HTC One mini vs Samsung Galaxy S4 mini

Yes, you can call it Round 2 but we don't think it'll be up to the minis to sort out any unfinished business between the flagships. What we do know though is that taking the dispute to the junior league doesn't mean there'll be less pain in losing and less honor in victory.

This doesn't have to be a rerun - the minis don't necessarily have to repeat the result of the flagships. Just like smartphones don't necessarily have to be huge to have premium specs and push the limits of comfortable single-handed use to just prove a point or get noticed.

What we have here is two smartphones that try to deliver a premium experience without getting in the way of their seniors or venturing too far beyond the 4" screen diagonal. However there's a clear difference in how the two makers go about downsizing their flagships.

HTC decided in favor of screen resolution whereas Samsung skimped there. 720p is obviously better than qHD, at around 342ppi versus 256ppi in favor of the One mini. The S4 mini's 4.3-incher on the other hand is a Super AMOLED, which partially makes up for the lower resolution.

Then there's processing power where the two devices share a Snapdragon 400 chipset but the Samsung mini has the upper hand in terms of clock speed. It also gets 1.5GB of RAM against the 1GB of the One mini but more on that in the benchmarks chapter.

   
HTC One mini and Samsung Galaxy S4 mini

The S4 mini goes for 8 gigs of onboard storage but offers a microSD card slot, while the One mini only has 16 gigs on tap. As to software, it's Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2 either way but the One mini has the elaborate visuals of Sense 5 against the feature-packed TouchWiz on the Galaxy S4 mini.

The cameras are opposites too. The Galaxy S4 mini goes for an 8MP unit with plenty of TouchWiz bells and whistles, while the One mini has the 4MP UltraPixel camera with 2µm pixels, F/2.0 aperture and a wide-angle 28 mm lens. The HTC One mini has Zoe but not the optical image stabilization of its bigger brother, the full-sized One. Both devices have 1080p video recording too.

Then there's build quality and looks. Both devices traditionally reflect their manufacturer's design philosophies: the One mini looks the flagship part with its aluminum unibody, while the S4 mini goes for a hyperglazed all-plastic case, which is nowhere near aesthetically, but a user-replaceable battery and memory expansion earn it usability points.

Here are all the points neatly compiled in lists.

HTC One mini over Samsung Galaxy S4 mini

• Aluminum unibody
• Higher screen resolution
• HDR and 60fps video
• More built-in storage
• Better audio quality
• Stereo speakers with Beats audio amplifiers

Samsung Galaxy S4 mini over the HTC One mini

• Faster processor
• Higher resolution camera
• Expandable storage
• More RAM
• Cheaper
• User-accessible battery
• NFC support
• Lighter

So, there's enough to compare in these two but one thing that sees them equal is the desire to fit as much of the flagships' features into more compact bodies at more affordable prices. And we love them for it. But we'll need to sort them out feature by feature, break them down to parts and pit them against each other.

   
The HTC One mini and Samsung Galaxy S4 mini at HQ

It's a battle in which most of you already have a side to root for, or a downright favorite. HTC and Samsung have always managed to attract different sorts of crowds and the same scenario plays out here too. In any case we're going all in over the following pages so get comfortable - next stop is the hardware checkup.

Huawei Ascend P6 review

The razor-slim Huawei Ascend P6 has snatched the slimmest smartphone title right under the nose of the big guns. The China-based maker is not only keeping up with its high-profile competitors in terms of both hardware and software, but has achieved what few others have lately. The Ascend P6 offers a well-balanced feature set in a beautifully designed body, record-breaking thin at that.

   
Huawei Ascend P6 official pictures

The Huawei Ascend P6 was introduced in June and is now officially hitting the shelves with its record still intact. The Ascend P6's signature feature is the phone's 6.2mm profile, edging ahead of even the impressively slim Sony Xperia Z Ultra.

Sure, there has been word of even thinner phones like the Vivo X3(5.6mm) and the Umeox X5 (5.6mm), but they're the kind of gadgets to give small-time Chinese makers their 15 minutes of fame rather than make a big splash globally. Huawei's vision, on the other hand, goes well beyond the home market - though what a market that is!

The Ascend P6 is powered by the company's home-brewed chipset - the K3V2 - featuring a quad-core 1.5GHz Cortex-A9 processor, a 16-core GPU and 2GB of RAM. Having already seen this configuration on the Ascend Mate phablet, we can confirm that it's a more than adequate match for the 720p screen.

Here is the full breakdown of the Huawei Ascend P6.

