HTC One a true Android flagship

HTC may have struck gold with its new flagship handset, the HTC One.

HTC had hoped to impress the invited guests at the official launch with its 'Ultrapixel' technology which offers High Dynamic Range photography --that is, the overlaying of a number of images at different exposure levels to create one perfect composite whole -- but the news about its revolutionary image sensor had leaked to the press a few weeks ago

However, there was still plenty to surprise and excite at the official unveiling of HTC's new flagship smartphone Tuesday, such as BlinkFeed, a live homescreen that users can set up so that it constantly displays the news they want, whether it be social media updates or the weather, or, thanks to agreements that HTC has already signed with over 1400 partners, a host of rich media content from the latest sports scores courtesy of ESPN or news from the AP and celebrity feeds from MTV.

Other technological gains can be seen in terms of audio. As well as dynamic microphones that can automatically compensate the volume of a call based on background noise and front-facing stereo speakers for music playback and video conferencing, the One also has a new music player with integrated lyrics. Drawing more than a little inspiration from Apple, the device stands out however in a market where plastic is king for most Android phonemakers with the use of aluminium and other quality materials.

To that extent the phone boasts a 4.7-inch high-definition display with 468 pixels per inch, powered by a 1.7-gigahertz quad-core Snapdragon processor and 2GB RAM. It offers 32GB or 64GB of storage and according to initial tech reviews its performance sets a new benchmark and easily beats any Android-powered handset currently available.

In other words, the HTC One is looking like a very capable, very attractive phone that could well push HTC back into the limelight. Of course Samsung will be launching its new flagship smartphone, the Galaxy SIV in March and only then will potential customers be able to really judge if the HTC is really the phone for them. But other companies thinking of launching Android handsets before the end of the year may have to consider going back to the drawing board.