Every single time. Only Sony gets it - the Xperia Z1 Compact doesn't use a second-rate SoC or camera compared to the Z1. It's a full-fat version, just smaller.
Couldn't agree more. I finally bit the bullet and bought an imported Z1 Compact about a month ago and am very happy with it. I don't have the words to express my disappointment that Sony's example is not being followed, nor that American operators aren't interested in picking up a great device like the Z1 Compact.
On the topic of the One mini 2 itself, it seems like a perfectly decent phone, but you guys really hit it on the head with the "two worlds" thing--on the one hand, the same money gets you a G2, which is still a great phone by any account; on the other, it has the specs of a Moto G, which is half as much. I love HTC's industrial design, but it is hard to argue that the One mini 2 is competitive.
agreed. and i might also add LG L6, a phone that you can purchase right off the ebay for 120 (or 100 if it is on the ebay daily deal). that has almost the same spec as the original one mini (actual performance is better since the skin isn't as heavy). i recently get one and my god the battery is godly. i can go with 3 days (as in 3 day+ 3 night) on a charge when using it to check email, facebook and occasionally web browsing. on comparsion my N4, if used the similar manner, would be dead before the second day.
with that all said, there isn't a single reason to pay 400 dollars for a mini 2 over the aluminum body when you can get L6 for 100 dollars, or Note 3 neo for about 360 dollars.
HTC One mini 2 is really good, but I would recommend going for the flagship HTC One M8 instead, it is currently the best phone on the market. /Colin from http://www.consumertop.com/best-phone-guide/
I don't understand why nobody except Sony seems to understand this concept. Both HTC and Samsung cripple the specs of their "mini" variants. Why... why would you do that? Don't you understand that some people just don't want monster screens, but still want top-tier performance? :/
I can't help but be amazed every time how well the Nexus 5 does in these tests with so few compromises, especially at that price. Still the best Android phone on the market all things considered, in my opinion.
The headphone voltage is very sad on the Nexus. I own both an HTC One and a Nexus 5 and the One is about two times louder than the Nexus when using headphones. The cameras on both phones are below average. I will not be buying another Nexus phone as the HTC spoiled me on what better parts can do for smartphones.
Nexus 5 owner here. The speaker and battery life are the only real compromises.The camera is merely average. Performance in real-world usage blazes though compared to just about any other android phone, mostly due to stock Kitkat.
Nexus 5's camera is less than desirable though. These days, camera on smartphones is pretty much the distinguish factor for most smartphone buyer. I wouldn't get Nexus 5 based on this alone.
No SD? No sale. I carry a lot of media around with me and mass storage is essential. The cloud is not always accessible. To me, that absence is a very serious compromise. And it saved them what? $5?
I'd be interested to see the sales figures for the Z1 Compact in Europe where the phone is widely available to see if Sony's strategy of producing a flagship phone with a smaller screen has worked out for them. On paper the phone looks pretty much exactly what everyone has been wanting for a while in Android with a top end SoC, camera, micro SD, decent screen even weather sealing and without much compromise either as the price is reasonable as is the batterylife. It makes a complete mockery of the HTC Mini 2 as they both appear to be a similar price despite the Sony being a much more capable device.
Yet I've not seen anyone with a Z1 Compact despite plenty of other Android phones and I've hardly seen any second hand for sale (I want a cheap one for going out cycling) whereas there's quite a few S5's around even though it's only recently released. I realise none of that's statistically relevant hence I'd like to see the sales data.
I do think Sony were too slow releasing the Z1 Compact, I think if they'd released it around two years after the Galaxy S2 they'd have been in the perfect position to catch those who wanted a similar sized phone with top end specs. I knew quite a few people who had S2's and didn't want an S4 due to the increase in size however as there wasn't anything suitable in a smaller form factor with Android they went with the S4 and find the size is fine.
