Review of the HTC Butterfly smartphone: life for one season. The SIM card is used in mobile devices to store data that certifies the authenticity of mobile service subscribers

HTC Butterfly S has a 5-inch Full HD display with a resolution of about 440 ppi. The smartphone is equipped with a 4-core APQ8064T processor from the Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 family with a frequency of 1.9 GHz and Adreno 320 graphics. Volume random access memory equal to 2 GB, built-in flash memory - 16 GB. There is support for memory cards. UltraPixel camera resolution is 4 MP. There is also a front camera with a resolution of 2.1 MP.

MAIN TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Nutrition

Additional Information

General characteristics

Screen

Multimedia capabilities

Connection

Memory and processor

Other functions

Information about the make, model, and alternative names of the specific device, if available.

Design

Information about the dimensions and weight of the device, presented in different units of measurement. Materials used, colors offered, certificates.

SIM card

The SIM card is used in mobile devices to store data that certifies the authenticity of mobile service subscribers.

Mobile networks

A mobile network is a radio system that allows multiple mobile devices to communicate with each other.

Mobile communication technologies and data transfer speeds

Communication between devices on mobile networks is carried out using technologies that provide different data transfer rates.

Operating system

An operating system is a system software that manages and coordinates the operation of hardware components in a device.

SoC (System on Chip)

A system on a chip (SoC) includes all the most important hardware components of a mobile device on one chip.

Built-in memory

Each mobile device has built-in (non-removable) memory with a fixed capacity.

Memory cards

Memory cards are used in mobile devices to increase the storage capacity for storing data.

Screen

The screen of a mobile device is characterized by its technology, resolution, pixel density, diagonal length, color depth, etc.

Sensors

Different sensors perform different quantitative measurements and convert physical indicators into signals that a mobile device can recognize.

Main camera

The main camera of a mobile device is usually located on the back of the body and is used for taking photos and videos.

Additional camera

Additional cameras are usually mounted above the device screen and are used mainly for video conversations, gesture recognition, etc.

Audio

Information about the type of speakers and audio technologies supported by the device.

Radio

The radio of the mobile device is a built-in FM receiver.

Location determination

Information about the navigation and location technologies supported by your device.

WiFi

Wi-Fi is a technology that provides wireless communication for transmitting data over close distances between various devices.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a standard for secure wireless data transfer between various devices of different types over short distances.

USB

USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard that allows different electronic devices to exchange data.

HDMI

HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is a digital audio/video interface that replaces older analog audio/video standards.

Headphone jack

This is an audio connector, also called an audio jack. The most widely used standard in mobile devices is the 3.5mm headphone jack.

Connecting devices

Information about other important connection technologies supported by your device.

Browser

A web browser is a software application for accessing and viewing information on the Internet.

Video file formats/codecs

Mobile devices support different video file formats and codecs, which respectively store and encode/decode digital video data.

Battery

Mobile device batteries differ from each other in their capacity and technology. They provide the electrical charge necessary for their functioning.

Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)

The SAR level refers to the amount of electromagnetic radiation absorbed by the human body while using a mobile device.

Introduction

In the history of the first FullHD- HTC smartphone There are still a lot of white spots left. Starting from that strange announcement of the device at the presentation of the operator KDDI in Tokyo and ending with the fact that the release of the model in some regions (including the CIS and Russia) is still in question. But let's remember together the main stages in the development of events around this interesting smartphone.

Back in the summer of 2012, the first information about an upcoming device from HTC with a huge 5” screen appeared on the Internet. At that time there was no information about the model, and everything that users could assume usually came down to comparing this mysterious device with the series Galaxy Note from Samsung. Then it seemed logical that HTC would try at all costs to release its version of the mini-tablet after the incredible success of the first Samsung Galaxy Note. The first tentative name of the new model was indicated HTC One X 5, a render of it even appeared on the Internet and some information in one of the leaked documents belonging to the American operator Verizon. But this is where the story of the 5” mini-tablet died down until the fall.

And on October 17, at one of the presentations of the Japanese operator KDDI, HTC demonstrates its new smartphone. A device with a 5” screen and a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels, an incredibly beautiful and elegant body and generally good characteristics, although not without flaws. And all this against the backdrop of announcements of many other smartphones at the same presentation from different manufacturers. I had one question in my head then: why is the company showing its potentially successful device in the lobby of some hotel in distant Japan, where it will definitely arouse less interest than in Europe, the USA or the CIS countries? I haven’t found an answer to this question for myself, but some time after the announcement of the HTC J Butterfly in Japan, it became known that an analogue of this model will appear in the USA, exclusively for the Verizon operator, and that the new product will be called HTC Droid DNA.

The same hotel in Japan, the same announcement, the same HTC J Butterfly

Almost a month has passed since the Japanese announcement, and on November 13 in New York, HTC and Verizon finally presented the American version of the FullHD smartphone - HTC Droid DNA. Then it seemed that the issue of the appearance of a similar model for Europe and the CIS, including Russia, had already been resolved; all that remained was to wait a little. However, this was not the case.

The American version of HTC J Butterfly received a new name – Droid DNA

Here is how it was. On November 22, news appeared on the website gsmarena.com with official photos of a new product called HTC Deluxe DLX. The news reported that the new product will definitely be available in two classic colors, black and white, and that we will learn more detailed information about it on December 6. The author of the news suggested that HTC would officially present this version of the smartphone, probably at CES 2013 or MWC 2013. Naturally, information about the new smartphone quickly spread, and HTC Deluxe began to be called nothing less than the European version of HTC J Butterfly / HTC Droid DNA . However, just three days later, on November 25, a kind of refutation of the news from the 22nd appeared on gsmarena.com, with the reason for the headline “HTC Deluxe DLX not actually coming to Europe?” was the answer from one of the employees of the European HTC office (apparently). To a reader’s question about the appearance of a European version of the device, the employee answered with a short phrase: “Unfortunately, HTC Deluxe will not appear in Europe.” Naturally, a second wave of news about HTC Deluxe with similar headlines went around the network: HTC Deluxe will not go to Europe, HTC: Europe will not see the 5-inch HTC Deluxe, HTC Deluxe DLX will not be released in Europe and so on. Although in the original news on gsmarena.com, the authors still expressed doubts about the accuracy of the data from Twitter, as well as the hope that, probably, HTC employees simply meant that the device would not come to Europe specifically under that name.

And so it happened, on December 7, without any fanfare, HTC simply posted the characteristics of a new smartphone – the HTC Butterfly – on its international version of the website. To be honest, I like this name the most. It’s not as boring as Droid DNA (how many of these “droids” have HTC and Motorola made for American operators over the past couple of years?), but at the same time, not as complex as HTC J Butterfly, the model name for the Japanese market . Again, I like that this name has an associative series, no matter what and what it is associated with, whether it was laid down by the manufacturer, or the name was chosen at random, it is still better than the faceless names One X, One S, One XS and so on down the list.

The issue of the appearance of HTC Butterfly in Russia, however, still remains unresolved. In the Russian office of the company they are doing everything possible to ensure that the smartphone arrives to us, but not everything is so simple. Therefore, in the comments to this material, dear readers, I invite you to briefly describe your feelings about the smartphone that may arise after reading the review, studying its characteristics and features. Well, the main question is extremely simple - will you consider the HTC Butterfly as one of your future smartphones and what parameters will you pay attention to first of all? But we will return to these moments later. In the meantime, meet the top smartphone from HTC - Butterfly.

