If you're looking for a tablet that's smaller, lighter and more portable than the iPad, you're in for some good news. The 7-inch tablet category is going to explode this year, and we've already seen some excellent devices such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7, Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9, Motorola Xoom 2 Media Edition, and even rumours of an iPad Mini. Now it's time to see the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0.
Samsung has been one of the leaders of the Android tablet pack since its successful Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, and the whole range is now being refreshed with the Tab 2 moniker. But despite its success, Galaxy Tab sales haven't made an impression on the iPad.
So Samsung tries again, with a cut price, (available from £199 in the UK and $249 in the US for the 8GB Wi-Fi version) 7-inch Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich tablet, which it hopes will differentiate its product from the new iPad, and encourage a new onslaught of sales.
With a new Tab 2, Samsung can compete with the likes of the Amazon Kindle Fire, Nook, and host of similarly priced ICS tablets such as theDisgo 9104 and Scroll Extreme 9.7-inch Tablet PC.
It's been a long time coming, and we first got our hands on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 back at the Samsung Worldwide Conference in February, where it was hurriedly unveiled to the tech media.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 is now in stores and the 8GB version can be picked up from £199, while the 16GB model is availabe from £250.
Features
Despite creating an extremely strong mobile brand in Galaxy, Samsung hasn't yet unified the look, feel and design of its smartphone and tablet range.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9, for example, has a lovely brushed metal finish, but the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 mimics the Samsung Galaxy S3, with a plastic shell that borders on feeling cheap.
On the front the curved edges are a homage to its predecessor, and the Samsung logo shines from the bottom, which not only makes it unmistakably Galaxy, but points to the user that the designers would like you to use this in portrait orientation. This is in contrast to the Samsung Galaxy 10.1, which is geared towards landscape use.
We can therefore glean that Samsung sees the Galaxy Tab 2 as a competitor to the ebook-focused Amazon Kindle Fire and Nook.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7-inch is silver and pleasing looking from the back, which is one design trait that it shares with its Tab brothers. There are just three buttons to the top-right for wake/sleep/power, and volume up and down.
It weighs 344g and measures 193.7x122.4x10.5mm, and feels lightweight in the hand. In perspective this is little more than half the weight of the new iPad, but only fractionally lighter than the Motorola Xoom 2 Media Edition, which manages to pack in an extra inch of screen real estate.
The smaller size makes it easy to read one handed, which is great for commuters and, we're assured, mothers who want to read while holding a small child.
Inside the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 is a TI OMAP 4430 dual-core processor, clocked at a rather pedestrian 1GHz. We're used to seeing beefier processors now, and many manufacturers are looking to the quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3.
That said, there should be enough speed to power the smaller 7-inch tablet through most tasks.
Backing up the processor is a healthy 1GB of RAM, so there's no scrimping there, and there's an interesting lineup of storage sizes.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 is available in 8GB, 16GB and 32GB sizes, making it a truly budget option. You can add to the built-in storage by adding a microSD card up to 64GB in size, so the low cost 8GB version won't cripple media lovers. There's a 3G option as well, with pricing and availability TBC.
The 7-inch screen is a 1024 x 600 TFT affair, which shuns any AMOLED love that once threatened the Galaxy Tab lineup. The panel itself is lacklustre, lifeless and dull, which won't impress movie lovers one bit.
Our go-to movie, should you be interested, is the Full HD version of Kanye West's Runaway, and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 even managed to mask the cornucopia of colours and turn blacks to grey.
Temple Run was our next port of call, and having played this more recently on the new iPad and Asus Transformer Pad 300, we were disappointed in the representation of the beautiful golden world. We turned screen brightness up to maximum, but this just drained our battery faster, without providing a feast for our eyes.
That said, the smaller screen size didn't ruin the gaming experience. We were soon posting some of our highest scores on Temple Run, and we were even tempted to have a go on the commute.
Pulling out a large 10-inch iPad is a bit conspicuous, but the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 felt at home among the Kindles and smartphones, and we were able to enjoy apps, books, games and TV shows without feeling like a fool.
Disappointingly, we found the touchscreen experience to be a little sub-par. The sensitivity of the display was lower than we expected, and we found it hard to register presses on small parts of the browser, such as links, and the close tab button.
While watching embedded video, skipping and scrubbing through the movie was a challenge, due to the lack of response.