A few friends and family have 'mini' phones particularly the S3 Mini and S4 Mini but they didn't just want a smaller phone they also wanted a cheap phone so wouldn't have considered a Z1 Compact if available.
My brother just bought the Z1 Compact, and it's an impressive piece of kit. I only wish it had OIS and a better camera app(like Nokia Camera on the Lumias)
From the article: "HTC then proceeded to launch the One mini, a phone that was the size that everyone had been asking for" From Johnmcl7: " On paper the phone looks pretty much exactly what everyone has been wanting for a while in Android". Really? Everyone wanted a phone like that? I didn't. I was fine with 4.3" in my SGS2 when the iPhone established the 3.x" form factor. I liked my 4.65" Galaxy Nexus when that was becoming the norm and I like the 5.2" LG G2 which is doesn't feel much larger than the GN. So count me out of that "everyone" group, please. Not everyone is looking for smaller flag ship phones, just like not everyone is looking for microSD card slots, replaceable batteries or phones made out of aluminum. Some are, others aren't. I'm someone who is fine with lugging around his Nexus 7 when I'm wearing a jacket. The 5.2" G2 fits perfectly fine in all my trousers and I have never thought "bly me, that size is really bothering me".
i'm really happy for you and you're right, not "everyone" wants all those things you list. the problem is that for people who are happy with 5"+ phones there already are many options - the whole flagship-segment caters to them.
but for those who want all the power in a slightly smaller form factor there is exactly one viable offering - not much considered the dozens/hundreds of models on the market. and even this lonely smartphone will be "obsolete" in a matter of months, considering the specs of current and coming flagships.
in a market like this, i think it's clear and also warranted, that people are complaining. but even if we aren't "everybody", it's still important that we voice our opinions. sorry if you felt collateralized ;)
I feel exactly the same. Z1 Compact is a great phone (with some flaws like other) and the right size for everyday life, you don't have to carry a bag or a jacket only for your phone. I own a Nexus 5, coming from a Xperia U (perfect size for me) and this summer will see if i go mad feeling it in my pockets all day. As for the sales (of Z1 compact) It's difficult to tell the real figures, here in Italy is available for 450/420 euros or less, but anything that is not Samsung or iPhone is a "niche" phone. I own a N5, my sister owns a Moto G, and we are considered some kind of "geeks" only for that :)
i like last year's metal unibody much better than this. Satin aluminum feels much better in the hand, (and looks better) than this brushed aluminum look.
i also like the m7 design better, but not because of the brushed finish - i love brushed metal! - but the corners look better imho. it doesn't look all that rounded, more simple and also the top speaker grille is more centered. also the speaker grilles were real metal on the m7 and if you look closely at the m8 you can see that theres a rather thick clear coat on the grilles, plus not all holes are drilled all the way through. "nitpicking", yes, but on a phone that lives for its design i think those are still valid points.
also the second (duo-) camera looks goofy and the black m7 is just absolutely gorgeous, compared to the black m8 with its appalling gold speaker grilles (sprint version).
also (sorry for saying "also" so much!), i don't get how they get their numbers like "90% metal", or "50% metal". shure, the surface of the m8 features a couple percent more metal than the m7, but not to the extent of 90% vs. 70%. and the mini 2 sure as hell isn't down to only 50%. i'm really wondering how they calculate this to get those numbers.
You are being WAY too kind. These "mini" marketing devices deserve to be bashed and put to shame. People buy them thinking they're getting a mini flagship and end up hating android. This is a terrible device at that price point.
the m7 with a larger 8mp sensor with OIS and an sd slot would have been perfect!! plus the sd801 from the m8 to seal the deal and they would have one customer more.
Yeah. In my mind it is: 4 small, 4.5 normal, 5 large, 5.5 extra large But apparently 5 inch is normal and anything below is small. Apple iPhone becomes nano of course.
