HTC’s entry-level Android handset comes with a signature design that
traces all the way back from the HTC Hero and the HTC Legend. Check out
our full review of the Android ICS-packing HTC One V after the break.
If you have found yourself wanting the HTC One V after reading our second encounter with it last week, now is the time to read our final verdict and find out if it’s really worth having you at “hello”.
Design and Construction
The HTC One V’s design has good pedigree, drawing a lot of
inspiration from its predecessors namely the HTC Hero and the HTC
Legend, hence the chin. It has a unibody design which is similar to its
other HTC One cousins and is finished with a metallic matte texture in
grey color. If you don’t like bulky and heavy smartphones, the One V is
the device that your hands will thank you for. It has a slim body and
weighs just 115 grams.
Appearance wise, the One V went for the simple yet straight-forward
functionality. Look at the front and you’ll find the wide earpiece and
three capacitive buttons just below the display. On top are the
wake/sleep button, headset jack and the notifications light. On the
right side are the volume rocker and the microUSB port on the left. Turn
it on its backside and you’ll see the 5-megapixel camera and flash and
the speaker grill right at the bottom.
From my experience in handling the device, I believe that the One V
was designed for right-hand use. Hold the smartphone with your left hand
and your palm will directly cover the speaker grill. It’s also
frustrating to hold if a USB cable or charger is attached to it. So
let’s say you’re charging the device and decided to make a call, you’re
more likely to go for the right hand-to-right ear method.
Display
The One V has a 3.7 inch LCD dispaly, one inch smaller than the One
X’s, and is covered with glass that slightly protrudes from its
mounting. The screen is vibrant with deep blacks, has crisp details and
good viewing angles. Sunlight legibility is good as well.
The One V has a pixel density of 252ppi. It is 60ppi and 74ppi shorter than the One X and iPhone 4S respectively, but pixels are hardly noticeable in the One V.
On the downside, the glass display is a finger print magnet. If
you’re one with sweaty hands you’ll constantly find the need to wipe the
screen with a cloth to clear it up.
HTC Sense UI
The HTC One V’s boot-up time from dead cold to network availability
took 14 seconds. Pull the ring to unlock and you’ll get Android Ice Cream Sandwich
4.0.3 with HTC Sense v4 UI all the way. Of course, HTC’s huge digital
clock and cool weather widget are on the main home screen. You’ll get
five home screens of which HTC has already managed to fill up with
widgets for you.
Tap the app drawer and you’ll get a 4×4 grid of icons which you can
navigate through left and right scrolling. The UI animations are pretty
smooth and scrolling is very fluid. Although you’ll experience some
slight lags but is rare and forgivable.