There are two cameras on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, a rear one for photography and a front-facing lens for video chatting with friends. Let's just say that photography isn't the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2's strong point, with only 3MP on the back, and VGA quality for the front.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 can shoot 720p video at 30fps, which means you can take a quick video on holiday or while you're out and about, and it can be edited on the supplied app.
The new iPad, the iPad 3, the new iPad 3… call it what you want, but it's a device that from the outside looks remarkably like the iPad 2 but with an overhaul on the innards.
The question most people ask us when it comes to the new iPad is: what's different from the old one?
Well, in this case it's pretty easy: there's a Retina Display that makes everything looks superbly crisp, an updated A5X processor bringing quad-core graphics and a 5MP camera on the rear with a VGA sensor on the front.
Oh, and the iPad 3 is also the device that brings iOS 5.1 to the masses (well, it's also on the likes of the iPhone 4S and iPad 2 as well, but hey, we're not reviewing those today, and you don't really care unless it's a new iPad.)
The design of the new iPad 3 isn't really anything different from the original duo from Apple's tablet range. Actually, while we're thinking about it, it looks almost identical to the iPad 2 – to the point you'd struggle to tell them apart when turned off.
However, in the hand, there's a little bit of a difference, especially when it comes to the weight. The new iPad is nearly 60g heavier than the previous iteration, and while it's not terrible, it does add a little arm strain during a marathon movie session.
Retina Display
Before we get onto all the normal insight over the frame of the new iPad, it's worth talking about the main feature: the Retina Display.
Apple has packed a huge amount more pixels into the 9.7-inch screen - 1536 x 2048 to be exact. However, despite the fact that the Cupertino brand makes a big thing about the 330 PPI density of the iPhone 4, we're looking at a screen that's technically a lot less sharp than its smartphone brethren - around 264PPI.
Apple has got around this fact by stating that the screen is meant to be held at 15 inches from the face, rather than the 10 inches the iPhone is supposed to from your eyes, and as such the sharpness is the same.
Given the fact the term 'Retina Display' really isn't a legally binding term, we don't care. What matters is the effect - and it's one of the most impressive we've seen on a tablet to date. If someone took an iPad, printed out a really hi-res image of an iOS system and stuck it on the front, we'd struggle to tell the difference - it's superb, and even squinting up close you'll be hard pushed to notice any pixelation.
The colour reproduction will also appeal to many, as it's pretty close to reality - it lacks the punch of the Super AMOLED HD screens seen on the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Note for instance, but it will depend on personal preference as to whether that's a good thing.
We like the vivid colours of Samsung's screens, but we know plenty of people that loathe them too.
The main thing is things like internet browsing; photo viewing and movie sessions are all much, much improved over the iPad 2, and is one of the main reasons to pick up the new iPad.
Check out how the new iPad 3 display got on when it went head-to-head with the Asus Transformer Pad Infinity in our video below.
Design
The new iPad, as we said, is only marginally thicker and a little heavier than the iPad 2, and if you pick it up with no knowledge of the former, you'll likely be mighty impressed.
The rest of the design is premium too - given you can be paying nearly £700 for a top end model, it needs to seem like a worthwhile investment, and it does.
The curved edges, the oleophobic scratch-proof glass and the aluminium chassis are all the kind of thing that some Android tablets have tried to ape and failed. Of course, many will prefer the feather-light frames of some of the Samsung models but, like the screen, it really comes down to personal preference.
The buttonry on the new iPad is pretty sparse though - we're talking four buttons and that's your lot.
The iconic home button is back once again, despite rumours of its demise, and is easy to reach and hit within the thick bezel.
The rest of the buttons are all clustered tightly together in the top left-hand corner of the new iPad, with the rocker/volume key, the mute/orientation switch and power/lock key all within an inch of one another.
As you can see, Apple has been pretty efficient with the button placement, with all of them performing more than one function. And they say the iPad can't multi-task... tsk.The new iPad, the iPad 3, the new iPad 3… call it what you want, but it's a device that from the outside looks remarkably like the iPad 2 but with an overhaul on the innards.
The question most people ask us when it comes to the new iPad is: what's different from the old one?
Well, in this case it's pretty easy: there's a Retina Display that makes everything looks superbly crisp, an updated A5X processor bringing quad-core graphics and a 5MP camera on the rear with a VGA sensor on the front.
Oh, and the iPad 3 is also the device that brings iOS 5.1 to the masses (well, it's also on the likes of the iPhone 4S and iPad 2 as well, but hey, we're not reviewing those today, and you don't really care unless it's a new iPad.)