Strange world indeed. My current phone has 4,3" and that's already on the border of being acceptable size wise... "Is that a smartphone in your pocket or are you happy to see me?"
i also reluctantly upgraded from 3,7" to 4,3" two years ago. for the next upgrade i _might_ go as far as up to 5", if the bezels are as slim as on the g2 or g3. but a 5" display in a package as the m8 is just too much, tyvm.
Hey, this isn't an Apple phone article! Anand, you looked at a non-Apple device!? For reals?
Of course, you DO share a byline, so I'm thinking this is one of those things where you glanced over the article and added a paragraph, but let the other guy do most/all of the work. Perhaps it didn't seem like you were exactly "fair and balanced" if all you ever had your name attached to were Apple device and AMD Center articles?
Disappointing. I'm a One (M7) owner, very happy with that. But it's disappointing to see there is nothing in the new HTC lineup worth looking forward to.
As an owner of a Lumia 920 & 925 as well as an iPhone 5s, I'd say that the well light pictures are slightly worse than the iPhone 5s and the low light pictures are better than anything else they show. That would put these phones among the very best for camera, depending on your shooting needs.
The Lumia 1020 and Lumia 1520/930/Icon should best all of these phones, but I don't have them to test. Between high resolution, solid optics, OIS, and Xenon flash, they have specs that are second to none. The Sony's should be competitive though, and they are also missing from these reviews.
I really wish Anandtech would make nice with Microsoft and start reviewing their phones again.
Our 1520's camera is freaking amazing and puts my M7 to shame under all circumstances. I haven't reviewed AT's stance on this but IMHO a higher-end Lumia should be in every comparison test.
I hate to be late to the party or the last dude to know, but... wtf happened to Brian? Not complaining, I like Anand's reviews, but I would like to know...
"I don't know that there's a better feeling smartphone priced below $400" Lumia 925 is a class above this in terms of feel and quality (and cpu performance and camera performance) and is cheaper too :).
Sorry if I misread this, but in the HTC One Cameras table in Camera Architecture the table shows the Rear Camera - Max Aperture for the HTC One mini 2 as f/2.0 whereas its referred to as f/2.2 in the article. Just so you can update.
your anti-apple stance aside, they also mentioned that people who are ok with the moto x' size should be happy with the mini 2. i have to object a bit here since the mini 2 is significantly larger despite having a .2" smaller display:
I just cannot understand why the Z1 Compact isn't even mentioned in reviews? Okay, I understand that as a US site the penetration of Sony is considerably less than other markets, but as an enthusiast site, it surely merits some reference?
this article, especially the conclusion, sums up my thoughts about the mini 2 nicely. for what you get it's just priced too high and for what it should be, it just makes too many compromises.
i would be extremely interested in a smaller flagship phone and think the design of the m7/m8/mini2 is second to none. but the m7 lacks expandable storage (i just ordered a 128gb sandisk...), the m8 is just too big for my taste and needs and the mini 2 has its own set of problems, as we can clearly see.
it's still a very nice phone, but for me it is too compromised (1gb of ram? really??) and much too expensive.
also, with those internals it has no right to be about the same size as the m7, plus htc would have done good if it would have implemented optional capacitive buttons on the black bar, like the 1+1. at least then we would have more available space on-screen.
Why the heck did you measure camera shot time, instead of the IOPS transferring then? I mean that's your SSD measurement strategy. Just give a graph of IOPS for each model.
I too just do not understand the lure of metal and faux metallic cellphones. Quality plastic (such as the Lumias polycarbonite) is cheaper and better and probably tougher.
I am voting with my feet .. after using HTC since their first smartphone, the HTC Mini 2 really disappointed me and HTC refused to admit that the Mini 2 is totally crippled and underpowered as a phone .. but after trying to use it for over 3 months I had enough .. recently I have delays of 15-20 seconds switching apps .. turning on the phone .. and it keeps freezing .. uninstalled loads of apps .. same result .. So .. HTC Mini 2 is such a bad phone that I just changed to a Sony Z3 compact, after switching to Sony for my Tablet (from a Samsung Note 2 which also was as slow as a crippled dog) and have been incredibly impressed by both products that all I have to say is ... Bye Bye HTC !!
