The HTC One Mini is the latest offering from the Taiwanese manufacturer and is aimed at bringing all the aluminium unibodied glory of the HTC One flagship in a cheaper, more compact package.
Apple’s iPhone 5 is also designed with those who want a premium exterior in mind with the company’s consistently high standard of build quality and, of course, the well-established and well-optimised iOS software ecosystem.
Apple iPhone 5: Key specs and features
Apple wouldn’t be where it is today if it wasn’t for the way it builds its phones and the company has a well-deserved reputation for churning out a premium product. This is just as evident on the iPhone 5 as any of its predecessors with the addition of an aluminium back panel to replace the old glass design.
The iPhone 5 is possibly one of the lightest handsets we’ve ever handled, almost unnervingly so, but despite weighing a feather-light 112g it’s still got a very solid feel in the hand. Visually it remains similar to its predecessors with its minimalist styling and rounded corners, even if the look is now almost ‘part of the scenery’, so to speak, it’s difficult to deny the simple elegance of the iPhone 5’s clean lines and understated aesthetic.
The processing power, while perfectly capable, almost feels like a moot point of discussion – it’s not the same as comparing two Android phones – the iPhone’s entire software suite and app ecosystem is tailor made to run as quickly as possible on its dual-core A6 chip clocked at 1.3GHz. This has 1GB of RAM and a triple-core PowerVR SGX543MP3 graphics processing unit (GPU), ensuring it’ll handle anything from the App Store smoothly and with ease.
Speaking of the software, iOS has a unique appeal in its ease-of-use, which means it’s even found a welcome audience with the most vehement technophobes as much as so-called ‘power users’.
It’s worth noting, however, that things are set to improve with the impending update to iOS 7, which will completely change the appearance of iOS to something much simpler and less flashy, which should help out further with making it easy to navigate.
It’ll also add a bunch of new and much-needed functionality, including proper multitasking, a quick-settings menu and a more refined notifications system. Apple’s App Store currently houses a choice of over 700,000 apps and games.
In terms of storage, Apple offers its usual wide-ranging set of options for 16GB, 32GB or 64GB depending on how much cash you’re prepared to splash, though as always there’s no microSD slot to be found on any variant.
The display is a 4-inch IPS LCD ‘Retina’ screen with an 1136x640 pixel resolution at 326 pixels-per-inch, it’s bright, clear and colourful making it ideal for gaming, browsing or watching films.
A 1,440mAh non-removable battery sits inside the handset and provides a decent lifespan on a single charge. The iPhone 5 is quite well-optimised for power consumption. Connectivity includes 4G LTE, HSPA+ 3G, Wi-Fi (plus Hotspot), Bluetooth and Apple’s Lightning connector port.
HTC One Mini: Key specs and features
HTC’s big trick with the new HTC One models, including the HTC One Mini, is in offering a similarly robust aluminium-based build to the iPhone but on an Android handset. The device uses an aluminium unibody with a curved back panel and dual stereo speaker grilles punched into the front. Overall the handset has a slightly industrial aesthetic but it looks very sharp.
The processor is one of Qualcomm’s newer dual-core models, a Snapdragon 400 clocked at 1.4GHz with an Adreno 305 graphics processing unit (GPU) and 1GB of RAM. The days are largely gone where Android needs massively overpowered chipsets to run smoothly and reliably, and as the phone uses Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean it’s nicely optimised.
It will handle plenty of content from Google Play, though may not be quite so adept as higher-end chips for running very intensive 3D games.
The display is a 4.3-inch Super LCD2 with a 1280x720 pixel HD resolution at 342ppi, resulting in a sharp, colourful and punchy picture quality with excellent brightness. It might not be one of the larger touchscreens on the market but it’s still perfectly suited for high quality multimedia consumption.
HTC has re-employed its innovative camera tech seen previously on the flagship HTC One and it’s exactly the same setup here – a 4.3-megapixel sensor using extra-large Ultrapixels with an LED flash, f/2.0 wide aperture and optical image stabilisation.
The result is that much more light is taken in, which means the handset performs very well in low-light conditions. Full HD 1080p video is also high quality while shots in normal conditions tend to be similar to very good 8-megapixel setups.
Android has far more customisation options than iOS and still has plenty of functionality, from the notifications bar with expandable notifications to the multitasking carousel and quick settings menus. The choice of apps is as diverse as Apple’s App Store with the same c. 700,000 apps currently available.
Onboard storage is 16GB with no microSD slot for expansion. Connectivity options include 4G LTE, HSPA+ 3G, Wi-Fi, DLNA, Bluetooth, microUSB and GPS while a 1,800mAh non-removable battery provides plenty of juice.
Direct spec comparison: Shootout
| Device | HTC One Mini | Apple iPhone 5 |
| Dimensions | 132x63.2x9.25mm, 122g | 123.8x58.6x7.6mm, 112g |
| Display | 4.3-inch HD 720p, 341ppi | 4-inch IPS LCD,1136x640 pixels,326ppi |
| Camera | HTC UltraPixel, Smart Flash, 1080p video | 8-megapixel,LED flash,1080p video |
| Storage | 16GB | 16GB/32GB/64GB |
| Processor, RAM, Graphics | 1.4GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400, 1GB RAM | 1.3GHz dual-core Apple A6, 1GB RAM |
| Operating System | 4.2 | iOS 6.1.4 |
| UI | HTC Sense 5 | N/A |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB, DLNA, Wi-Fi, 4G, GPS | Bluetooth,Lightning,Wi-Fi,Wi-Fi Hotspot,GPS,4G |
| Battery | 1,800mAh | 1,440mAh |
Points to consider: Practical use
The fact that the HTC One Mini, at 4.3-inches, is now considered a ‘compact’ handset should go some way to illustrating how the smartphone landscape has changed, and the iPhone 5 has not kept step.
As a result, it’s looking a little sheepish in the modern market, the screen is great but some may find ogling films on such a small space a little trying and in this regard the HTC One Mini’s extra 0.3-inches could make all the difference.
There’s also barely any difference in picture quality, you’re getting a crystal clear, richly coloured and brightly lit image in either case.
On processing power too, both are on a similar level and even further than this both have similarly taken the emphasis off raw muscle and placed it on better optimisation of software and hardware.
Android is no longer second fiddle to iOS in the smoothness and reliability stakes, while retaining its firm hold on customisation and multitasking (at least until iOS 7 arrives for the latter point anyway). They’re also equal on the sheer quantity and quality of app and multimedia content available in their respective app portals.
Both are lacking microSD expandability, but there is a crucial difference in cost-to-onboard-space ratios. The HTC One Mini only comes as a 16GB model at £379.99, whereas the iPhone 5 at the same level costs £529.
The iPhone 5 does of course have other options at higher prices with a 32GB model costing £599 and a 64GB variant fetching £699 of your hard-earned cash. The HTC One Mini comes out as looking like better value for money but it is less flexible for those who want boatloads of space.
Camera tech is quite capable in both devices and although HTC’s Ultrapixel trickery has some perks they are once again more or less on a par.
Conclusion
There’s no clear winner here. We would say the main factors are to consider are the operating system, price and storage space. If you want lots of storage you’ll need to go with the iPhone 5, but be prepared to pay big bucks for the privilege.
If 16GB is fine for you then the HTC One Mini is more cost-effective.
However, if you want something with an operating system which is easier to hit the ground running with, then the iPhone 5 may be a better option, but to be honest Android is still quite accessible these days.
It comes down to personal preference and which app and content ecosystem you’re happier getting tied into.
by pbriden via Featured Articles
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