HTC One mini - Signs that the brand is doomed

HTC Philippines quietly launched the HTC One mini which is selling for a street price of Php24,100 with a full warranty. For this amount of money you get a Android phone with a 4.3-inch 720p display, one gigabyte of RAM, 16 GB of internal storage, a dual core Qualcomm S400 processor, LTE (compatible with both Globe Telecom and Smart Communications). The phones storage is not expandable as the phone does not have a MicroSD card slot and the 1800 mAh battery is not user accessible. 

That is not a lot of kit for a phone priced just 15% lower than a Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE. For about 10% less cash, you will find the Sony Xperia ZR and the LG Optimus G, both of which have twice as much RAM and quad core Qualcomm S4 processor. The closest competitor to the HTC One mini is the Sony Xperia SP, which costs just two-thirds the price of the HTC offering.

Now, the HTC One mini, unlike other mini phones does offer a lot of the features of its full size sibling with Boom Sound and the Ultrapixel camera. Still, is a pretty bad value for money proposition. 

Unfortunately, lowering the price won't make it a good deal. Performance of the 1800 mAh battery is less than stellar, at 40 hours of endurance, which is poor by todays standards. 

Comparative endurance times:

Samsung Galaxy S 4  - 69 hours
Apple iPhone 5 - 51 hours
Sony Xperia SP - 51 hours
HTC One - 48 hours
Sony Xperia Z - 48 hours
BlackBerry Z10 - 46 hours
LG Optimus G - 45 hours

Original Post

HTC does not have the brand appeal they had two years ago. In terms of engineering prowess, they seem to have lost a step. HTC really dropped the ball on battery life with this one. The inability to make competitive products priced competitively, spells doom for HTC. We saw the same thing with the HTC Desire 600. The HTC One mini is premium priced product from a brand that has lost its premium luster. Seriously, you cannot sell a smartphone on looks alone.

Top Five Smartphones for September 2013

If you have deep pockets, what smartphones should you be looking at? These are what I think to be the best options at Php20,000 or higher.

All prices posted are for units covered by a manufacturer's warranty.

1. LG Optimus G (Php20,990) - Nexus 4 with LTE

The LG Optimus G is the phone on which the Google Nexus 4 was based. Basically, it is a Nexus 4 with double the storage and LTE, priced ironically a few thousand less.  

Quick specifications:

• Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)
• 4.7-inch HD (768 x 1280) display
• 32 GB internal storage, not expandable
• 2 GB RAM
• 1.5 GHz quad core Qualcomm Krait processor
• Adreno 320 graphics
• 13 MP autofocus primary camera with LED Flash
• 1.3 MP front camera
• LTE/HSPA+
• WiFi
• Bluetooth
• A-GPS
• 2100 mAh battery

The LG Optimus G put together the best of 2012 technology. It won't stand up to the best of the 2013 offerings, but if you can get it at a bit over 20K, it is a very good value for money offering.

2.  Nokia Lumia 925 (Php21,500 SRP) - Video capture phone for the active user

The Nokia Lumia 920 was the best Windows Phone 8 device in the market. The Nokia Lumia 925 takes all the good features of the Lumia 920, and corrects it shortcomings. makes it even better. The Lumia 925 is a Lumia 920 which is 20% thinner and 30% lighter than the Lumia 920. But there is a catch. Nokia reduced the storage from 32 GB to 16 GB.

The 8 MP primary camera with Carl Zeiss Optics is what this phone is all about. The 8 MP shooter has optical image stabilization (OIS). OIS is only found on Nokia's high end 9 and 10 series phones and the HTC One. OIS uses a gyroscope to detect the motion of the phone and the whole optical assembly moves in the opposite direction to cancel out the movement. That happens 500 times a second. This really does wonders for HD video capture and helps in low light photography. Looks like Nokia also tweaked the software, resulting in the Lumia 925 producing better stills than the Lumia 920. 

Quick specifications:

• Windows Phone 8
• 4.5-inch HD (768 x 1280) AMOLED display
• 16 GB internal storage, not expandable
• 1 GB RAM
• 1.5 GHz dual core Qualcomm Krait processor
• Adreno 225 graphics
• 13 MP autofocus primary camera with LED Flash
• 1.3 MP front camera
• LTE/HSPA+
• WiFi
• Bluetooth
• A-GPS
• 2000 mAh battery

3. Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 (Php22,800) - The smartphone and tablet are so last year. 

I have never like phablets. I found them too big and too bulky. Funny how making the bigger changed my mind. The massive 6.3-inch display on the Samsung Galaxy Mega is a pleasure to use. Thumb typing has never been so easy. The hardware is modest, but good enough for most people and reasonable for the asking price. A word of advice, get a Bluetooth headset. You are going to look ridiculous holding this thing to your ear.

Quick specifications:

• Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean)
• 6.3inch HD (720 x 1280) display
• 16 GB internal storage, expandable via a Micro SD card
• 1.5 GB RAM
• 1.7 GHz dual core Qualcomm Krait processor
• Adreno 305 graphics
• 8 MP autofocus primary camera with LED Flash
• 1.9 MP front camera
• LTE/HSPA+
• WiFi
• Bluetooth
• A-GPS
• 3200 mAh battery

4. Sony Xperia ZR C5503 LTE (Php23,400) - The smartphone for the thrill seeker

The Sony Xperia ZR is a scaled down version of the top of the line Sony Z and ZL products. Instead of a 5-inch Full HD display, you have a 4.55-inch HD display. Internal storage has also been reduced and the front camera is only a VGA unit. Other than that, the other specifications are unchanged, and its IP58 certified water and dust resistance makes it the best choice for the active user. Put it in a tough case, and it is still a reasonable size. A dedicated camera button will also allow you to snap pic's in wet conditions.

Packing a 2300 mAh battery, it does have excellent battery life (will be posting details on that soon). Best part is the battery is user replaceable.

Quick specifications:

• Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean)
• 4.55-inch HD (720 x 1280) display
• 8 GB internal storage, expandable via a MicroSD card
• 2 GB RAM
• 1.5 GHz quad core Qualcomm Krait processor
• Adreno 320 graphics
• 13 MP autofocus primary camera with LED Flash
• VGA front camera
• LTE/HSPA+
• WiFi
• Bluetooth
• A-GPS
• 2300 mAh battery

If I were in the market right now. This is the one I would buy.

5. Samsung Galaxy S4 i9505 (Php28,200) - Still the best mainstream choice 

The Samsung Galaxy S4 is a great phone it has a fast processor, gobs of RAM, LTE connectivity, and an excellent camera. You can expand the internal storage and the battery is user replaceable.

There are very few bad things you can really say about this phone. Some hate the plastic build. The TouchWiz Enhanced has gotten to the point that it feels gimmicky. It is still the best choice for most users.

Quick specifications:

• Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean)
• 5-inch Full HD (1080 x 1920) Super AMOLED display
• 16 GB internal storage, expandable via a MicroSD card
• 2 GB RAM
• 1.9 GHz quad core Qualcomm S600 processor
• Adreno 320 graphics
• 13 MP autofocus primary camera with LED Flash
• 1.3 MP front camera
• LTE/HSPA+
• WiFi
• Bluetooth
• A-GPS
• 2600 mAh battery

Wildcard: Last month the Apple iPhone 5 held this spot, but with a new one to be announced in a week, it would be best to wait for the new iPhone 5S, or for iPhone 5 prices to go down.

Check out my other buyers guides:

Top Five Mid-Ranage Smartphones for September 2013

Top Five Entry Level Smartphones for September 2013