Contents of delivery

I had in my hands the American version of the smartphone - HTC Droid DNA. However, the equipment for the European version will most likely be similar. The kit can be called minimal: a smartphone, a charging block, a USB-microUSB cable and a “figurine” (paper clip) for opening the slot for a microSIM card. No headphones or headsets included. Probably, HTC believes that buyers of the new product already have their own high-quality and favorite “ears” and, in any case, will immediately throw the included ten-dollar earplugs into the trash. The idea is not without logic, by the way.

Design

To avoid any misunderstandings, I’ll say right away - I really like the design of HTC Butterfly, in my opinion, this is the best thing that HTC has done in the last couple of years in terms of appearance and working out details. The smartphone has a strict shape, but at the same time it does not look like a simple brick. The device combines strict black, boring dark gray and bright red colors - at the same time, it does not look pretentious or flashy; on the contrary, here this combination turns out to be very correct and harmonious. Finally, the elongated shape of the body and its small thickness create the feeling of a compact, neat smartphone, although, frankly, this is a shovel. But you won’t understand this until you pick up the smartphone yourself, and HTC tried to present the large dimensions as competently as possible, maintaining the correct ratio of the height and width of the body. But more on that below.

The attention to detail is what impressed me about the HTC Butterfly. The side ends are made with a grille for speakers; it is clear that under this grille there is no speaker along the entire length of the plane, but it is implemented beautifully. The power key is made of textured dark red plastic, and the volume button is made similarly - these are not just boring plastic elements, it’s clear that they were worked on. The ringing speaker grille is also dark red, with a separate insert above it, just for beauty. WITH reverse side we see a red bezel around the camera, a barely noticeable second indicator light, and a speaker with small holes disguised as an elegant grille. And these details together create a cohesive image of a smartphone that is not similar to the previous One series or models from other generations, although there are certainly references to them.

Housing materials

The body of the smartphone is made of matte, velvety-to-touch plastic with soft-touch; the “back” and part of the side edges are made of this material. Around the front side there is a bezel made of black glossy plastic, and the screen cover is protective glass Gorilla Glass 2.

The plastic on the “back” is pleasant to the touch, thanks to which the smartphone fits perfectly in the hand and does not slip out, but at the same time, the material is very easily soiled, marks, scuffs and stains always remain on it, they can be removed, but they appear again . Usually matte plastic of this type is more or less practical and marks on it are barely noticeable, but in HTC Butterfly they probably used a coating that was too delicate and soft - hence this effect.

Assembly

For the first time during my work, I had, perhaps, only a few days to prepare a review and study the device (usually I spend one to two weeks studying a smartphone), so it was easy for me to discover any problems or features in the assembly of a smartphone during this period did not have time. At first glance, everything is fine - the device is assembled reliably, the buttons have no play, do not dangle, the microSIM card bracket is tightly inserted into the case.

The only possible complaint can be caused by the plug of the compartment with the microUSB connector; it is attached to the body on a thin rubber stick, which bends strongly every time the connector is used, when you have to open the plug. It is clear that nothing happened to it in two days, but what will happen after a month, six months, a year of operation? After all, you need to charge your smartphone at least once every one or two days; add here the need to connect a cable to transfer data to or from a computer - the cap will have to be opened very often. It seems to me that after a few months of active use this element will simply fall off the body.

Dimensions

The first thing that catches your eye when you get to know the HTC Butterfly is its correct proportions. The device is elongated in height, and if you do not place it next to smaller phones, but look only at pictures or from afar, you get the feeling that this is a very compact device. We can say that HTC has finally understood a simple truth, which is still professed, perhaps, only by Apple and Chinese companies imitating Apple (Meizu, Xiaomi) - a smartphone should fit comfortably in the hand, therefore, it cannot be wide like a shovel. Of course, in reality the HTC Butterfly is huge in the background simple phones or inexpensive smartphones, in terms of overall dimensions it is larger than even models such as the HTC One X and Samsung Galaxy S III, but it is close to them in width and has a larger display. In terms of size, it occupies a niche between the listed flagships and mini-tablets from Samsung - Galaxy Note and Galaxy Note II, but I would call it closer to the first category, that is, to the One X and SGS III.

Dimensions of HTC Butterfly – 143 x 70.5 x 9.1 mm, weight – 140 grams. Below are the dimensions of other popular smartphones for comparison:

• Apple iPhone 5 – 123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 mm, 112 grams
• HTC Butterfly– 143 x 70.5 x 9.1 mm, 140 grams
• HTC One X– 134.4 x 69.9 x 8.9 mm, 130 grams
• Nokia Lumia 920– 130.3 x 70.8 x 10.7 mm, 185 grams
• Samsung Galaxy Note II– 151.1 x 80.5 x 9.4 mm, 183 grams
• Samsung Galaxy S III– 136.6 x 70.6 x 8.6 mm, 133 grams

As a small conclusion, I will say the following: HTC managed to maintain more or less convenient dimensions for its five-inch smartphone, this device still fits into the frame of a smartphone, it can be put in a jeans pocket, it is relatively comfortable to hold with one hand, and you can even control the device with one hand. In all these parameters, HTC Butterfly is comparable to HTC One X and Samsung Galaxy S III, and the high height of the case makes almost no difference.

Controls

The smartphone has three touch keys under the display, although in some games and programs the standard touch screen unit, characteristic of Android OS 4.1 and higher, still “pops up”. The purpose of the keys under the display is standard - “Back”, “Home” and calling the most recently launched programs (Recent Apps). Holding the center button launches the Google Assistant app. The buttons are comfortable, if this characteristic is generally applicable to touch keys, they are spaced apart, when you press any key the device responds with a slight vibration, the keys are backlit, which turns on when there is insufficient lighting.

On the right edge of the smartphone there is a key for adjusting the volume, which is moderately long, although in my opinion it does not protrude enough above the surface of the case. The button is colored dark red.

At the bottom end there is a microUSB connector, closed with a plug; in the top center there is a power button, a 3.5 mm mini-jack and a slot for a microSIM card; I have already talked about these elements. The power key is a source of criticism - placing it on the top end of a smartphone with a height of more than 140 mm is more than a strange decision. It is inconvenient to reach it with one hand; you have to press it while holding the device in the upper area or even holding it with your second hand. A power button on the right edge would be smarter and more convenient. When you hold down the power key, a menu appears with the option to turn off the smartphone, put it in airplane mode, and reboot.

On the front side, in the upper part, there is a speaker, next to it there is a front light indicator, as well as a light sensor and a proximity sensor. To the left of the speaker grille is the peephole of the front wide-angle 2.1 MP camera. I also talked above about the second light indicator, located on the “back” of the smartphone near the main camera.

Screen

The smartphone uses a Super LCD 3 display. The dry characteristics of the display look like this: 5” diagonal, resolution 1920x1080 pixels (FullHD), pixel density – 441 ppi, which is higher than that of the Apple iPhone 4S (330 ppi) and Samsung Galaxy S III (306 ppi).

Other characteristics of the screen can be summed up in one word – excellent. The HTC Butterfly display has maximum viewing angles, a very good brightness reserve, close-to-natural color rendition, and moderate contrast, so your eyes won’t fall out of their sockets after several hours of reading on it or watching a cartoon.

Automatic brightness adjustment does not work correctly in all situations, but in general I have no particular complaints about its operation. In the screen settings, you can choose the font size for menus and programs, as usual.

The overall impression of the screen is simple - it is exactly what a 5” display should be. You just get used to it, and after that it seems that such picture clarity should be the norm. Is there a noticeable difference with screens with a resolution of 1280x720 pixels? Some people will probably see it, others won't at all. In comparison of screens different smartphones when using macro photography, the difference, of course, will be clearly visible, but in reality, a 1080p screen simply provides a slightly smoother picture, and it’s difficult for even an experienced “Android front” fighter to notice the differences between 1080p and 720p. Another thing is that the HTC Butterfly display has simply excellent characteristics, not only high resolution, moderately deep blacks, viewing angles, brightness levels, color rendition, the picture on it looks three-dimensional and rich, it’s pleasant to look at.