The design of the new iPad 3 isn't really anything different from the original duo from Apple's tablet range. Actually, while we're thinking about it, it looks almost identical to the iPad 2 – to the point you'd struggle to tell them apart when turned off.
However, in the hand, there's a little bit of a difference, especially when it comes to the weight. The new iPad is nearly 60g heavier than the previous iteration, and while it's not terrible, it does add a little arm strain during a marathon movie session.
Retina Display
Before we get onto all the normal insight over the frame of the new iPad, it's worth talking about the main feature: the Retina Display.
Apple has packed a huge amount more pixels into the 9.7-inch screen - 1536 x 2048 to be exact. However, despite the fact that the Cupertino brand makes a big thing about the 330 PPI density of the iPhone 4, we're looking at a screen that's technically a lot less sharp than its smartphone brethren - around 264PPI.
Apple has got around this fact by stating that the screen is meant to be held at 15 inches from the face, rather than the 10 inches the iPhone is supposed to from your eyes, and as such the sharpness is the same.
Given the fact the term 'Retina Display' really isn't a legally binding term, we don't care. What matters is the effect - and it's one of the most impressive we've seen on a tablet to date. If someone took an iPad, printed out a really hi-res image of an iOS system and stuck it on the front, we'd struggle to tell the difference - it's superb, and even squinting up close you'll be hard pushed to notice any pixelation.
The colour reproduction will also appeal to many, as it's pretty close to reality - it lacks the punch of the Super AMOLED HD screens seen on the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Note for instance, but it will depend on personal preference as to whether that's a good thing.
We like the vivid colours of Samsung's screens, but we know plenty of people that loathe them too.
The main thing is things like internet browsing; photo viewing and movie sessions are all much, much improved over the iPad 2, and is one of the main reasons to pick up the new iPad.
Check out how the new iPad 3 display got on when it went head-to-head with the Asus Transformer Pad Infinity in our video below.
Design
The new iPad, as we said, is only marginally thicker and a little heavier than the iPad 2, and if you pick it up with no knowledge of the former, you'll likely be mighty impressed.
The rest of the design is premium too - given you can be paying nearly £700 for a top end model, it needs to seem like a worthwhile investment, and it does.
The curved edges, the oleophobic scratch-proof glass and the aluminium chassis are all the kind of thing that some Android tablets have tried to ape and failed. Of course, many will prefer the feather-light frames of some of the Samsung models but, like the screen, it really comes down to personal preference.
The buttonry on the new iPad is pretty sparse though - we're talking four buttons and that's your lot.
The iconic home button is back once again, despite rumours of its demise, and is easy to reach and hit within the thick bezel.
The rest of the buttons are all clustered tightly together in the top left-hand corner of the new iPad, with the rocker/volume key, the mute/orientation switch and power/lock key all within an inch of one another.
As you can see, Apple has been pretty efficient with the button placement, with all of them performing more than one function. And they say the iPad can't multi-task... tsk.The new iPad, the iPad 3, the new iPad 3… call it what you want, but it's a device that from the outside looks remarkably like the iPad 2 but with an overhaul on the innards.
The question most people ask us when it comes to the new iPad is: what's different from the old one?
Well, in this case it's pretty easy: there's a Retina Display that makes everything looks superbly crisp, an updated A5X processor bringing quad-core graphics and a 5MP camera on the rear with a VGA sensor on the front.
Oh, and the iPad 3 is also the device that brings iOS 5.1 to the masses (well, it's also on the likes of the iPhone 4S and iPad 2 as well, but hey, we're not reviewing those today, and you don't really care unless it's a new iPad.)
The design of the new iPad 3 isn't really anything different from the original duo from Apple's tablet range. Actually, while we're thinking about it, it looks almost identical to the iPad 2 – to the point you'd struggle to tell them apart when turned off.
However, in the hand, there's a little bit of a difference, especially when it comes to the weight. The new iPad is nearly 60g heavier than the previous iteration, and while it's not terrible, it does add a little arm strain during a marathon movie session.
Retina Display
Before we get onto all the normal insight over the frame of the new iPad, it's worth talking about the main feature: the Retina Display.
Apple has packed a huge amount more pixels into the 9.7-inch screen - 1536 x 2048 to be exact. However, despite the fact that the Cupertino brand makes a big thing about the 330 PPI density of the iPhone 4, we're looking at a screen that's technically a lot less sharp than its smartphone brethren - around 264PPI.
