In 2012 HTC cut its lineup to three models under the common One brand, a response to criticism of its "diluted" range. The One became HTC's best-known flagship brand.
2012: One X, One S, One V
| Model | Codename | Display | Chip | Features | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| One X | Endeavor | 4.7" 720p SLCD2 | Tegra 3 (4 cores) / Snapdragon S4 (LTE, One XL/AT&T) | Polycarbonate unibody, ImageSense (f/2.0, 8 MP), Beats, Sense 4 | |
| One X+ | Enrc2b | 4.7" 720p | Tegra 3 1.7 GHz | 64 GB, 2100 mAh, Android 4.1 | |
| One S | Ville | 4.3" qHD AMOLED | Snapdragon S4 1.5 GHz | 7.8 mm, micro-arc oxidation of the body (black "ceramic"), T-Mobile | |
| One V | Primo | 3.7" WVGA | Snapdragon 1 GHz | Aluminum, Legend-style "chin" | |
| EVO 4G LTE | Jet | 4.7" 720p | Snapdragon S4 | Sprint variant of the One X with a kickstand and microSD | |
| Droid DNA | Deluxe | 5.0" 1080p | Snapdragon S4 Pro | Verizon, the first 1080p display on the US market (November 2012); in Asia, the [[other-phones | HTC Butterfly]] |
2013: HTC One (M7)
Announced on February 19, 2013. An all-aluminum unibody with a zero gap, a 4.7" 1080p SLCD3 (468 ppi), a 1.7 GHz Snapdragon 600, 2 GB of RAM and 32/64 GB of storage. The main innovations:
- UltraPixel: a 4 MP camera with 2.0 µm pixels and optical stabilization; a bet on light sensitivity instead of megapixels.
- BoomSound: two front-facing stereo speakers with amplifiers.
- Zoe: 3-second "live photos" and automatic video stories (Video Highlights).
- BlinkFeed: a news feed on the Sense 5 home screen.
- An IR port in the power button (a TV remote).
It won the "Best Smartphone" title at MWC 2014 (GSMA Global Mobile Awards), but sales of about 5 million did not save HTC. Variants: the One mini (4.3", Snapdragon 400), One max (5.9", fingerprint scanner on the back, October 2013), One Google Play Edition and One Dual SIM.
2014: HTC One (M8)
Announced on March 25, 2014 and on sale the same day. A 5.0" 1080p display, a 2.3 GHz Snapdragon 801, 2 GB of RAM, microSD (back again), a 2600 mAh battery, a body that is 90% metal, and a curved back. The Duo Camera adds a second camera for a depth map (the UFocus/bokeh effect), with UltraPixel retained. Motion Launch (wake gestures), Sense 6 and Extreme Power Saving. Considered the best HTC on the strength of its reviews. Variants: the One (M8) for Windows (Verizon, then AT&T/T-Mobile), One mini 2, One (M8) Eye (13 MP Duo, Asia), the One (E8), a plastic version, the One (M8) Harman/Kardon (Sprint), the One (M8) Google Play Edition, and the One (M8s) (2015, Snapdragon 615, 13 MP).
2015: HTC One M9
March 2015 (MWC). The design barely changed ("two-tone" metal), with a 5.0" 1080p display, the Snapdragon 810, notorious for overheating and throttling, 3 GB of RAM, a 20 MP Toshiba camera (instead of UltraPixel on the back; UltraPixel moved to the front), BoomSound with Dolby Audio, and Sense 7 with themes. Sales collapsed and HTC wrote off inventory. Variants: the One M9+ (5.2" QHD, MediaTek Helio X10, Duo Camera, fingerprint scanner; Asia), One M9+ Supreme Camera, One ME, One E9/E9+ (plastic, MediaTek) and One M9s.
2015: HTC One A9
October 2015. A 5.0" AMOLED 1080p display, a Snapdragon 617, a 13 MP camera with OIS, a fingerprint scanner in the home button, and Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box (the first non-Nexus). It earned the nickname "iPhone 6 clone"; HTC objected that it had invented antenna bands on metal itself (the One M7). In 2016 came the One A9s (MediaTek).
2016: HTC 10
April 2016. The "One" brand was dropped: simply the HTC 10 (codename Perfume). A 5.2" QHD Super LCD5, a Snapdragon 820, 4 GB of RAM, a 12 MP UltraPixel 2 camera with OIS and laser autofocus, OIS on the front camera as well (a first), BoomSound Hi-Fi (a tweeter on top plus a woofer on the bottom), USB-C, Quick Charge 3.0, and Sense 8 "Freestyle Layout". The camera scored 88 on DxOMark, on par with the Galaxy S7 (a record at the time). Variants: the HTC 10 Lifestyle (Snapdragon 652) and the HTC 10 evo (the Bolt on Sprint in the US, IP57, no 3.5 mm jack).
Why the One Ended
After the HTC 10, the company moved to the HTC U Series (2017–2024) brand (U Ultra, U11), abandoning the metal unibody in favor of "Liquid Surface" glass.