Screen comparison

So that you can independently evaluate some of the display characteristics (those that can be assessed from photographs), I offer you a photo comparison of the screens of several top smartphones:

• HTC Butterfly (1090p)
• HTC One X (720p)
• Meizu MX2 (1280x800)
• Nokia Lumia 920 (720p)
• Sharp SH90W (1080p)
• Samsung Galaxy S III (720p)

I included the “Chinese” in testing for the simple reason that Meizu swears by: “the new Sharp New Mode 2 screen is better than anything currently on the market”, well, let's check that too. The rest of the comparison participants, I think, do not need any introduction. In some places, our recent guest, the Sharp SH930W, will appear in the comparison as a competitor to the HTC Butterfly, another device with a FullHD screen.

First, I suggest you look at the comparison Samsung screens Galaxy S III, HTC Butterfly and Nokia Lumia 920 with pictures that I use in some reviews to evaluate the quality of the display.

Now let's compare the detail of the screens. To do this, I tried to photograph various details (icons, image or interface elements) on the displays of several smartphones as close as possible.

To begin with, here are close-ups of Dropbox, Gmail and Instagram icons:

The images show that the icons on the HTC Butterfly screen are as clear as possible, the PenTile is clearly visible on the SGS III screen, and the image on the HTC One X display is grainy. The Chinese Meizu MX2 here is somewhere between the HTC Butterfly and HTC One X screens in terms of detail and pixel density.

Now let's take a look at the individual elements of icons and text in the address bar (crops):

The situation repeats itself - HTC Butterfly and Sharp SH930W “produce” a smooth picture with a very small dot size, while other devices look worse.

Camera

The smartphone uses an 8 MP camera with a BSI module, the maximum image resolution is 3264x2448 pixels, if you select the widescreen mode, then 3264x1840 pixels. Almost all the settings and camera parameters in HTC Butterfly are exactly the same as in HTC One X, so I won’t repeat myself, I’ll just give screenshots of the interface.

There is continuous shooting with an excellent rate of fire, the ability to quickly apply effects, macro photography, text shooting and other modes.

To evaluate the quality of the HTC Butterfly photos, I also took photos from the HTC One X, Nokia Lumia 920 and Samsung Galaxy S III as a benchmark among Android devices. And to make this comparison more competent, I asked Roman Belykh to study all the photographs and comment on them; he understands this area much better than me, so I give the floor to him.

Comparison of cameras (Roman Belykh)

Before comparing photos, it is necessary to clarify some parameters of smartphone cameras, which we cannot do without:

• HTC Butterfly. Module – 8 MP, aperture - f2.0
• HTC One X. Module – 8 MP, aperture – f2.0
• Nokia Lumia 920. Module – 8.7 MP, aperture – f2.0, has an optical stabilizer
• Samsung Galaxy S III. Module – 8 MP, aperture – f2.6

It is important to add that everything that will be said below is my personal opinion, “built” on a comparison of the photographs provided.

Daytime footage

Due to the fact that the HTC One X, HTC Butterfly and Nokia Lumia 920 do not use the highest quality wide-angle lenses, blurring occurs at the edges of the pictures. The detail in the center (and throughout the entire frame) is better in the Samsung Galaxy S III, then I would give preference to the HTC One X and Nokia Lumia 920, the outsider is the HTC Butterfly. Interestingly, the HTC One X makes the loudest noise (even during the day); the 920 produces an almost perfect picture in terms of the absence of artifacts, but the photo looks somewhat blurry, as if it lacks sharpness.

The white balance “jumps” in almost all models, however, the Samsung Galaxy S III “selects” the white balance more correctly. The HTC Butterfly's image turns yellowish, while the HTC One X's image turns blue. Nokia smartphone The 920 is on par with the SGS3, perhaps making the picture a little warmer.

The dynamic range is wider in photos from the HTC One X, followed by the Nokia Lumia 920, while the Galaxy S III and HTC Butterfly have the same dynamic range.

	Samsung Galaxy S3

	Samsung Galaxy S3

	Samsung Galaxy S3

	Samsung Galaxy S3

	Samsung Galaxy S3

	Samsung Galaxy S3

	Samsung Galaxy S3

	Samsung Galaxy S3

Macro photography

Here I liked the photos taken on the HTC Butterfly most of all: the image is sharp, the focus is accurate, the minimum focusing distance to the object, so to speak, is “maximally minimal” among competitors.

	Samsung Galaxy S3

Insufficient lighting/photos at home

The situation is as follows: since all test devices, except Samsung, use high-aperture optics with an f2.0 “hole,” by default they allow you to take frames with low ISO and shutter speed values. For example, HTC One X in a certain frame sets ISO=160, shutter speed - 1/30, but Galaxy S III - ISO 200, shutter speed 1/20. Naturally, automation does not necessarily operate in exactly this algorithm, but I gave a typical case. The HTC One X and Butterfly smartphones take pictures in low light about the same, the SGS3 is a little better, and the Nokia Lumia 920 shows good results: practically no noise, a “clean” picture, pleasant bokeh and a more or less correct BB.

Samsung Galaxy S3

Samsung Galaxy S3

	Samsung Galaxy S3

	Samsung Galaxy S3

	Samsung Galaxy S3

	Samsung Galaxy S3

	Samsung Galaxy S3

Night shots

The most difficult photographic conditions are not only for point-and-shoot cameras, but also for professional cameras. Every time you have to make a compromise: increase the shutter speed, reduce the ISO and not breathe in the literal and figurative sense (to eliminate the “shake”), or reduce the shutter speed, increase the ISO and get a not blurry, but “noisy” photo.

Judging by the test frames, the Nokia Lumia 920 performed best of all. The fact is that its software chose the first option for shooting a night frame: increase the shutter speed and reduce the ISO. The only thing left to do is apply optical stabilization. In order not to retell all the advantages of the 920’s night mode, I refer you to the review.

A small addition. Since Nokia automation works in such a way that, in fact, it turns night into day, in such situations you need to use manual settings exposition. This bothers many people.

The HTC One X and Butterfly smartphones take pictures in approximately the same way: both try to suppress digital noise as much as possible, so the pictures lose detail. Samsung device The Galaxy S III uses the second option - increase ISO and decrease shutter speed. Noise reduction in SGS3 practically does not work, so the photos come out unimportant.

Samsung Galaxy S3

Samsung Galaxy S3

Samsung Galaxy S3

Samsung Galaxy S3

Samsung Galaxy S3

There is no need to say that any particular smartphone is in the lead, since each of them works differently in specific conditions. But personally I would give Galaxy preference S III is a little more versatile.

Video shooting

Videos are recorded in a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels at 30 frames per second, regardless of the lighting level. Electronic stabilization and autofocus are available. The image is of sufficient quality, but when moving quickly, artifacts are noticeable, which is due to the low bitrate - 10,000 kbps.

Separately, it is worth mentioning the sound. Almost all HTCs suffered from low quality: unpleasant high-frequency sound, a lot of extraneous noise and poor stereo quality. The Butterfly device is an exception: it is heard clearly, the stereo base is expanded, plus the device manages to fight the wind, practically without impairing intelligibility.