Apple has got around this fact by stating that the screen is meant to be held at 15 inches from the face, rather than the 10 inches the iPhone is supposed to from your eyes, and as such the sharpness is the same.
Given the fact the term 'Retina Display' really isn't a legally binding term, we don't care. What matters is the effect - and it's one of the most impressive we've seen on a tablet to date. If someone took an iPad, printed out a really hi-res image of an iOS system and stuck it on the front, we'd struggle to tell the difference - it's superb, and even squinting up close you'll be hard pushed to notice any pixelation.
The colour reproduction will also appeal to many, as it's pretty close to reality - it lacks the punch of the Super AMOLED HD screens seen on the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Note for instance, but it will depend on personal preference as to whether that's a good thing.
We like the vivid colours of Samsung's screens, but we know plenty of people that loathe them too.
The main thing is things like internet browsing; photo viewing and movie sessions are all much, much improved over the iPad 2, and is one of the main reasons to pick up the new iPad.
Check out how the new iPad 3 display got on when it went head-to-head with the Asus Transformer Pad Infinity in our video below.
Design
The new iPad, as we said, is only marginally thicker and a little heavier than the iPad 2, and if you pick it up with no knowledge of the former, you'll likely be mighty impressed.
The rest of the design is premium too - given you can be paying nearly £700 for a top end model, it needs to seem like a worthwhile investment, and it does.
The curved edges, the oleophobic scratch-proof glass and the aluminium chassis are all the kind of thing that some Android tablets have tried to ape and failed. Of course, many will prefer the feather-light frames of some of the Samsung models but, like the screen, it really comes down to personal preference.
The buttonry on the new iPad is pretty sparse though - we're talking four buttons and that's your lot.
The iconic home button is back once again, despite rumours of its demise, and is easy to reach and hit within the thick bezel.
The rest of the buttons are all clustered tightly together in the top left-hand corner of the new iPad, with the rocker/volume key, the mute/orientation switch and power/lock key all within an inch of one another.
As you can see, Apple has been pretty efficient with the button placement, with all of them performing more than one function. And they say the iPad can't multi-task... tsk.
Magnesium chassis, vapour deposition coating, cutaway edges, ClearType HD display; the design credentials and the specs for Microsoft's new Windows RT tablet are impressive and in the flesh this is a delightful piece of hardware that looks good – and is practical too.
It's thin, it's light, it's comfortable to hold, it runs Windows RT as excellently as you'd expect, it makes you want to touch it but it's also designed so you can snap the magnetically attached cover into place – in no way similar to any competitor idea...
However, you won't be able to get the Surface tablet until Windows 8 ships – and we can't get its big brother, the Intel Core i5 Surface for Windows 8 Pro, for another three months after that.
Design
The design of the Surface for Windows RT (and the similar Surface for Windows 8 Pro that we didn't see in as much detail) is understated.
The front is sleek black glass, precision bonded to the magnesium alloy chassis ("we squeezed all the air out," as Microsoft hardware expert Stevie Battiche told TechRadar), with only a Windows logo visible – the word Microsoft doesn't show up on the case anywhere.
Turn it on and the 10.6" screen fills most of the Surface's front display, but the four edges have half an inch of bezel so you can hold it comfortably.
The Windows logo isn't just for show; it's a touch button that gives you the Start screen when you tap on it, plus the whole bezel is touch-aware so you can swipe across it to bring up the App bar or the switching pane (depending on which way round it is).
The Surface is light and comfortable to hold; the edges are sloped to give you a comfortable grip (although the edge with the cover connector isn't quite as ergonomic until you connect the cover).
The magnesium alloy chassis is covered with a soft coating that feels durable and expensive (that's the vapour deposition bit; it's chemically bonded rather than just painted on).
If you don't want to hold it, there's a built-in stand that's like a large hinge running across the entire back of the Surface, with another Windows logo in a slightly matte finish.
The hinge is usually held in place by an array of magnets so it doesn't fall out if you shake the Surface around; on the left there's a little cutout in the edge of the hinge to make it easier to flip out.
If you've seen Apple's SmartCover on the new iPad 3, then this method of connection won't be a surprise – it's another move that shows Microsoft is intending to go toe-to-toe with the Cupertino brand in the tablet arena.
The Surface tablet also balances well on the hinge, which has two long rubber feet to stabilise it.
