April 21, 2012, 7:07 AM — HTC and T-Mobile have a lot in common. For months, both companies have been struggling to find a standout phone. And now, with the launch of the new HTC One S, both companies have a true home run on their hands.
HTC's One S is a premium phone and the effort put into its design is immediately apparent.
The HTC One S, available April 25 for $200 (after a $50 mail-in rebate and with a new two-year contract), is a standout phone if I've ever seen one. The device is one of HTC's finest efforts to date, reflecting the manufacturer's promise to scale back its production in 2012 and focus on achieving exceptional quality with a small number of devices.
The One S is part of a trio of HTC One phones on their way to carriers. It'll soon be joined by the beefier HTC One X, set to launch on AT&T in the near future, and the One V, the lower-end model likely headed to some of America's prepaid carriers. All three devices run Google's Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS.
The One S may be the middle child of HTC's new lineup, but make no mistake about it: This phone is no slouch. In fact, aside from its screen and overall size, there are few things separating it from its One X sibling -- and for some users, it may actually be the preferable choice.
Body and display
The first thing you notice when you hold HTC's One S is simply how good the phone feels: This is a premium phone and the effort put into its design is immediately apparent. The One S has a striking aluminum unibody shell and is surprisingly light and thin, coming in at just 0.31 in. thick and 4.2 oz in weight. That makes the phone thinner and lighter than most -- including the Verizon Galaxy Nexus and Droid Razr Maxx -- but not quite as thin as the original Droid Razr.
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