Roller parameters:

Video: Format: MP4
Codec: AVC ( [email protected])
Bitrate: 10,000 kbps
Number of frames: 30

Sound:
Format: AAC (LC)
Bitrate: 96 kbps, 48 ​​kHz
Channels: stereo

Autonomous operation

The smartphone uses a non-removable Li-Pol battery with a capacity of 2020 mAh. On the one hand, this is a larger capacity than in almost any other HTC smartphone, on the other hand, over the past year we have become accustomed to seeing powerful batteries with a capacity of up to 2500 mAh in devices with large screens. Another important point is the high resolution of the display in the HTC Butterfly, which should certainly have a negative impact on the operating time.

For the American version of the smartphone (HTC Droid DNA), the manufacturer claims the following battery life indicators:

• Up to 12 hours 40 minutes talk time
• Up to 353 hours standby time

As I wrote above, I only had two days to test the smartphone, so I simply could not properly measure the operating time during this time, and the only test for which there was enough time was video playback. My sample worked in video playback mode for almost 7 hours, 6 hours 49 minutes, to be more precise. For the test, I used several episodes of one of the series in 720p quality. One might say that it would be more honest to test the operating time in video playback mode on 1080p rollers - but this is not so. The fact is that the file system of the smartphone will still not allow you to upload a file larger than 3.8 GB (or so), so watching movies in FullHD quality on the HTC Butterfly will be problematic.

In terms of overall battery life, I feel the HTC Butterfly lasts longer than the HTC One X, but still falls short of the Samsung Galaxy S III. However, the fact that the device lasts longer than the One X is absolutely certain, and this is already a plus.

Platform, memory

The smartphone is built on the latest Qualcomm APQ8064 platform with a quad-core processor with a frequency of 1.5 GHz (23 nm process technology), graphics subsystem (GPU) - Adreno 320. Characteristic features of this platform are support for cameras with a resolution of up to 20 MP, USB support OTG, Bluetooth 4.0 and dual-channel WI-Fi. In addition to HTC Butterfly, this platform is used in Asus Padfone 2, LG Optimus G/Nexus 4, as well as in several yet-to-be-announced models from Sharp, Pantech and Sony.

HTC Butterfly has 2 GB of RAM and only 16 GB of internal memory for storing user data, of which a little more than 14 GB is available after launch. There is no slot for a memory card in the so-called “European version” of the device, contrary to rumors and characteristics presented on various sites. HTC does not provide precise information on this matter, but based on the data that I have, we can say that most likely there will not be a slot.

For me personally, only 14 GB of memory is a ridiculously small amount; I filled it up 10 minutes after turning on HTC Butterfly and the initial setup. How? Several toys (~2 GB), favorite and carefully selected music (~9 GB) and a couple of Game of Thrones episodes (~2 GB). And this is without any garbage, only the data that I simply need in my smartphone! At the same time, I know many people for whom 14 GB is enough just for a year ahead. For example, Valentin, our layout designer, said that 14 GB was enough for him! I don’t know who is more, those who will be surprised by such a small volume, or those for whom 14 GB will be enough, but I am sure of one thing - a top-end smartphone should have a larger amount of memory, several options (16/32/64 GB) or a slot under microSD to solve all problems. HTC Butterfly has neither the first, nor the second, nor the third, and this is very disappointing.

Performance, tests

The overall speed of the smartphone is excellent, which, frankly, even surprised me, given the huge display and its resolution. Desktops flip through instantly, there are no delays or stutters at all, the entire menu literally flies. With a large number of running programs, the smartphone does not start to work slower or hesitate - in a word, the operating speed is excellent. Below are the results of testing HTC Butterfly in various benchmarks.

To evaluate performance, I ran two games on HTC Butterfly - GTA: Vice City and Nova 3. I launched GTA first on standard settings installed in it initially - the game ran without the slightest delays or stutters, very smoothly and quickly, but when I set the settings to maximum, the game became no longer so comfortable, rare, but still delays and “freezes” for a split second appeared.

Nova 3 ran on HTC Butterfly without any problems, it was comfortable to play, I didn’t notice any delays or freezes in half an hour of play.

When downloading games to your smartphone, you need to be prepared for the fact that some of them (I think many of them are still) are not optimized for such a high resolution and the image in them will simply be stretched by the system to fill the entire screen.

There are no problems with playing HD and FullHD video. The smartphone plays videos in supported formats in a standard player, the rest (mkv and so on) can be watched in Dice or MX Player. I wrote above about the fact that you can find a full-length film in FullHD quality and at the same time occupying less than 4 GB, again, personally, I see the difference between the same video, which I watched on a smartphone first in 720p quality, and then in 1080p, I hardly see. Of course, there is a difference, and it is visible if you look at the dots on the display, but who will do this while watching a movie or TV series?

During heavy load (long gaming, watching a movie), the smartphone heats up, but the temperature back cover still remains at a comfortable level, the device can be held in your hands, it does not burn and seems just a little warmer than average.

Interfaces

The American version of the smartphone operates in GSM (850/900/1800/1900), UMTS (900/2100) and LTE networks; for the European version there is no reliable data on LTE support yet.

To synchronize with a PC and transfer data, the included microUSB cable is used. USB 2.0 interface. When connected to a computer, a menu appears in which you can select one of five connection types: charging only, HTC Sync, Disk drive (visible inner memory), Internet modem (using the device as a modem) and connecting to a PC to access the network via a computer.

Built-in module Bluetooth 4.0 With A2DP.

Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n). The Wi-Fi module works flawlessly. In your smartphone, you can configure the rules for switching Wi-Fi to sleep mode, using only static IP address When connecting, add security certificates. There is also a mode maximum performance Wi-Fi. When the module is operating, the device practically does not heat up. A choice of frequency modes is available in the settings Wi-Fi work module: auto, 5 GHz, 2.4 GHz.

Wi-Fi router. Butterfly has a function for “sharing” 2G/3G Internet connection via Wi-Fi. It works as follows. In the wireless interfaces menu, select the “Portable hotspot” option and then “Portable Wi-Fi hotspot”. Here you need to select the network name, password, and connection type (WEP, WPA, WPA2). In addition, you can set the maximum number of connections to your smartphone or separately block or allow each new connection. When this option is enabled, you can connect to the Internet, for example, from your laptop via routing to HTC Butterfly.

DLNA, HDMI. The device supports DLNA technology, so if you have a DLNA-compatible media server and other devices at home, you can use Butterfly with them. For example, output sound or video from the device directly to the TV. In addition, the device has HDMI support; the connector is combined with microUSB (MHL), so in order to use HDMI, you will first need to buy a special cable.

NFC. The device has NFC support, however, so far there are not many scenarios for using this module, with complete tags, but HTC does not equip its devices with this accessory. On a smartphone with NFC, you can also check the number of remaining trips on your metro pass, for example.

Navigation

The smartphone has GPS support; searching for satellites takes a minimum amount of time, from 5 to 15 seconds. The device has pre-installed programs Google Maps and Google Navigation, but talk about whether it will have Route 66-based navigation, which HTC uses in all of its modern smartphones, it is too early. If the device does arrive in Russia, it will probably also be equipped with this program. On the other hand, the capabilities of combining two programs from Google are enough for most users both for walking navigation and for using a smartphone in a car. By the way, HTC Butterfly will potentially be an excellent navigator, like the Samsung Galaxy Note and Note II, due to its huge display.

Sound (Ilya Tarakanov)

To assess the sound quality, I sent Ilya Tarakanov, our audio editor, from the other end of Moscow. Ilya arrived with his headphones worth a total of several thousand dollars (why do people buy such “ears”?) and with an Apple iPhone 5 as a comparison bonus.