With the Touch Cover on, we were able to balance the Surface on a lap for typing like a notebook without it falling forward or tipping over backwards; compare this to the Asus Transformer Prime which always wants to fall backwards, and you'll appreciate this weighting.
Microsoft has included the fewest ports it could get away with; the bottom edge is filled with the magnetic keyboard connector, the top has the power button and the sides have two speakers, dual microphones, microSD, one USB 2.0 port (USB 3.0 for the Surface Pro) and Micro HDMI (on the surface Pro that's mini DisplayPort), plus a magnetic power connector.
The magnesium alloy chassis and the precision design give the Surface RT a sturdy feel. Lift it by the corners and twist and there's no flexing at all; we tried the same thing with the frame of a chassis that hadn't been assembled and even without the glass and back it barely moved.
The Microsoft team showing off the tablets weren't cradling them protectively; at one point Battiche tossed a tablet to a colleague. Even without the cover, the Surface should stand up to some punishment.
The Arnova 10b G3 boasts Google's Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) OS right out of the box and offers a reasonably snappy performance. It will let you handle basic tasks like browsing the web and watching high-definition video. But, in all honesty, there are better tablets around for a similar price.
The Arnova 10b G3 has a 1GHz processor with 1GB of RAM which keeps it ticking along. It loaded up the browser quickly and we were happy to see apps open up quickly without much trouble. However, there's more than a hint of sluggishness when cruising through the operating system or swiping through homescreens.
The Arnova 10b G3 features a 10.1-inch display, with a widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio and a 1,024 x 600 pixel resolution on a capacitive screen. This means you have to jab it firmly to make a connection and the overall usability really suffers as a result.
The larger problem is that decent tablets are now becoming affordable. The 32GB PlayBook can be had for £199, as can the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, and the forthcoming Google Nexus 7 8GB should launch at £160. All of these are much better products than the Arnova and represent a problem for budget tablet manufacturers.
Plastic build
The black plastic build of the Arnova doesn't help matters; neither does the thick, protruding bezel. At 628g, it's not the lightest tablet by a long way, but, to be fair, it's no brick either. And microSD compatibility does claim back some credibility, allowing you to extend the paltry 4GB of storage up to 32GB.
Any other ports are thin on the ground, there's only a MicroUSB option allowing you to connect to a laptop and swap over files. The Android OS keeps this easy and you can simply drag and drop content onto the tablet.
Annoyingly, the Arnova 10b G3 doesn't charge via USB and you must use the attached power cable to charge it up.
Any slight fondness we had for the Arnova was quickly dispelled by the battery life. We streamed HD video on a constant loop and the Arnova gave up after only 162 minutes. By comparison, the Scroll Extreme 9.7 Tablet PC lasted for 635 minutes.
An affordable alternative to premium tablets, the G3 will let you watch media, access a few choice apps and browse the web without much hassle. However, we can't recommend it highly.
There are too many other options now available that easily out-perform the Arnova 10b G3, and certain issues like the poor screen and lack of access to the Google Play app store let it down considerably.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 breaks its silence with a double leak providing updated specs and potentially a release date soon.
The first leak comes from an alleged service manual for the tablet from an anonymous source published in SamMobile, and features some slight changes from what was previously announced.
The most notable upgrade comes from the 1.4GHz quad-core processor, which was originally announced as a dual-core processor at the same speed.
The camera also features an upgrade, now listed as a 5 mega pixel camera with auto focus and LED flash compared to the 3 mega pixel lens revealed in February.
However, the service manual leak is brought into question by the sparse information it provides. Specs that one would expect to find in a service manual, such as system RAM and processor model, are missing.
The tweet accompanied a new pre-order listing with the retailer, advertising a steep $749.50 price (down from a crossed out $798.50 price) and an expected ship date of August 4.
The pre-order page also confirms the updated specs above, specifying that the processor will be the Exynos 4412, the same quad-core processor found in the Galaxy S3 smartphone.
The Galaxy Note 10.1 features Android 4.0: Ice Cream Sandwich and a screen resolution of 1280x800 pixels. It also has 2GB of RAM and 16GB of system memory that is expandable through an SD card slot.
The rear 5-MP camera is capable of 720p video recording, and is paired with a front-facing 2-MP camera.
Of course, the tablet's biggest feature is the included S-Pen stylus, which is used to draw and write with the device and its pre-loaded Photoshop Touch app.