Key features

• Ultra-slim 6.2mm profile
• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE; penta-band 3G with HSPA
• 4.7" 16M-color 720p IPS+ LCD capacitive touchscreen with Gorilla Glass, usable with gloves
• Android OS v4.2.2 Jelly Bean with Emotion UI
• Quad-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A9, 16-core GPU; 2GB of RAM; Huawei K3V2 chipset
• 8 MP autofocus camera with LED flash, 1080p video recording @ 30fps
• 5 MP front-facing camera, 720p video recording
• Dual-band Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct and DLNA
• GPS with A-GPS and GLONASS
• 8GB of built-in storage
• microSD card slot, side-mounted, hot-swap
• microUSB port with USB host, USB OTG
• Bluetooth v3.0
• FM radio
• Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
• Accelerometer and proximity sensor
• Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic

Main disadvantages

• Non-exchangeable battery
• No LTE or NFC support
• Video recording could be better
• Disappointing audio output

As you can see, there is very little the Ascend P6 fails to deliver. Some may find the non-removable battery unacceptable, but lots of manufacturers these days are resorting to a similar design in order to keep their phones beautifully slim, yet sturdy enough.

For NFC and LTE, there's the Huawei Ascend P2, which was introduced early on in Barcelona. Actually, the jump from P2 to P6 is not to be construed as a massive improvement in terms of level of equipment. The two handsets are more like alternative versions for those with different design preferences. What's more important is that with the Ascend P series Huawei's looking quite solid in the upper midrange.

  
Huawei Ascend P6 live pictures

Anyway, let's cut to the chase. Follow us on the next page where the Ascend P6 is given a thorough hardware inspection.

HTC One to finally hit Verizon on August 22

HTC One was announced way back in February and launched in March, but the Verizon users were initially left out of the fun. Nearly four months later Verizon and HTC announced the One flagship will hit Verizon's network this summer.

And the great new is the wait if over and it's finally happening! HTC One will become available through Verizon's online and retails stores on August 22. It will cost $199.99 with a two-year contract with the Big Red.

Currently Verizon isn't taking pre-orders, but we guess it will start in a few days. You can keep an eye on this page to make sure you are among the first to reserve your LTE-capable HTC One for Verizon

HTC One X Price & Specs

Specs & Features
Whats New?	HTC One X - Your Quad-core-powered Entertainer. Extraordinary quad-core power gives you lightning-fast web browsing on HTC One X, Remarkable picture quality and hyper-realistic gaming effects all on a giant 4.7 inch HD screen of HTC One X, With Beats Audio of HTC One X you hear authentic, deep sound with true finely-tuned details, Access to your favorite apps is just a finger stroke away on your HTC One X Set your phone & quickly get weather updates, stock information or your favorite people's Facebook status.
Dimension	134.4 x 69.9 x 8.9 mm
Weight	130 g
Battery	N/A
OS	Android OS v4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
Memory	32GB built-in (26 GB user-available), 1GB RAM (No microSD card slot)
Processor	Quad-core 1.5 GHz + ULP GeForce GPU, Nvidia Tegra 3
Connectivity	Bluetooth v4.0 with A2DP, USB, WLAN (Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot), GPRS, EDGE, 3G (HSDPA 21 Mbps HSUPA 5.76 Mbps), NFC
Display Size	720 x 1280 pixels, 4.7 inches, Corning Gorilla Glass Sensors: Accelerometer, gyro, proximity & compass
Display Colour	Super IPS LCD2 capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors, Multitouch, HTC Sense UI
Operating  Frequency / Band	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 (HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100)
Browser	HTML, Adobe Flash
Colors	Gray, White
Entertainment	Stereo FM radio with RDS, 3.5mm audio jack, MP4/H.263/H.264/WMV player, MP3/eAAC+/WMA/WAV player, Beats Audio, TV-out (via MHL A/V link), SNS integration, YouTube, Google Talk, Games (built-in + downloadable)
Camera	8MP, 3264x2448 pixels, autofocus, LED flash, Simultaneous HD video and image recording, geo-tagging, face and smile detection, Video (1080p 30fps, stereo sound rec, video stabilization), 2ndary (1.3 MP, 720p)
Other Features	GPS + A-GPS support, MicroSIM card support only, Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic, Google Search, Maps, Gmail, Document viewer/editor, Predictive text input, Speakerphone
Ring Tones	Downloadable, Polyphonic, MP3
Messaging	SMS (threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Email
Price	Price in Rs: 48,000    Price in USD: $495
Price in Grey	44,000 Rs. (Without Warranty)