Test conditions:

• Smartphones HTC Butterfly, HTC One X and Apple iPhone 5
• Ultimate Ears UE 11 Pro Headphones
• Ears of Ilya Tarakanov

In the text, Ilya uses abbreviations that I don’t understand, so let me give their explanation:

• DD – dynamic range
• HF – high frequencies
• LF - low frequencies
• MF – mid frequencies

Measurements "by ear". The word is given to Ilya:

HTC Butterfly, standard player, Beats Audio included
The sound is a bit dirty, you can hear the noise of the amplifier and recording - apparently, the dynamic range is being squeezed. The stereo panorama is quite wide, with little volume. There is a good localization of tools.

The sound signature is biased towards low frequencies, the bass is deep and slightly buzzing. The mids are dull and don't sound very natural. High frequencies are excessively raised and add dirt to the recording.

As already written, the dynamic range is compressed, as a result we get good detail, but weak attack.

The volume margin is high, about half the scale.

HTC Butterfly, standard player, Beats Audio disabled
The DD is less clamped, there is less dirt, track noise and high-frequency “bulging” disappear, but the sound becomes muffled.

HTC Butterfly, Poweramp, Beats Audio disabled
There is more volume reserve (up to two-thirds), if you level the volume, there is no difference from the sound in a standard player.

HTC One X, standard player, Beats Audio included
The sound is skewed in the low frequencies, making it somewhat dull. The amp noise is audible and louder than the Butterfly. At the same time, the DD is not pressed so hard, so the recording noise does not cover the noise of the amplifier.

Low frequencies are excessive, they buzz, but in Butterfly they are much better defined. The mid frequencies are suppressed relative to the low frequencies, and the same can be said about the high frequencies. The mids are of better quality than those of the Butterfly - they sound much more natural. There is also no dirt in the sound.

The stereo panorama is perceived as less voluminous than that of Butterfly, but the localization of instruments is at a good level.

The volume margin is small, about a third of the scale.

HTC One X, standard player, Beats Audio disabled
The sound is much smoother, low frequencies are on par with the rest frequency range, otherwise there are no changes. In my opinion, it is better to listen without “improvements.”

HTC One X, Poweramp, Beats Audio included
There is more volume reserve, up to half the scale, but the sound becomes a little dirtier than when listening in a standard player.

Apple iPhone 5
The sound is close to One X without the included “improvements”, a little cleaner. There is no amplifier or recording noise, the volume margin is large - about half the scale. In my opinion, the Apple iPhone 5 plays better than the other two devices under review.

R.M.A.A.. Then we measured the audio path of smartphones using the RMAA program, just like in the good old days. By the way, take a look at the following articles if you suddenly want to indulge in nostalgia (like me):

• Comparison of audio paths of Apple iPhone 4, Nokia N8, Samsung S8500 Wave phones

Measurements were carried out using RMAA 6.0, an Asus Xonar D2X sound card and a high-quality (although not from Monster) 3.5 mm - 3.5 mm cable. Ilya said that everything was according to Feng Shui and there was no need to worry.

Below you will find tables of measurement results for HTC Butterfly using a standard player and Poweramp.

Detailed measurement data is packaged in an archive, where you will find: comparative measurement data of HTC Butterfly and Apple iPhone 5, separate measurements of Apple iPhone 5, separate HTC Butterfly (standard player) and HTC Butterfly (Poweramp).

Each reader can interpret the transcripts of RMAA measurements as he pleases and to the extent of his knowledge. Personally, I see absolutely nothing on them.

As for other points related to music, the music player with HTC Butterfly is exactly the same as in the HTC One X. That is, there are icons for all music-related programs on the main screen of the player and then the classic HTC proprietary music player, if you choose to view file system smartphone.

HTC Sense 4.1

The smartphone runs Android 4.1 OS and HTC Sense 4.1 is used as the interface.

Among the innovations are smoother and faster scrolling of screens, the presence of Google Assistant (a feature of Android 4.1), quick transition from the camera to the pictures taken and all the changes characteristic of Android 4.1. And I can’t help but mention the HTC Butterfly feature aptly noted by Zhenya Vildiaev on Twitter: “the 4x4 grid on a 5" screen stings, of course...” There’s really nothing to add here, which prevented the developers from making at least a 4x5 grid, but in a good way it looked nice Let's face it, 4x6. Did HTC really need to spend so many man-hours adding functionality that is by default in most custom firmware for Android and even in third-party shells that they decided not to even bother?

Conclusion

There were no complaints about the quality of signal reception during two days of testing. The volume of the speaker in the device is at a good level, significantly above average, so I talked on the phone for two days with the volume set to the middle of the scale, the speaker is a little louder than average, but I can’t call it very loud, there are smartphones that are louder. The vibration during calls is average, you can’t call it completely unnoticeable, but I wouldn’t call it powerful either.

Of course, after a couple of days of using the device it is impossible to form a complete impression of it, in a good way, this should have been the first glance, but I wanted to get to know the HTC Butterfly literally from the day it was introduced in Japan, and every day this desire grew. So, when the opportunity arose to get my hands on it, I still decided to write a full review, albeit with a number of simplifications. Based on the results of this short acquaintance with HTC Butterfly, I want to note its main strengths and weaknesses (subjectively).

pros:

• Gorgeous display in every way
• Moderately large dimensions, good body shape, relatively small width
• Fresh, interesting design
• Excellent speed
• Still Sense (but with every six months it is losing ground, I must admit)

Minuses:

• The “shovel” dimensions can’t be avoided if you need a 5” screen
• Only 16 GB of internal memory without the possibility of increasing this amount
• Stupid plug for the microUSB connector (I want to tear it off right away)
• Battery life less than a day

As you can see, the pros and cons are almost equally divided, and everyone decides for himself (if his pros and cons at least roughly coincide with mine) what is more important to him: a cool design and screen or the absence of a microSD slot, high speed work, or less than a day of battery life, and so on. For me, HTC Butterfly is notable, first of all, not for its characteristics, although they are certainly attractive, but for the presence of some kind of spark. While I was using this device as my main phone, I managed to catch myself thinking that I was interested in “tinkering” with it, I immediately wanted to customize it for myself and no longer remove the main SIM card from there. Around the same days, by the way, I bought myself an e-book Barnes and Noble Simple Touch with GlowLight and experienced literally childish delight from it - I really liked the simplicity of this book, its brevity, the same with the HTC Butterfly. Delight from something new - that’s how I can describe my feelings from the new HTC smartphone, and this, it seems to me, is the most important advantage of the new product - it can hook you, “fall in love with itself,” if you allow me to use this phrase here.

P.S. And now - the most important thing. The appearance of HTC Butterfly in Russia is still in doubt; the Russian office of the company wants to bring the device, but there are unresolved issues, and it is not yet clear whether sales of this model will eventually begin. If HTC Butterfly does go on sale, it will probably cost 30,000 rubles at launch. Despite the company's understanding of the market, and in particular the current situation with prices for some Samsung models, HTC is unlikely to set the price lower at the start. We, the users, can also have some influence on the company's final decision in this matter. To do this, it is enough for each of us to simply, briefly, and succinctly express our opinion regarding HTC Butterfly in the comments under this review. You can say what you like about it and what you don’t, whether you consider this device as your future smartphone or not, if you do, then why, if not, then also why?