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flyingpants1 - Monday, May 26, 2014 - link
Thought so. Inferior device at a high price point. Get a Nexus 5 instead.piroroadkill - Monday, May 26, 2014 - link
Every single time. Only Sony gets it - the Xperia Z1 Compact doesn't use a second-rate SoC or camera compared to the Z1. It's a full-fat version, just smaller.Chaitanya - Monday, May 26, 2014 - link
Sony did everything right that neither Samsung or HTC have been able to do with their mini versions of flagship smartphones.teiglin - Monday, May 26, 2014 - link
Couldn't agree more. I finally bit the bullet and bought an imported Z1 Compact about a month ago and am very happy with it. I don't have the words to express my disappointment that Sony's example is not being followed, nor that American operators aren't interested in picking up a great device like the Z1 Compact.On the topic of the One mini 2 itself, it seems like a perfectly decent phone, but you guys really hit it on the head with the "two worlds" thing--on the one hand, the same money gets you a G2, which is still a great phone by any account; on the other, it has the specs of a Moto G, which is half as much. I love HTC's industrial design, but it is hard to argue that the One mini 2 is competitive.
seanleeforever - Monday, June 2, 2014 - link
agreed.and i might also add LG L6, a phone that you can purchase right off the ebay for 120 (or 100 if it is on the ebay daily deal). that has almost the same spec as the original one mini (actual performance is better since the skin isn't as heavy). i recently get one and my god the battery is godly. i can go with 3 days (as in 3 day+ 3 night) on a charge when using it to check email, facebook and occasionally web browsing. on comparsion my N4, if used the similar manner, would be dead before the second day.
with that all said, there isn't a single reason to pay 400 dollars for a mini 2 over the aluminum body when you can get L6 for 100 dollars, or Note 3 neo for about 360 dollars.
ColinByers - Monday, September 29, 2014 - link
HTC One mini 2 is really good, but I would recommend going for the flagship HTC One M8 instead, it is currently the best phone on the market. /Colin from http://www.consumertop.com/best-phone-guide/synaesthetic - Monday, May 26, 2014 - link
I don't understand why nobody except Sony seems to understand this concept. Both HTC and Samsung cripple the specs of their "mini" variants. Why... why would you do that? Don't you understand that some people just don't want monster screens, but still want top-tier performance? :/Spunjji - Tuesday, May 27, 2014 - link
This, a thousand times!AnnonymousCoward - Wednesday, May 28, 2014 - link
If the Z1 is so high-end, then why is the camera latency so bad?pjcamp - Thursday, May 29, 2014 - link
Everything has its problems.Sony's problem is that they can't seem to figure out how to sell things in the US.
