The HTC One is pretty popular. If you've been watching (and participating with!) the Official Smartphone Rankings, then you know the One has been sitting atop the list for both the Expert's and People's Choice ever since it debuted. There was a lot of speculation that Samsung's Galaxy S 4 would have been able to knock the reigning champ from its throne, but that didn't happen. The One is still sitting pretty up there at the top, soaking it all in.
And that makes sense. The One is a ridiculously good phone. With its 1080p 4.7-inch display, all metal construction, BoomSound front-facing speakers, and the UltraPixel camera on the back -- plus so much more, there's no reason to doubt the One's popularity. The only thing that we can hope at this point, is that that popularity is transferring directly to HTC, and they're seeing even better sales than what we've heard so far.
Time marches on, though. Just as this is an inescapable truth, so is the fact that HTC has other phones in the work. No matter what the release plan is for those future phones, we know they exist. And, more than likely, the company has a road map they're trying very hard to follow, which includes launch time tables for those new devices. We've seen HTC shoot themselves in the foot in the past by releasing too many devices, and replacing handsets too quickly. However, as it stands right now, it would seem that the manufacturer has at least figured out that issue.
That isn't to say that new phones aren't coming. As it stands right now, there are two "One-like" devices that are rumored to be landing on store shelves later this year. The first? A larger One, which would be set up against the likes of Samsung's Galaxy Note III, which is believed to be launching later this year, too. That larger phone is known as the T6, and probably like me you're already looking forward to seeing what that phone has to offer when HTC finally gets around to announcing it.
On the other side of the spectrum, though, is the One Mini. And, as you can tell from the title, we're talking about a smaller One. This newer rumored handset will reportedly feature a 4.3-inch display, with "only" a 720p HD panel. Other features include an UltraPixel camera on the back, and a slower Qualcomm processor tucked away inside. There's no word on which version of Android it will be running, how much memory it will hold, or how much it will cost, though.
All of that will come in due time.
HTC's One Mini is actually a good idea, if it is indeed a real phone. Making the display size smaller, even if you are sacrificing that 1080p HD display, makes the phone a lot more accessible to more people, simply because some folks out there don't like a display that's bigger than 4.3-inches. Moreover, dropping the processor in specs a bit will probably lead to a pretty significant price decrease from the original One.
And that's the kicker. Right now, the HTC One is one of the most attractive devices on the market because of its price tag. No, it isn't ridiculously cheap like the Nexus 4 or something, but you get way more for your buck when you pay full retail, or even the contract price, for the One because of what it offers out of the box. Like 32GB of storage for the base model.
That just leads me to believe that the One Mini will see that same aggressive pricing model, and for a mid-range device like the One Mini is apparently going to be, I can't help but think it will be an exciting device this holiday season. If it launches in that time.
I think it's a good way to round out a real One family, too. The previous One-branded devices were a jumbled mess because there were too many iterative devices. However, HTC can fix that this year (and into the next, and the next….) by simply providing three different options: small, medium, and large. Easy, and the best way to offer up options for the consumer.
Now, HTC, do the unexpected thing next year and announce all three devices at the same time. Just go crazy, HTC.
What do you think of the rumors about the One Mini? Did you skip the One because it was too big? And, if so, would you consider buying a One Mini if the price is indeed right? Or do you think a smaller One doesn't make any sense? Let me know!
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