HTC One mini review

HTC made a welcome comeback earlier this year when the HTC One elbowed aside the Samsung Galaxy S4 at the top of our A-List. The company has now produced a smaller version – the HTC One mini, and the big question is, can it live up to the high standard set by its sibling?

Clearly, it’s a smaller and lighter handset, which will be a relief to many. The screen is 4.3in to the One’s 4.7in, it weighs 21g less, and it’s half a centimeter narrower. That may not sound like much, but it’s enough to make a considerable difference to how the mini feels in the hand, and how easy it is to slide into your pocket.

From a distance, it doesn’t look like you’re missing out on any of the HTC One’s design. You have the same curved rear panel, finished in matte aluminum and inset with channels of white plastic. All the buttons, ports, sockets and camera lens are found in identical positions, too.

It’s a smart-looking phone, yet for all its similarities the One mini doesn’t quite have the same robust, luxurious feel. The white plastic trim around the edges is the main culprit, here – its moulded seams feel cheaper than those on the One – and the brushed metal speaker grilles that top and tail the display pick up grime rather quickly.

There are also major differences in specification, starting with the display, which is a 720 x 1,280 unit instead of 1,080 x 1,920. The drop in resolution isn’t a big problem, however. The pixel density is still high at 342ppi, and the quality of the Super LCD 2 panel is superb, with a top brightness of 489cd/m[sup]2[/sup] and an astounding contrast ratio of 1,482:1.

The camera has seen a downgrade, with no optical image stabilisation this time, although the resolution remains the same, at 4 megapixels. The lower resolution, in theory, allows the photosites on the sensor to be larger, leading to lower noise in low-light photography, and the mini is certainly a good shooter in low light. Photos are a touch grainy, but there’s none of the horrible red, green and blue chroma noise that normally affects low-light smartphone images.