HTC Butterfly Price & Specs

Specs & Features
Whats New?	HTC Butterfly - Full HD Transform the way you see & hear the world with the new HTC Butterfly, This amazing device is sure to make a lasting impression on our first 5-inch, 1080p full-HD display, Convenient front & rear cameras of HTC Butterfly allow you to capture every moment in a flash with the 88 degree, ultra-wide front angle lens, Enjoy deeper bass, sharper vocals and more detailed high notes than ever before, With the help of exclusive built-in amplifier for Beats Audio HTC Butterfly, Surf the web and stream HD movies to your TV wirelessly at the same time, Reply to emails and download apps simultaneously, With the power and performance of the unbelievably fast, latest generation, 1.5 GHz Quad-Core S4 processor of HTC Butterfly
Dimension	143 x 70.5 x 9.1 mm
Weight	140 g
Battery	N/A
OS	Android OS, v4.1 (Jelly Bean), upgradable to v4.2 (Jelly Bean)
Memory	16GB built-in, 2GB RAM, microSD card (supports up to 32GB)
Processor	Quad-core 1.5 GHz Krait
Connectivity	Bluetooth v4.0 with A2DP, USB, WLAN (Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi hotspot), GPRS, EDGE, 3G (HSDPA 21 Mbps, HSUPA 5.76 Mbps), LTE, Cat3, 50 Mbps UL, 100 Mbps DL
Display Size	1080 x 1920 pixels Full HD, 5.0 inches, Corning Gorilla Glass 2, Sensors: Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
Display Colour	Super LCD3 capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors, HTC Sense UI 4+, Multitouch
Operating  Frequency / Band	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 (HSDPA 850 / 2100)
Browser	HTML5
Colors	Black
Entertainment	3.5mm audio jack, MP4/DivX/XviD/WMV/H.264/H.263 player, MP3/WAV/eAAC+/AC3/FLAC player, Dropbox (25 GB storage), TV-out (via MHL A/V link), SNS integration, YouTube, Google Talk, Games (built-in + downloadable)
Camera	8MP, 3264x2448 pixels, autofocus, LED flash, geo-tagging, touch focus, face and smile detection, Simultaneous HD video and image recording, image & video stabilization, Video (1080p 30fps), 2ndary (2.1 MP)
Other Features	GPS + A-GPS support & GLONASS, GPU, Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic, Document editor (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF), Photo viewer/editor, Google Search, Maps, Gmail, Voice memo/dial/commands, Predictive text input (Swype), YouTube, Calendar, Speakerphone
Ring Tones	Downlaodable, Polyphonic, MP3, WAV
Messaging	SMS(threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Mail
Price	Price in Rs: 72,000    Price in USD: $742

HTC One Price & Specs

Specs & Features
Whats New?	HTC One - What will you bring to life HTC One comes with full metal body, Zero gap construction, & tapered edges that offer a slim but satisfying grip, The new HTC One is phone design that doesn’t compromise, Capturing a moment takes more than one image, That’s why the new HTC One includes the HTC UltraPixel Camera, Press the shutter & the HTC One automatically captures up to 20 photos and a 3-second video—a picture that’s alive, HTC One's Boom Sound Dual frontal stereo speakers powered by built-in amplifiers deliver bigger sound with less distortion and more detail, The new HTC One is ready to help you channel surf, With Sense TV, all it takes is a few simple steps and you’ll be able to select TV channels, access program guides, adjust audio & more with your HTC One, Find your favorite shows, & it will notify you when they’re on, Take control of your TV experience with your phone.
Dimension	137.4 x 68.2 x 9.3 mm
Weight	143 g
Battery	Talk time 27 h, Stand-by Up to 500 h
OS	Android OS, v4.1.2 (Jelly Bean), upgradable to v4.2.2 (Jelly Bean)
Memory	32/64GB built-in, 2GB RAM
Processor	Quad-core 1.7 GHz Krait 300, Qualcomm APQ8064T Snapdragon 600 Chipset
Connectivity	Bluetooth v4.0 with A2DP, USB, WLAN (Wi-Fi 802.11 a/ac/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot), GPRS, EDGE, 3G (HSPA+; LTE, Cat3, 50 Mbps UL, 100 Mbps DL), NFC
Display Size	1080 x 1920 pixels, 4.7 inches, Corning Gorilla Glass 2 Sensors: Accelerometer, gyro, proximity & compass
Display Colour	Super LCD3 capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors, Multitouch, HTC Sense UI v5
Operating  Frequency / Band	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 (HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100)
Browser	HTML5
Colors	Black, Silver, Red
Entertainment	Stereo FM radio with RDS, 3.5mm audio jack, DivX/XviD/MP4/H.263/H.264/WMV player, MP3/eAAC+/WMA/WAV/FLAC player, Dropbox (25 GB storage), TV-out (via MHL A/V link), SNS integration, YouTube, Google Talk, Games (built-in + downloadable)
Camera	4MP, 2688x1520 pixels, 1/3" sensor size, 2µm pixel size, autofocus, LED flash, Simultaneous HD video and image recording, geo-tagging, face and smile detection, Video (1080p 30fps, stereo sound rec, video stabilization), 2ndary (2.1 MP, 1080p@30fps), HDR
Other Features	GPS + A-GPS support & GLONASS, GPU, MicroSIM card support only, Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic, Google Search, Maps, Gmail, Document viewer/editor, Predictive text input, Speakerphone
Ring Tones	Downloadable, Polyphonic, WAV, MP3
Messaging	SMS (threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Email
Price	Price in Rs: 77,000    Price in USD: $794