Description:

• Class: smartphone
• Form factor: monoblock
• Competitors: Apple iPhone 5, Samsung Galaxy S III, Samsung Galaxy Note II
• Case materials: matte plastic
• Operating system: Android 4.1, HTC Sense 4.1 proprietary interface
• Network: GSM/EDGE, UMTS/HSDPA, LTE
• Processor: Quad-core 1.5 GHz based on Qualcomm APQ8064 platform
• RAM: 2 GB
• Storage: ~14 GB (also 25 GB of storage on dropbox.com)
• Interfaces: Wi-Fi (a/b/g/n/), Bluetooth 4.0 (A2DP), microUSB connector (USB 2.0) for charging/synchronization, 3.5 mm for headset, HDMI (via microUSB), DLNA
• Screen: capacitive, Super LCD 3.5” with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels (FullHD), automatic backlight level adjustment
• Camera: 8 MP with autofocus, video recorded in 1080p resolution (1920x1080 pixels), LED flash (works as a flashlight), 2.1 MP front camera for photo and video shooting and video calls (1080p video)
• Navigation: GPS (A-GPS support), Glonass
• Additionally: accelerometer, light sensor, proximity sensor, FM radio
• Battery: removable Li-Pol with a capacity of 2020 mAh
• Dimensions: 143 x 70.5 x 9.1 mm
• Weight: 140 g.

Artem Lutfullin ()

Using his example, you can see new design ideas, as well as other fillings. After all, this is the first device from HTC that came to us with FullHD screen resolution. In general, screens with a high dot density and large diagonals will become the hallmark of all new smartphones this year. The device itself was presented at the end of 2012, and soon HTC One was announced. This happened, albeit not immediately, but still in a fairly short time, which is unlikely to please those who are used to choosing a smartphone for themselves long term. But at the same time, lovers of constant upgrades will be satisfied, there is plenty to choose from within model range favorite manufacturer.

The characteristics of HTC Butterfly are as follows. There is a 5-inch FullHD screen, a 4-core 1.5 GHz processor, 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB of internal memory, a convenient HTC Sense shell and an original design of a device that is unlike anything else. In addition, there is a capacious battery, which inspires hope that the smartphone will not discharge before our eyes. Thus, it turns out to be a flagship, but in a very short term, because sales of the HTC One, which replaced the Butterfly, are already beginning.

Equipment:

• smartphone


• headset


• USB cable


• power unit


• SIM card ejector

Design

HTC is not shy about experimenting with design, although any drastic changes come to the line of smartphones infrequently. Butterfly is a clear example of the fact that we were tired of exploiting the ideas contained in , so we decided to try something new. How successful was this format?

First of all, we have to note with some sadness that there is an abundance of glossy plastic here. The disadvantages of this solution are obvious: the gloss gets scratched, gets dirty, and does not feel like an expensive coating. But the smartphone looks good in advertising photos.

The assembly is, as usual, at a high level, no complaints, the quality is excellent. The structure is monolithic and unified, everything is tightly packed. If the back surface had been replaced with something else, the experience would have been even better. And this despite the fact that there is a modification with soft-touch coating. Why the company chose gloss, which we don’t really like, is unclear.

The device itself is quite thin, although it does not pretend to be a standard in its class: 141 x 70.5 x 9.08 mm, weight 138 g. Thus, the 5-inch device is perceived as a completely balanced device for its size. Moderately large and not very heavy.

Interestingly, the smartphone turned out to be multi-colored; black and red are combined here. We have already seen something similar from HTC; usually, music series models with Beats Audio were distinguished by this. To my taste, this version looks good, not as boring as a plain one.

At the top, attention is drawn to the oblong cutout, in which the speaker, highlighted in red, is located. Next to it is the front camera and a set of sensors.

There is also a light indicator notifying about various events. Interestingly, it is also duplicated on the back of the case, so the indication of new notifications will always be noticeable, regardless of how the smartphone is lying.

At the bottom there are three touch buttons with backlight and vibration, which can be turned off if desired.

The power key is located at the top end and located exactly in the center. The solution is controversial; in a long phone, this method of controlling the device will not be convenient for everyone; you have to stretch out your fingers on your palm. At the top there is a compartment for microSIM, a 3.5 mm headphone jack and a second microphone hole.

The sides of the smartphone are distinguished by inserts made of red plastic, which has a relief texture. This allows you to hold the device more securely in your hand without fear of accidentally dropping it. On the right is the volume button, on the left there is nothing.

The microUSB connector is located at the bottom end. It is closed with a plug, which was not held very tightly on the test sample, not completely closing the connector. It should have either been done differently, or removed altogether, but otherwise it gets in the way more than it helps.

The back is smooth and glossy, the realm of fingerprints and dust. At the top is the camera lens, which is flush with the body; it does not protrude above the surface, forming an almost smooth plane. It is decorated with a bright red ring. The stylized Beats Audio logo stands out at the bottom. Since the structure is not dismountable, it is impossible to list any other elements; the details end there.

Screen

The screen is of excellent quality, it continues the line of wonderful displays that have delighted the HTC One X and its analogues, in particular, since last year. The surface is protected by Gorilla Glass 2, the display is called Super LCD 3, its qualities are comparable to IPS matrices. There are great viewing angles here, very good behavior in the sun, so you can go for a walk and at the same time read messages on social networks.

The diagonal has become even larger, here it is 5 inches and the resolution is 1080x1920 pixels, which this season has become distinctive feature all flagship models on the market. With a very high pixel density of 441 PPI, there is simply no graininess or poor-quality image to speak of, the picture is perfect. Another thing is that it will be very difficult to feel the difference with a high-quality HD screen.

During direct comparison with Sony Xperia ZL is easy to feel the difference; it’s immediately clear who is the leader in image quality.

Software

The smartphone has proprietary HTC Sense 4+ software, which hides Android 4.1.1. The role of the processor is assigned to the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro chip with a frequency of 1.5 GHz and Adreno 320 graphics. 2 GB of RAM ensure smooth operation of applications, but there is very little of its own memory in the device. There are only 16 GB, part of which is used for system needs. Be that as it may, for a top-level model this storage capacity is very meager; here I would like to see at least twice as much or a slot for a card. After all, only 11 GB remains for the user, a very modest figure for a top-end device, especially considering low prices as a keepsake. True, there is a model for Japan equipped with a microSD compartment, but this version is not supplied to us. As usual, 25 GB are allocated in the Dropbox cloud, but ours is by no means fast mobile internet this doesn't seem like a viable solution to the memory problem.

The productivity itself is at a high level, now there are already more powerful models, however, there are no questions about Butterfly either. The menu works quickly, there are no delays, and using the device is a pleasure.

Interface

The shell belongs to the previous generation, this is due to the release new version Sense, which is currently only available for the One model. Whether something similar will appear for Butterfly is still unknown. I think that HTC will encourage people to buy new smartphones, leaving current devices in their current state.

The lock screen displays a ring that can be pulled in any direction, thus opening access to the menu. At the same time, shortcuts or folders from the desktop appear there, displayed at the very bottom. This allows you to quickly launch the most necessary functions without unnecessary steps. At the same time, you won’t be able to set programs at your own discretion; the icons only duplicate those on the main screen.

Up to seven work zones are created in the menu; unnecessary screens can be removed, thus making it quite convenient to customize everything for yourself. Folders with icons are created and widgets are added. As usual, there are several design styles, plots are provided, and wallpaper is specified. The menu is three-dimensional, beautiful, scrolls through quickly and smoothly, it’s a pleasure to watch.

Telephone part

The book allows you to display data from different social networks, combining different sources into one list. You can also remove unnecessary information. As usual, the number of fields is very large, the new contact receives a variety of data, including different types of phone numbers, email addresses, instant communication tools and other useful data. The numbers are divided into groups and individual signals are assigned to them.

Calls are highlighted in a separate section, where calls of different types are marked with multi-colored icons. The list is general, the data is a long list. The smartphone has a convenient virtual keyboard with a quick search function by numbers or contacts. Fast dialing is provided.

