HTC One finally available in India for Rs 42,900

HTC had invited the Indian tech press to unveil the HTC One back in March, but it said that it would launch the product in early April, but that was never to happen. Its chief rival, Samsung swooped in and on April 26 orchestrated the largest smartphone launch in India when it launched the Galaxy S4, but still the HTC One was no where to be seen. But finally, today the device is now available online on e-commerce site Saholic for Rs 42,900.While this may be little to late, as Samsung is bombarding the Indian consumer with its flagship, the Galaxy S4, the general consensus in the tech media is that the HTC One is a slightly better smartphone than the Galaxy S4 that exudes class with its aluminum chassis, and its innovative 4-megapixel UltraPixel camera and BoomSound speakers. Even we have noted the same in our review of the device and we feel that it’s a more premium device than the plastic cladGalaxy S4.According to the listing on Saholic, the device can be had in nine days after booking for Rs 42,900. The device is currently only available in the Silver finish.As far as the specifications are concerned, it packs top of the line stuff. It has a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 CPU clocked at 1.7GHz which works in tandem with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal memory. It has a Beats Audio pre-amp for better sound output and front firing BoomSound speakers.HTC has innovated a lot with the camera on the One and it has a 4-megapixel UltraPixel camera which also feature optical image stabilization like the Nokia Lumia 920. The UltraPixel technology is a marketing term for larger pixels that allow more light to pass through enabling better images in low-light situations.There is also a beautiful 4.7-inch Full HD 1080p screen that offers class leading 468 pixels per inch (PPI). Compare that to 326 and 441 PPI in the iPhone 5 and the Samsung Galaxy S4 respectively. There is also a 2,300 mAh battery.HTC has also revamped its Sense user interface that runs on top of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. This new UI is simpler to use and has a flatter aesthetic. HTC has introduced new software features like HTC Zoe and Blinkfeed.Previously, HTC reported to have manufacturing issues with the One owing to its new chassis that is built using a specialized custom process. Perhaps that could have resulted in the delayed Indian launch, but this might be too little too late, considering Samsung is dominating with the Galaxy S4 in the retail space.