that not everyone on Anandtech are anti-removable batteries and microSD cards.
Alexvrb - Sunday, December 8, 2013 - link
I agree on the removable batteries and microSD cards! A lot of the Smartphone elites are really down on them.Speaking of which, maybe Ian would even be willing to *gasp* review a Lumia device? The other one certainly won't.
The Von Matrices - Thursday, December 5, 2013 - link
If you're going to go to the effort of making use that the "m" in "max" isn't capitalized, why are you capitalizing "HTC". It should be either hTC or hTc according to their logo.IanCutress - Friday, December 6, 2013 - link
Officially, as listed and registered, HTC is capitalized. Logos can do what they like.Breit - Friday, December 6, 2013 - link
"I normally have very basic unlock tools on my phone – I am a person that likes to switch the screen off when I am not using it, even if I end up needing the phone two seconds later."I'm not sure about the max, but on the regular HTC One, you could set a timeout after which the phone locks itself after switching it off, basically delaying phone lock.
So if it is set to say 3 minutes, you can switch your phone off and back on again within those 3 minutes without the need to unlock it. This is very handy.
Spunjji - Friday, December 6, 2013 - link
I enjoyed this little review-let. Informal, very user-focused and giving a completely different perspective from the usual Anandtech line. It was much appreciated.psuedonymous - Friday, December 6, 2013 - link
While on three now (unlimited data, whoo!), when I was on T-Mobile and had to move to a micro-SIM for the Nexus 4, all I had to do was walk into an EE store and ask for my SIM to be swapped over, and they did it then and there for free, and it was acvive within a few minutes.Might want to report your lcoal store to EE corporate if they're fleecing customers a tenner for a free service.damien90 - Friday, December 6, 2013 - link
But, it’s oversized and unwieldy –– unnecessarily so. There are other options on the market which give as good an experience while being considerably less cumbersome – most prominently is the <a href="http://galaxynote-3.net/" >samsung galaxy note 3</a>.damien90 - Friday, December 6, 2013 - link
But, it’s oversized and unwieldy –– unnecessarily so. There are other options on the market which give as good an experience while being considerably less cumbersome – most prominently the samsung galaxy note 3here
http://galaxynote-3.net/
yankeeDDL - Friday, December 6, 2013 - link
The fact that on huge devices like this (but also the Nexus5) one has to go through the trouble of buying a microSIM, is amazing for me.I can't see any justification, whatsoever, if not to try to make it a tad bit easier to switch from (some of) the iPhones to Android. I hope that soon we'll all be on the smallest possible SIM size and be done with this useless variety.
webmastir - Saturday, December 7, 2013 - link
an* HTC Onenot "a HTC One"
Hairs_ - Saturday, December 7, 2013 - link
An excellent review which answers meaningful user questions about portability, usability, and real world use instead of paragraphs obsessing about whether the champfer of the bezel edge is different to an iphone, or making snarky (and meaningless) comments directed towards people who don't match the reviewer's preconceived notions of what the "correct" usage pattern is.HansCPH - Saturday, December 7, 2013 - link
Yes, Ian should take over and ban Brian from going outside the Laboratory cubicle, while Anan be searching for relevant test possibilities.Nice going Ian. ;-)
review_again - Sunday, January 5, 2014 - link
I love this article. I am always reading about the latest greatest smart phones. I just enjoy the technology. I have to say ... I agree with a lot of the content. I know what I want in a phone. i want removable storage and battery. For me it's a big plus, especially the removable battery. Batteries go bad and one would have no recourse on a no contract service ...no warranty!My dailey is a Samsung S2 running Jellybean. I use the Nova Launcher. After two years I can still do everything that is needed .... or download an app that gets close enough. My original battery became weak and wouldn't last. Spent $12.00 for a new battery and I'm still in business. Sure it isn't as fast as the new phones ...... but it still does it all fairly well. But let me say ... it isn't slow either. The 4 1/2" display is very adequate for media and does it well. The article, for me, re-affirms that you don't to have the "latest and greatest" to be well connected. Don't take this wrong ........ I love the new phones ..... I want one. LOL!!! But I cannot justify throwing money at a device that adds little additional value to what I already have.