The messages menu is interesting because it offers options for scaling fonts, and also allows you to create a group of SMS messages “hidden” from prying eyes, where you can store some personal data. Text can be easily transformed into MMS if you add media data to it. The HTC keyboard is very comfortable, and this device also has a large screen, which is perfect for typing text. It offers not only intelligent input, when the smartphone automatically corrects typos and displays ready-made word options for typing, but also an accelerated printing method. In this case, you can type messages using a stroke, this is familiar from Swype, which appeared several years ago.

There are two applications available for working with email. The first one can only work with Gmail; this mailbox is configured automatically when you enter your account information after turning on the smartphone. The second one collects letters from other mail services. The phone normally understands various encodings, supports downloading attachments, and can also send various data itself.

Applications

The calendar displays events for the day, week or month. There is a sound notification, a repeat mode is set, and events are created indicating additional properties.

You can create several alarms, select a repeat mode for them, set a sound alert, combining vibration and sound. The time is displayed in different time zones, there is a stopwatch and a timer.

The calculator has all the necessary functions.

The standard Google application store offers a wide range of useful programs.

Youtube is used to watch videos.

News and weather data are displayed in a separate program.

The voice recorder records sounds.

The flash will act as a flashlight.

Access to Facebook and Google+ is carried out using special applications.

Google Talk chat installed.

Data search is running.

A separate application shows the stock price.

Various tasks are created indicating the priority of actions. Evernote is integrated, so the text can always be supplemented with graphics or sound.

The time is displayed in different time zones.

There is a timer and stopwatch.

A separate application from HTC brings together Accounts from different social networks into one section.

The file browser can also work with cloud services. As usual, Dropbox stores up to 25 GB, which the user can manage at their discretion. Every smartphone buyer will have them at their disposal.

Camera

The smartphone has an integrated 8-megapixel module with BSI (i.e. back illumination), which is equipped with autofocus and LED flash. The only way to quickly start shooting is to use the shortcut on the lock screen. Otherwise, you will have to look for the icon in the menu, because there is no separate key to launch the application. Shooting starts almost at lightning speed, you just need to touch the icon and drag it into a circle on the lock screen, after which literally in one second the viewfinder will appear. On the left is a quick settings menu with key functions like flash, switching to front camera. There is a zoom bar on the right; digital zoom will work with it. At the same time, the effects menu is activated from here, and you can quickly go to the gallery. It also starts photo or video shooting depending on your needs.

Camera settings:

Timer: 2, 5, 10 seconds.

Aspect ratio: 16:9 or 4:3.

Video quality: 176x144 pixels, 320x240 pixels, 640x480 pixels, 1280x720 pixels, 1920x1080 pixels.

Exposure, saturation, contrast, sharpness.

ISO: auto, 100, 200, 400, 800.

White balance: auto, incandescent, fluorescent, daylight, cloudy.

Serial shooting.

Touch shooting, face detection, auto smile detection.

Geotagging, automatic photo uploading to Flickr, burst shooting, photo creation while recording video.

Video recording: stabilizer, sound off.

Shooting scenes.

Effects.

The photo quality is very good, HTC Butterfly can outperform its classmates in certain situations, for example, this is due to shooting in low light, macro or HDR. Detailing, color rendition, image clarity - all this is at a very decent level. I think this is one of the best smartphone cameras available today. And those who care about photo quality should pay special attention to the HTC smartphone.

Gallery Pictures are divided into categories. There will be files that are stored in Facebook, Flickr, Dropbox, Picasa or Skydrive. You can also create hidden albums that no one will know about except the smartphone owner. A slide show starts with music, pictures are easy to transfer different ways: via Bluetooth, in social media or using installed programs. They are also used as wallpaper or contact photo. The photo editor has also not been forgotten, where you can apply different effects to your photos if you wish. In addition to photos, support for video formats is announced: 3gp, .mp4, .wmv, .avi. The set is not the largest, say, a smartphone simply cannot play mkv without an additional player. Therefore, it is better to install a separate player for this purpose. But due to the fact that there is not so much memory in the phone, 13 GB for video is quite small by modern standards; a 5-inch FullHD smartphone is not particularly interesting as a means for watching movies. Although the display itself is of excellent quality, the device could act as a portable video hub, but due to the limitations of the built-in memory, it is not particularly noteworthy in this aspect. Music The player offers not only a music player, but also a number of other audio applications. For example, an application for recognizing music, Internet radio is added here, and later it is possible to transfer some of your programs so that everything is at hand. You can see the track cover, media information, a music playlist is created, the song is used as a ringtone. If a song or album does not have an image, you can add one using the built-in function; it will be downloaded from the Internet. The device does not have an equalizer as such; it only offers the Beats Audio option, with which you can automatically change settings while listening to music. It only works with connected headphones. It offers a convenient widget that is displayed on the lock screen. It makes it convenient to switch songs. The sound quality is good, although not the best on the market. But a smartphone can easily replace a separate player, especially if the owner of the phone replaces the simple included headphones with something more outstanding. Radio The receiver can search for stations automatically, supports RDS and audio playback mode through a speaker. Browser To access the Internet, you use both the built-in application and Chrome, which is pre-installed on the smartphone. It is convenient because it can synchronize with computers, so all data is easily and quickly transferred from one device to another. At the same time, it can affect the operating time of the smartphone, since it is somewhat power hungry, so it is more effective to use the browser from HTC. In other respects, it is in no way inferior to it and works very quickly, smoothly and stably. Navigation The smartphone uses the standard capabilities of a Google device, offering original maps. Here traffic jams are displayed, routes are indicated that are laid in various ways: for drivers, pedestrians who move on foot or using public transport. There is Street View, where you can see a certain place on the map, photographed by Google cars. Maps work offline in different countries world, but for this you need to first save them in the phone’s memory. Connection The smartphone operates in GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies 850/900/1800/1900 and WCDMA 900/2100 MHz. There is UBS 2.0 for synchronizing data with a PC. Bluetooth 4.0 allows you to transfer data and also work with the phone in conjunction with stereo headsets. There is NFC, Wi-Fi 802.11n with modem and access point modes. Battery The smartphone has a non-replaceable battery with a capacity of 2020 mAh. The battery lasts for a day of work, from morning to evening the device can withstand an average load. In total, this turns out to be about 3.5 hours of active screen time. In case of intensive use of the device, for example, in navigator mode or searching for information on the Internet, the phone will have to be charged more often. But overall the situation is not bad, the model behaves at the same level as the HTC One X+, but here the diagonal is larger, the resolution is higher, and the hardware is even more powerful. That is, at least you won’t have to sacrifice battery life. This is probably not so bad, although of course you want your smartphone to work all day in active mode on one charge, but now only a few are capable of this. Conclusion The smartphone has an average vibration alert and not the loudest speaker. The melody can be heard in most situations, but on the street you can miss a call. Compared to the announced HTC One, Butterfly's position looks much less confident. The difference in price between them is not so great, but at the same time there is significant progress in materials and filling in the new model. You won’t have to pay that much extra for a more interesting device, given the high status of both smartphones. I think that Butterfly's position could have been more outstanding if HTC had decided to supply us with a version with matte plastic, and at the same time with a memory card. Now many are frozen in anticipation of the HTC One, which certainly turned out to be a more attractive option at a similar price. The fate of HTC Butterfly will be the same as that of a butterfly: life for one summer, in this case a season. With a price of 25-30 thousand rubles, the phone has many competitors, primarily the HTC One, which is about to go on sale to replace the Butterfly. We must not forget about the beautiful and more practical version of the Xperia ZL. The Samsung Galaxy S4 will also be sold. HTC created a beautiful, albeit not entirely practical smartphone. The lack of a memory card slot, the relatively small volume of built-in storage and the glossy body can become significant limitations when choosing. At the same time, one cannot help but note a certain charm, convenient proportions for a 5-inch gadget, good performance, a camera and a screen that can easily be called one of the best in its class. © Alexander Pobyvanets, Test laboratory Article publication date: April 17, 2013

The HTC Butterfly S has better characteristics compared to the HTC One, but the build of the smartphone is somewhat inferior. If the performance of a gadget is most important to you, this model will suit you perfectly.