Alexey291 - Tuesday, May 27, 2014 - link
aye my first thought too. "Oh look its worse than last year's mini but with a bigger battery" eurgh.krazyfrog - Monday, May 26, 2014 - link
I can't help but be amazed every time how well the Nexus 5 does in these tests with so few compromises, especially at that price. Still the best Android phone on the market all things considered, in my opinion.pppp6071 - Monday, May 26, 2014 - link
Same here. Proud owner of Nexus 5 32 GB black and eagerly waiting for next version.Strk - Monday, May 26, 2014 - link
Nexuses still struggle with the external speaker, but otherwise, I agree.sprockkets - Monday, May 26, 2014 - link
They fixed that in rev 2 of the hardwaresigmatau - Wednesday, May 28, 2014 - link
The headphone voltage is very sad on the Nexus. I own both an HTC One and a Nexus 5 and the One is about two times louder than the Nexus when using headphones. The cameras on both phones are below average. I will not be buying another Nexus phone as the HTC spoiled me on what better parts can do for smartphones.mkygod - Monday, May 26, 2014 - link
Nexus 5 owner here. The speaker and battery life are the only real compromises.The camera is merely average. Performance in real-world usage blazes though compared to just about any other android phone, mostly due to stock Kitkat.fokka - Wednesday, May 28, 2014 - link
if it had an sd slot it would be a very appealing phone indeed.happycamperjack - Wednesday, May 28, 2014 - link
Nexus 5's camera is less than desirable though. These days, camera on smartphones is pretty much the distinguish factor for most smartphone buyer. I wouldn't get Nexus 5 based on this alone.pjcamp - Thursday, May 29, 2014 - link
No SD? No sale. I carry a lot of media around with me and mass storage is essential. The cloud is not always accessible. To me, that absence is a very serious compromise. And it saved them what? $5?devione - Monday, May 26, 2014 - link
Why, oh why, can't more manufacturers follow the Sony Z1 Compact route..Johnmcl7 - Monday, May 26, 2014 - link
I'd be interested to see the sales figures for the Z1 Compact in Europe where the phone is widely available to see if Sony's strategy of producing a flagship phone with a smaller screen has worked out for them. On paper the phone looks pretty much exactly what everyone has been wanting for a while in Android with a top end SoC, camera, micro SD, decent screen even weather sealing and without much compromise either as the price is reasonable as is the batterylife. It makes a complete mockery of the HTC Mini 2 as they both appear to be a similar price despite the Sony being a much more capable device.Yet I've not seen anyone with a Z1 Compact despite plenty of other Android phones and I've hardly seen any second hand for sale (I want a cheap one for going out cycling) whereas there's quite a few S5's around even though it's only recently released. I realise none of that's statistically relevant hence I'd like to see the sales data.
I do think Sony were too slow releasing the Z1 Compact, I think if they'd released it around two years after the Galaxy S2 they'd have been in the perfect position to catch those who wanted a similar sized phone with top end specs. I knew quite a few people who had S2's and didn't want an S4 due to the increase in size however as there wasn't anything suitable in a smaller form factor with Android they went with the S4 and find the size is fine.
A few friends and family have 'mini' phones particularly the S3 Mini and S4 Mini but they didn't just want a smaller phone they also wanted a cheap phone so wouldn't have considered a Z1 Compact if available.
Laxaa - Monday, May 26, 2014 - link
My brother just bought the Z1 Compact, and it's an impressive piece of kit. I only wish it had OIS and a better camera app(like Nokia Camera on the Lumias)Death666Angel - Monday, May 26, 2014 - link
From the article: "HTC then proceeded to launch the One mini, a phone that was the size that everyone had been asking for"From Johnmcl7: " On paper the phone looks pretty much exactly what everyone has been wanting for a while in Android".
Really? Everyone wanted a phone like that? I didn't. I was fine with 4.3" in my SGS2 when the iPhone established the 3.x" form factor. I liked my 4.65" Galaxy Nexus when that was becoming the norm and I like the 5.2" LG G2 which is doesn't feel much larger than the GN. So count me out of that "everyone" group, please. Not everyone is looking for smaller flag ship phones, just like not everyone is looking for microSD card slots, replaceable batteries or phones made out of aluminum. Some are, others aren't. I'm someone who is fine with lugging around his Nexus 7 when I'm wearing a jacket. The 5.2" G2 fits perfectly fine in all my trousers and I have never thought "bly me, that size is really bothering me".
