Completing the amazing trinity of the HTC One series that emphasises on pictures, sound, and connectivity, will the One S deliver?

With specs that are sandwiched in between the One X and the One V, the One S is the first dual-core smartphone that comes with the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. But beneath its slim and sleek chassis, will there be enough wow factor that resides in the One S? Let’s find out.

HARDWARE & DESIGN

Slim is definitely the way to go, with the One S being the slimmest phone that HTC has ever released. It features an aluminium body that is finished with a cutting-edge process known as micro arc oxidation, which makes the phone feels like a ceramic handset rather than a metal one. HTC claims that this is five times tougher than regular aluminium, hence our guess is that you probably won’t be needing a protective case (we can’t say for screen protectors though). Speaking of screens, the One S comes with Corning Gorilla Glass 2 screen that is optically laminated, which provides for good readability under sunlight.

This phone has a non-user removable battery, hence the also non-removable back cover. There is, however, a small section at the top for a micro SIM. Despite its thinness, this phone does feel like it’s pretty wear resistant. Storage wise, 16GB internal memory is offered as well as 1GB of RAM (but let’s not forget about the free 25GB Dropbox storage for two years, shall we?).

Running the HTC Sense 4.0, interface changes are significant when compared to older HTC handsets. The Sense launcher is probably able to give you hint of what’s to come, by providing you seven homescreens to play with.

DISPLAY

Just like the flagship phone in the One series – the HTC One X – One S is also running on the lastest Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich as well as the latest HTC Sense 4.0 and ImageSense. The touchscreen of  the One S is of the same size and resolution as the HTC Sensation, except that AMOLED technology has replaced the previous Super LCD panel. This 4.3-inch display now offers a significant difference, particularly in colour reproduction and contrast. Sharpness is also ensured with its resolution of 540x960, giving it a pixel density of 256ppi, just slightly lagging behind the One X, which has a pixel density of 312ppi.

PERFORMANCE AND BATTERY LIFE

The initial experience was indeed pleasurable, with no signs of lag when menus and apps were opened. What’s more, the camera performance was on par as that on the One X. However, performance is expected to slow down as more apps are installed.

As mentioned earlier, its 1,650mAh battery is non-removable and we have to say its lifespan is a tad above average, with a full day of battery life with a full charge. Do take note that we set the Twitter and Facebook on refresh every 30 minutes, hence the lifespan might vary depending on your usage.

The AMOLED screen and ImageSense technology do have an appetite on the battery life, and also the 1.7GHz dual-core Snapdragon S3 processor lacks the power optimisation capabilities of the Nvidia Tegra 3 chipset that’s found on the One X, but all in all, the lifespan is still pretty decent.

CAMERAS

If you haven’t already knew, one of the highlights of the HTC One series is the camera and its proprietary ImageSense technology. The One S features an 8-megapixel rear-shooter with a stunning f2.0 aperture, coupled with auto focus and an LED smart flash, we have to say this is one yummy camera to grace a mobile phone. Have we mentioned no shutter lag?

The ImageSense works the exact same way as on the One X and One V, with the burst-fire shot of up to 99 consecutive shots. You are then free to browse through them and select your best, as well as choose to keep or delete the rest of them. Taking pictures during a video recording is also possible here, although we would still highly recommend capturing your stills while viewing the playback to prevent unwanted jerks of the camera.

Much more manual control is also offered here with options for you to adjust the ISO, white balance, and exposure levels, and besides that, there are also a variety of filters for you to choose from. Don’t we all love filters? Under well lit conditions, the One S does produce remarkable stills, however noise and graininess will infiltrate the photos when in low-light conditions. The One S also supports 1080p HD video recording, and the playbacks prove to be seamless with no signs of lag.

OUR VERDICT

Putting aside all the technical specs, we have to admit its thin and attractive profile already had us half sold on it. Having said that, the One S is mainly catered to individuals who are after sleek design and topnotch audio quality. If you are looking for something more powerful in terms of performance, you’d seriously be better off with the One X.

Like it or not, the One S is bundled with a Beats Solo headset, hence a hefty price tag, but in all honesty, take away the headset and we think that the One S would actually sell like pancakes.