HTC One S - Does it have a niche in the Philippine market?

Update article - HTC has finally launched the last of their One series phones in the Philippines,  the HTC One S. The launched was met with excitement the information given was that the Philippines would be getting the HTC One S equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor and Adreno 225 graphics. The dual core "Kraits" can trade blows with the quad core Exynos on the Galaxy S III and is overall faster than the quad-core Tegra 3 on the HTC One X.

Unfortunately, the initial information was wrong and the HTC One S models being sold here comes equipped Qualcomm Snapdragon S3 processor with Adreno 220 graphics. 


Essentially, this makes the One S a slimmer upgraded version of last years HTC Sensation XE. The hardware changes are as follows:

• The Qualcomm S3 in the One S is clocked 200 MHz higher than on the Sensation XE. 
• The One S has a full 1 GB of RAM, 256 MB more than the Sensation XE. 
• Instead of the S-LCD qHD (540 x 960) display on the Sensation, the One S has a qHD Super AMOLED display. 
• The One S has 16 GB of internal storage (about 10 GB user available) while the Sensation XE has 1.1 GB expandable to 33 GB via a Micro SD card.
• Both have 8 MP camera, but the HTC One S has a much better camera.
• The Sensation XE comes with a Beats headset. The One S comes with HTC branded headset. 

While we are disappointed with the Philippines getting the Qualcomm S3 version of the HTC One S, it does have some substantial upgrades over the HTC Sensation XE.

The problem is with a suggested retail price of Php26,990 the price comes really close to Sony's Xperia S. On the shelves the Xperia S will cost you a few hundred less than the One S. An this is a problem. The Xperia S has a 4.3-inch display, like the One S, but the Xperia S is a HD display (720 x 1280). The Xperia S also comes with 32 GB of internal storage, 25 GB of which is user available, which is 2.5x more than the user available storage on the One S.

Last years Galaxy S II actually is also a better choice than the HTC One S. The Galaxy S II outclassed in terms of speed and power, and the HTC Sensation and Sensation XE, and it continues to outclass the One S. The 4.3-inch display on the Galaxy S II is a Super AMOLED Plus display. The 16 GB internal storage in the Galaxy S II is user expandable via a MicroSD card.

At about Php20,000, the HTC One S would be a fair enough proposition, but at Php25,000 to Php26,990 it is just a too expensive for what it offers.