Johnmcl7 - Monday, May 26, 2014 - link
OK, wrong turn of speech - my own phone is a Sony Z Ultra (6.4in screen) so I certainly appreciate the benefits of a larger screen.fokka - Wednesday, May 28, 2014 - link
i'm really happy for you and you're right, not "everyone" wants all those things you list. the problem is that for people who are happy with 5"+ phones there already are many options - the whole flagship-segment caters to them.but for those who want all the power in a slightly smaller form factor there is exactly one viable offering - not much considered the dozens/hundreds of models on the market. and even this lonely smartphone will be "obsolete" in a matter of months, considering the specs of current and coming flagships.
in a market like this, i think it's clear and also warranted, that people are complaining. but even if we aren't "everybody", it's still important that we voice our opinions. sorry if you felt collateralized ;)
sfuzzz - Monday, May 26, 2014 - link
I feel exactly the same. Z1 Compact is a great phone (with some flaws like other) and the right size for everyday life, you don't have to carry a bag or a jacket only for your phone. I own a Nexus 5, coming from a Xperia U (perfect size for me) and this summer will see if i go mad feeling it in my pockets all day. As for the sales (of Z1 compact) It's difficult to tell the real figures, here in Italy is available for 450/420 euros or less, but anything that is not Samsung or iPhone is a "niche" phone. I own a N5, my sister owns a Moto G, and we are considered some kind of "geeks" only for that :)Gich - Monday, May 26, 2014 - link
4xCortex-A7 can't keep up with 2xKrait 200 on benchmarks that do stress all core... and it should be worst on "normal" apps.Isn't this... very bad?
Gich - Monday, May 26, 2014 - link
Also "it’s not much of an improvement"? I feel is more of a step back.tipoo - Monday, May 26, 2014 - link
Yeah, I'd take dual krait over any number of A7 cores any day.Laxaa - Monday, May 26, 2014 - link
It baffles me that this "mini" is the same size as the M7. What does this offer that the M7 don't have on a lower price point?fokka - Wednesday, May 28, 2014 - link
slightly better battery life, slightly better camera in daylight, sd slot.Morawka - Monday, May 26, 2014 - link
i like last year's metal unibody much better than this. Satin aluminum feels much better in the hand, (and looks better) than this brushed aluminum look.krazyfrog - Monday, May 26, 2014 - link
The brushed aluminum finish is only on the grey model. The silver and gold look like the M7.fokka - Wednesday, May 28, 2014 - link
i also like the m7 design better, but not because of the brushed finish - i love brushed metal! - but the corners look better imho. it doesn't look all that rounded, more simple and also the top speaker grille is more centered. also the speaker grilles were real metal on the m7 and if you look closely at the m8 you can see that theres a rather thick clear coat on the grilles, plus not all holes are drilled all the way through. "nitpicking", yes, but on a phone that lives for its design i think those are still valid points.also the second (duo-) camera looks goofy and the black m7 is just absolutely gorgeous, compared to the black m8 with its appalling gold speaker grilles (sprint version).
also (sorry for saying "also" so much!), i don't get how they get their numbers like "90% metal", or "50% metal". shure, the surface of the m8 features a couple percent more metal than the m7, but not to the extent of 90% vs. 70%. and the mini 2 sure as hell isn't down to only 50%. i'm really wondering how they calculate this to get those numbers.
SetiroN - Monday, May 26, 2014 - link
You are being WAY too kind.These "mini" marketing devices deserve to be bashed and put to shame. People buy them thinking they're getting a mini flagship and end up hating android.
This is a terrible device at that price point.
Laxaa - Monday, May 26, 2014 - link
It is. The M7 is a much better buy. It might be a year old, but it's still a great smartphone. It looks better as well.hangfirew8 - Tuesday, May 27, 2014 - link
Exactly what I was thinking! If they had put an 8MP camera on the M7 it would have been a better phone than this.fokka - Wednesday, May 28, 2014 - link
the m7 with a larger 8mp sensor with OIS and an sd slot would have been perfect!! plus the sd801 from the m8 to seal the deal and they would have one customer more.r3loaded - Monday, May 26, 2014 - link
4.5 inches is "mini" now?Fergy - Monday, May 26, 2014 - link
Yeah. In my mind it is: 4 small, 4.5 normal, 5 large, 5.5 extra largeBut apparently 5 inch is normal and anything below is small. Apple iPhone becomes nano of course.