The device is aimed primarily at the Asian market, and is an updated 5-inch smartphone. The device is equipped with a fast quad-core processor (1.9 GHz), an Ultrapixel camera (which can also be found on the HTC One), and a powerful (3,200 mAh) battery. Although the phone looks a bit similar to its predecessor, the original HTC Butterfly, the developers have breathed new life into it with front-facing speakers and new Android versions Jelly Bean and Sense UI.

Design

As mentioned above, HTC Butterfly S is not too different in appearance from the previous model. The design of the device remains largely unchanged, with the exception of the addition of front-facing BoomSound speakers. This is a nice design innovation from HTC, as the sound is now directed straight towards the user, rather than coming from behind or to the sides, where it can sound muffled.

Speaking of dimensions, it should be noted that the phone is 10.6 mm thick, and given its large size this is very noticeable. The device weighs 160 grams, which is also above average, but the device cannot be called too heavy. In truth, it looks more bulky than most users would like.

Screen

As noted above, the HTC Butterfly S comes with a large 5-inch LCD3 display with a resolution of 1080x1920 pixels. The screen is very sharp and displays details clearly, and the pixel density reaches 441 per inch. You won't see any annoying jagged icons around the edge of the image or blurry text.

Users immediately appreciated the rich and vibrant colors on this display. They are not very voluminous compared to AMOLED screens, but the image quality is very high.

The HTC Butterfly S's display isn't too bright. Its peak brightness reaches 360 nits, which is great for indoor use, but it will put a little extra strain on your eyes when you're viewing it outdoors.

The viewing angles are simply fabulous. Colors don't fade even when you tilt the phone at the most extreme angles.

Control

Another feature due to which the HTC 901e Butterfly S has received positive reviews is the presence of three standard control buttons. This makes it easy to return to the original menu by pressing once Home button, located in the center, and switch between running applications without problems and waste of time.

Slots for micro-SIM and cards are located at the top of the device under the cover. The design of the smartphone may lead to the assumption that accessing the MicroSD card may be difficult, however, this visual assessment is erroneous. The slot is spring loaded, so you won't have any problem removing the card. The power button is located next to the port, and it can also be used as an IR blaster, allowing you to remotely control the TV.

The body of the smartphone is smoothly curved, allowing it to fit perfectly into the palm. Unlike the flagship One, the HTC Butterfly S is made of glossy plastic. Therefore, it is not surprising that the phone becomes covered in smudges and fingerprints after prolonged use.

Applications and services

Butterfly S is the first HTC phone to come with Android 4.2.2 pre-installed. JellyBean, although it still runs on the 5 UI. Added some minor options that relate to operation operating system, in particular, screen lock settings.

You get access to quick settings- Daydream, as well as the battery percentage indicator in the status bar. BlinkFeed has also been improved with the ability to import feeds from WeChat and Instagram.

HTC Butterfly S 919d also includes several of these useful applications, like a calendar, email service, music player (no separate video player), note pad and weather forecast.

Functionality and memory

The basic functionality is very good. The phone book is fairly quick to access, as well as syncing contacts, quickly accessing call log, favorites and dial buttons.

The HTC Butterfly S 901s has 16GB of internal storage, which may not be enough if you're used to storing a lot of multimedia files. Fortunately, the smartphone has a MicroSD slot for adding a memory card.

Internet and connections

The device is equipped full set services for wired and wireless connections- Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, DLNA, HDMI, LTE, as well as NFC (which was not present in the previous model). Unfortunately, the smartphone does not have the waterproof properties that the original HTC Butterfly was equipped with, which can be classified as a significant drawback.

HTC Butterfly S comes pre-installed with its own browser, as well as mobile version Chrome from Google. Both are exclusively good apps, but HTC Browser has one key advantage - support Adobe Flash. The browser also supports allowing you to search for words on a page and easily switch between full and mobile versions of sites. You can also save articles to read later and even view entire pages offline. Unsurprisingly, it all works amazingly quickly and smoothly - just a small swipe of your fingers is all it takes to zoom in and out, and scrolling is instantaneous.

Camera

Instead of the 8-megapixel camera that was present on the previous model, the Butterfly S has a 4-megapixel Ultrapixel camera with f2.0 aperture and a BSI sensor. You'll be able to take good photos in low light, but strong compression algorithms tend to blur details.

However, the shooting looks much better on video. HTC camera Butterfly S records videos with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels and a frequency of 30 frames per second. Noise can be noticeable even when shooting in broad daylight, but colors look vibrant.

Autofocus turns on very quickly - the phone instantly changes the focus of objects nearby and far away. You can also choose how to lock focus before shooting. You can also take 1-megapixel still photos while recording videos. The device provides good sound quality during filming.

Just like the HTC One, the Butterfly S has the ability to automatically display events in the gallery. There is also a 2.1-megapixel front-facing camera, which can be put to good use for video conferencing.

Specifications

Thanks to the phone being equipped with a quad-core (1.9 GHz) Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor, the Butterfly S is slightly faster compared to the HTC One (which uses the same chip but with clock frequency 1.7 GHz). Testing showed that the gadget processes commands slightly faster than the Samsung Galaxy S4, which uses the same 1.9 GHz processor.

The HTC Butterfly S battery has a capacity of 3,200 mAh, which allows it to work without recharging for a day and a half with moderate use. The smartphone was tested by specialists using standard settings, using two email accounts, Facebook and Twitter accounts and regularly making calls.

Multimedia

The large and bright 5" 1080p display is a big advantage when viewing videos and pictures, and the front stereo speakers are loud and clear great sound when watching movies and listening to music.

The built-in media player opens easily and plays almost all file formats, with the exception of Divx/Xvid-encoded movies - they are not supported on standard settings. However, in Google Play You can find a huge variety of players to correct this shortcoming (MX player is one of the best known offerings).

The music player is developed by HTC and offers a user-friendly interface and high quality. By default, the app displays your library, which is divided into two columns sorted by albums, artists, songs, and so on.

Advantages

As the HTC Butterfly S review shows, the smartphone boasts a capacious 3,200 mAh battery, providing long-term trouble-free operation, powerful processor and an excellent screen. Its camera performs well in low-light conditions, and its MicroSD slot offers the option to add more storage.

Flaws

The glossy plastic used to make the HTC Butterfly S's body will attract a lot of fingerprints and smudges. However, this cannot be called a serious drawback of the gadget - there are cases for sale for the HTC Butterfly S itself different types. A much more serious disadvantage is the shortcomings of its design.

Thus, the phone is not waterproof, unlike its predecessor. Moreover, HTC firmware Butterfly S is not overly high quality.

Conclusion

There's no doubt that the HTC Butterfly S, priced under $300, is a pretty good phone. While its design isn't exactly new or exciting, it's worth a look due to its more powerful hardware specs than the flagship HTC One, albeit at a slightly higher price.

However, many would agree that design should play an important role in smartphones. In addition, gadgets in this price category must be manufactured using high-quality materials such as aluminum and glass.

At the same time, the Butterfly S is available in three bright colors, which somewhat tones down its uninteresting design.