After pulling off another successful launch with the M8, HTC is quickly back in the game with the HTC One mini 2. It looks to offer a
similar experience in a smaller package, but how will it measure up?
We managed to get some very brief hands-on time with the phone to see how it was looking…
Key features
Thankfully that tacky plastic bezel from the first One mini has disappeared, and the matte effect material in place feels lovely to touch. It’s remarkably light as well, especially when compared to the M8. Indeed the bigger brother concedes nearly 25g to the smaller handset, and it makes the world of difference. Sure, there aren’t wholesale changes to the design but, when you had such a winning formula in the first place, why would you? And crucially, those that have been made really count.
Things have obviously been scaled back inside - our Christmases would have come early if it offered the same hardware as the M8 – but the HTC One mini 2 still has plenty to shout about. There’s a beefy 1.2GHz quad-core processor and 16GB internal storage to play with, which should keep most people happy when it comes to day-to-day life. From what we saw the device handled tasks well and was certainly speedy, although we’ll give it a real test when we can.
In terms of software though, it’s much of the same. Android KitKat appears overlaid with HTC Sense 6, so you’ll have all your BlinkFeed needs met as well as the clever innovations brought about by Google, but there’s little by way of exclusivity for the HTC one mini 2.
However there’s plenty of change in the camera department, where HTC has omitted its UltraPixel tech for a more traditional 13 megapixel sensor. Also notable in its absence is the additional Duo Camera, while you won’t be able to shoot in Zoe mode either. Indeed there is an awful lot missing compared to the M8, and it’s hard to know how this will go down.
Basic results look to be very impressive – like we said, we didn’t get long with it – and this is helped in no small part by the display. It may be just shy of Full HD but it makes your snaps look razor-sharp, with realistic colours to match. The same goes for video content, and the HTC One mini 2 would make a perfect multimedia device, we’d imagine.
As you would expect we didn’t have a chance to put things like battery life to the test, but on paper it looks more than capable of handling itself. There’s a generous 2100mAh power cell aboard which should do the trick, and there looks to be plenty of room for everyday tasks like texting, emailing and other general use.
Indeed we only had a few precious moments with the HTC One mini 2, but it certainly looks to be an interesting prospect. Will it stand alone as an independent handset, or will it simply have to be judged against its bigger, more capable sibling? We’re looking forward to finding out in a full review, but for now we can say it’s definitely caught our attention. We’ll have our final thoughts coming very soon, so make sure you keep your eyes peeled.
We managed to get some very brief hands-on time with the phone to see how it was looking…
Key features
- 4.5-inch display
- 1.2GHz quad-core processor
- 13 megapixel camera
- Android KitKat
- BoomSound speakers
HTC One Mini 2 Review
There’s very little to differentiate the HTC One mini 2 from other recent HTC devices in the first instance. Like the M8 it offers more rounded edges and a sleek look, but this is essentially just the same phone shrunken down. There’s a 4.5-inch display on offer which, let’s face it, is still pretty big, and this fits snugly in the aluminum body. The size reduction does make it more manageable, however, and you’ll likely find it much more comfortable to use.
HTC One mini 2
Thankfully that tacky plastic bezel from the first One mini has disappeared, and the matte effect material in place feels lovely to touch. It’s remarkably light as well, especially when compared to the M8. Indeed the bigger brother concedes nearly 25g to the smaller handset, and it makes the world of difference. Sure, there aren’t wholesale changes to the design but, when you had such a winning formula in the first place, why would you? And crucially, those that have been made really count.
Things have obviously been scaled back inside - our Christmases would have come early if it offered the same hardware as the M8 – but the HTC One mini 2 still has plenty to shout about. There’s a beefy 1.2GHz quad-core processor and 16GB internal storage to play with, which should keep most people happy when it comes to day-to-day life. From what we saw the device handled tasks well and was certainly speedy, although we’ll give it a real test when we can.
HTC One mini 2
In terms of software though, it’s much of the same. Android KitKat appears overlaid with HTC Sense 6, so you’ll have all your BlinkFeed needs met as well as the clever innovations brought about by Google, but there’s little by way of exclusivity for the HTC one mini 2.
However there’s plenty of change in the camera department, where HTC has omitted its UltraPixel tech for a more traditional 13 megapixel sensor. Also notable in its absence is the additional Duo Camera, while you won’t be able to shoot in Zoe mode either. Indeed there is an awful lot missing compared to the M8, and it’s hard to know how this will go down.
HTC One mini 2
Basic results look to be very impressive – like we said, we didn’t get long with it – and this is helped in no small part by the display. It may be just shy of Full HD but it makes your snaps look razor-sharp, with realistic colours to match. The same goes for video content, and the HTC One mini 2 would make a perfect multimedia device, we’d imagine.
As you would expect we didn’t have a chance to put things like battery life to the test, but on paper it looks more than capable of handling itself. There’s a generous 2100mAh power cell aboard which should do the trick, and there looks to be plenty of room for everyday tasks like texting, emailing and other general use.
Indeed we only had a few precious moments with the HTC One mini 2, but it certainly looks to be an interesting prospect. Will it stand alone as an independent handset, or will it simply have to be judged against its bigger, more capable sibling? We’re looking forward to finding out in a full review, but for now we can say it’s definitely caught our attention. We’ll have our final thoughts coming very soon, so make sure you keep your eyes peeled.
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