Daniel Egger - Monday, May 26, 2014 - link
Strange world indeed. My current phone has 4,3" and that's already on the border of being acceptable size wise... "Is that a smartphone in your pocket or are you happy to see me?"torp - Monday, May 26, 2014 - link
To be more accurate: "Is that a smartphone in your wheelbarrow?"fokka - Wednesday, May 28, 2014 - link
i also reluctantly upgraded from 3,7" to 4,3" two years ago. for the next upgrade i _might_ go as far as up to 5", if the bezels are as slim as on the g2 or g3. but a 5" display in a package as the m8 is just too much, tyvm.HisDivineOrder - Monday, May 26, 2014 - link
Hey, this isn't an Apple phone article! Anand, you looked at a non-Apple device!? For reals?Of course, you DO share a byline, so I'm thinking this is one of those things where you glanced over the article and added a paragraph, but let the other guy do most/all of the work. Perhaps it didn't seem like you were exactly "fair and balanced" if all you ever had your name attached to were Apple device and AMD Center articles?
Hm.
Death666Angel - Monday, May 26, 2014 - link
Hm indeed. Haven't taken your meds today, have you?Alexey291 - Tuesday, May 27, 2014 - link
Clearly not xDpixelstuff - Monday, May 26, 2014 - link
Perhaps you are on on the wrong site? Or perhaps you just don't remember the hundreds of articles not centered around Apple or AMD?JBVertexx - Monday, May 26, 2014 - link
Disappointing. I'm a One (M7) owner, very happy with that. But it's disappointing to see there is nothing in the new HTC lineup worth looking forward to.Myrandex - Monday, May 26, 2014 - link
I still wonder where the Nokia cameras stack up in the tests. At least one of their models should make an appearance in the comparison charts.Drumsticks - Monday, May 26, 2014 - link
If Anandtech didn't seem to have some irrational aversion to windows phone, then maybe they might :(Thermogenic - Monday, May 26, 2014 - link
As an owner of a Lumia 920 & 925 as well as an iPhone 5s, I'd say that the well light pictures are slightly worse than the iPhone 5s and the low light pictures are better than anything else they show. That would put these phones among the very best for camera, depending on your shooting needs.The Lumia 1020 and Lumia 1520/930/Icon should best all of these phones, but I don't have them to test. Between high resolution, solid optics, OIS, and Xenon flash, they have specs that are second to none. The Sony's should be competitive though, and they are also missing from these reviews.
I really wish Anandtech would make nice with Microsoft and start reviewing their phones again.
hangfirew8 - Thursday, May 29, 2014 - link
Our 1520's camera is freaking amazing and puts my M7 to shame under all circumstances. I haven't reviewed AT's stance on this but IMHO a higher-end Lumia should be in every comparison test.PHlipMoD3 - Monday, May 26, 2014 - link
I hate to be late to the party or the last dude to know, but... wtf happened to Brian? Not complaining, I like Anand's reviews, but I would like to know...Laxaa - Monday, May 26, 2014 - link
Nobody knows and Anand won't tell.Arbie - Monday, May 26, 2014 - link
No microSD slot = no sale. Still.piroroadkill - Monday, May 26, 2014 - link
What the hell? It has a microSD slot. Now you're just talking nonsense.fokka - Wednesday, May 28, 2014 - link
he just cited a fact of life /ssuperflex - Wednesday, May 28, 2014 - link
No reading comprehension still?Troll on baby.
samsung galaxy guide - Monday, May 26, 2014 - link
Anand, what happened to Brian? Has he moved on to a different site?althaz - Monday, May 26, 2014 - link
"I don't know that there's a better feeling smartphone priced below $400"Lumia 925 is a class above this in terms of feel and quality (and cpu performance and camera performance) and is cheaper too :).