Official word coming soon
With Negri Electronics already taking online pre-orders, we should expect an official announcement from Samsung in the very near future.
The Samsung Mobile Unpack event in Berlin is expected to be the unveiling for the Galaxy Note 2, a 5.5-inch upgrade to the existing 5.3-inch Galaxy Note.
However, the timing may be right for a double announcement on August 29, with the Galaxy Note 10.1 making its official debut on the Berlin stage.
Update: We've spent a long time with the HTC One S now, so have updated our review to represent the improved software and all round experience. Don't worry... it's still brilliant!
The HTC One S follows swiftly on the heels of the One X in HTC's new premium brand of Android 4.0-enabled handsets, bringing a svelte chassis, 7.8mm depth and a low-price of just £26 a month at launch - and only $149.99 in the US too.
First things first: the HTC One S is a cracking looking device. It's marketed this as the thinnest handset HTC has ever made. And you feel that when you take it out of the box. It's tall at about the same height as last year'sHTC Sensation (with which it will draw a lot of comparisons) but a lot, lot sleeker.
Measurements come in at 130.9 x 65 x 7.8mm and weight wise, it's pretty insignificant at a shade over 119g. And that's even more impressive when you look at what's inside. GPS, HSDPA etc – all elements we'd expect nowadays and all packed in here like sardines.
First thing you notice is that huge black, glossy display on the front. Resolution wise, it keeps the Sensation's 4.3-inch display with a 540 x 960 resolution - qHD to you and me, meaning a pixel density of 256ppi.
It's clearly not as sharp as that found in the daddy of the range, the HTC One X, nor the likes of Apple's iPhone 4S or the Sony Xperia S (and you will be able to discern pixels if you look too closely) but it puts in a very good effort.
Colours are easily as bright and vivid as the now almost year-old Samsung Galaxy S2 even though the Super AMOLED display lacks the 'Plus' bit that the latter handset boasts of - but don't think it's not got superb contrast ratios though.
In fact, if you put the phone down on a table and look at it from a couple of feet away, that screen looks even more incredible with hues just jumping out at you and finished off with the polish of the glass.
The display has been pushed even further up towards that protective glass and it really shows. This is a display HTC can be proud to push.
Although the HTC One S ships with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich out of the box, it's decided to still include three soft keys beneath the screen. They're fully responsive and we had no issues whatsoever with them.
The design is pretty minimalist. The front also houses that VGA front snapper for video calling as well as the earpiece, which actually consists of dozens of holes individually drilled into the chassis to add to the air of class.
Up top is the power/lock button and 3.5mm headset jack, the right holds a volume rocker, the left gives us a micro USB socket and nothing at the bottom other than a tiny microphone hole. The rear has little other than holes for the speaker (again, drilled in), a couple of logos and the camera with LED flash.
Completing the minimalist look, you'll see that at the back, you can only remove a small area, which allows you to add the (micro) SIM and do nothing else.
No accessing the battery here, thank you. It's sealed in. Nor will you be slipping your MicroSD card in there because memory is non-expandable (don't go there – because we plan to later in the Media section!)
The chassis is made from aluminium, which has been given a 'micro-arc oxidisation treatment'...the same as they do with satellites.
It all sounds very swish and space age and sets the HTC One S up to take up a few extra knocks, which is handy since you'll probably have this phone for two years. It fact, it puts us in mind of a Nexus One from back in the day a little bit. In principle, it looks great. In practice, it can cause a couple of problems.
Because this is a tall phone – and because HTC has elected to put the lock button at the top rather than at the side as some other manufacturers do – there is a certain amount of leverage to even unlock the phone.
And that's only the beginning – the HTC One S is so uber stylish, HTC seems to have forgotten about the functionality of it. With anodized metal all over, this is one slippery customer. In the first few days of having it, we wince at recalling how many times we dropped it. Luckily only into our lap, but we can see a lot of people breaking these within the first few weeks.
The HTC One X, meanwhile, doesn't appear to suffer this affliction thanks to the slight curve. And despite being protected with Corning Gorilla Glass, it's not that robust.
We cared for our One S review unit like a newborn baby and still, we were dismayed to see what appears to look like a deep scratch at the bottom of the screen, which we can't explain through normal use.
Indeed, you'll need to wrap this baby up like a child in a case with screen protectors and protection galore. Maybe even take it to a church and get it blessed for extra protection. That does detract from the overall beauty.