Alexey291 - Tuesday, May 27, 2014 - link
lets be fair - this device is terrible and one is better off getting last year's M7 than this for eg...fokka - Wednesday, May 28, 2014 - link
can't say anything against the lumia, but the metal build on the m7 onwards is hard to reach from a touch and feel perspective.Ev1lAsh - Tuesday, May 27, 2014 - link
Sorry if I misread this, but in the HTC One Cameras table in Camera Architecture the table shows the Rear Camera - Max Aperture for the HTC One mini 2 as f/2.0 whereas its referred to as f/2.2 in the article.Just so you can update.
JoshHo - Wednesday, May 28, 2014 - link
D'oh. The error has been corrected, thank you for pointing this out.Arbie - Tuesday, May 27, 2014 - link
Glad to hear that, if it's true. MicroSD is not in the spec list posted, and I wouldn't expect such a significant feature to go unmentioned there.Arbie - Tuesday, May 27, 2014 - link
Sorry, my error. It does show MicroSD in the specs. Somehow I overlooked that.[email protected] - Tuesday, May 27, 2014 - link
"For those that see the iPhone 5 and 5s as the absolute largest phone that they’re willing to tolerate, this may be too much"makes no sense...
icrap 5 and 5s are the smallest crap there is... nothing is crappier or smaller.. most would prefer a larger phone anyway.
fokka - Wednesday, May 28, 2014 - link
your anti-apple stance aside, they also mentioned that people who are ok with the moto x' size should be happy with the mini 2. i have to object a bit here since the mini 2 is significantly larger despite having a .2" smaller display:http://mobiledevicesize.com/compare/#359,432;1
hangfirew8 - Tuesday, May 27, 2014 - link
"the One mini 2 is easily one of the best in its class." And just what class was that, anyway?beardybuck - Wednesday, May 28, 2014 - link
I just cannot understand why the Z1 Compact isn't even mentioned in reviews?Okay, I understand that as a US site the penetration of Sony is considerably less than other markets, but as an enthusiast site, it surely merits some reference?
fokka - Wednesday, May 28, 2014 - link
this article, especially the conclusion, sums up my thoughts about the mini 2 nicely. for what you get it's just priced too high and for what it should be, it just makes too many compromises.i would be extremely interested in a smaller flagship phone and think the design of the m7/m8/mini2 is second to none. but the m7 lacks expandable storage (i just ordered a 128gb sandisk...), the m8 is just too big for my taste and needs and the mini 2 has its own set of problems, as we can clearly see.
it's still a very nice phone, but for me it is too compromised (1gb of ram? really??) and much too expensive.
also, with those internals it has no right to be about the same size as the m7, plus htc would have done good if it would have implemented optional capacitive buttons on the black bar, like the 1+1. at least then we would have more available space on-screen.
AnnonymousCoward - Wednesday, May 28, 2014 - link
Why the heck did you measure camera shot time, instead of the IOPS transferring then? I mean that's your SSD measurement strategy. Just give a graph of IOPS for each model.Archipelago - Thursday, May 29, 2014 - link
I too just do not understand the lure of metal and faux metallic cellphones. Quality plastic (such as the Lumias polycarbonite) is cheaper and better and probably tougher.jnkweaver - Sunday, June 1, 2014 - link
How do you do a smartphone review and not even mention call quality? I can find no mention of using it as a phone.RDR99 - Friday, May 15, 2015 - link
I am voting with my feet .. after using HTC since their first smartphone, the HTC Mini 2 really disappointed me and HTC refused to admit that the Mini 2 is totally crippled and underpowered as a phone .. but after trying to use it for over 3 months I had enough .. recently I have delays of 15-20 seconds switching apps .. turning on the phone .. and it keeps freezing .. uninstalled loads of apps .. same result ..So .. HTC Mini 2 is such a bad phone that I just changed to a Sony Z3 compact, after switching to Sony for my Tablet (from a Samsung Note 2 which also was as slow as a crippled dog) and have been incredibly impressed by both products that all I have to say is ... Bye Bye HTC !!