I began following the HTC since it was first getting leaked that HTC was staging a comeback, and the HTC One was going to be their flagship device. I''m someone that always likes to jump on board with the latest and greatest and so I tried out the HTC One shortly after it came out. Despite my initial excitement and some positive aspects to the device and the software, I ultimately ended up returning it. I''ve tried to highlight the pros and cons below that led to my decision.Pros- Fantastic build quality: This is what an Android phone should be built like and it just feels fantastic to the touch. High quality materials all around - save for a few bands of plastic for the cellular and Wifi radios. Holding this in 1 hand and the SGS4 in the other makes it readily apparent which company went the extra mile to build something that feels solid in the hand.- Excellent screen: The color reproduction is by far the more accurate out of the recent crop of android devices on the market. I regularly use a color-calibration device on my computer monitors, so I pay particular attention to this. The unit I specifically got has a slight red-shift, but nothing that impairs the overall quality. It''s definitely got more accurate color reproduction than the Samsung Galaxy S4, but some people might like the "richer" more saturated look that the SGS4 provides. Viewing angles are only about okay, but not a big issue for me since I''m the only one that uses this. The 1080p Resolution makes everything crisp and easy to read.- Above-average low-light performance: This phone overall does a better job than most other competitors in terms of low-light performance. I wish I could say it stands above the rest, but Nokia takes top honors in low-light and in terms of mixed lighting scenarios I still think the SGS4 is still a step up. See the cons for more information.- Good camera software: The Zoes feature is pretty cool and is a great way to create little clips or pick out the best image of the lot. It''s easy to share and integrates well with existing social networks. It''s one of the unique software features HTC offers, and is definitely one of the fun highlights that most people I show really enjoy playing with. I just wish it came with a dedicated camera button to make taking pictures a bit easier.- Great built-in speakers: The speakers that are built into the phone sound pretty solid if you''re holding the phone in the standard portrait mode. It''s great for sharing something with a friend when you''re in a more public area and most phone speakers give out. Don''t expect miracles from phone speakers, but as far as phone speakers go they are a step above the rest. The beats software also does some great synthesizer work when you plug in your headphones, though it''s more suitable for current pop and hip-hop music than for other genres.- Blinkfeed: Blinkfeed sort of integrates all of the news you care about into one convenient sliding panel. I tried it for a bit, and while it''s convenient I also feel it was reducing my battery performance (no evidence of this), so I simply chose to ignore it. It''s a great option for those of you that want to pull in information from all of your favorite sites into one area. I don''t think there is a way to remove blinkfeed entirely, you can only choose to ignore it like I did. Still work trying out though!- Includes IR integration: This means the HTC can connect and control your TV, which is pretty handy when you can''t find the remote. It''s pretty basic in terms of the controls you get, but it works well in a pinch.- Solid wifi performance: I have a Asus AC-1750 802.11ac router and tested speeds on file transfers and media playback with the HTC One and it came through with flying colors. I was easily able to transfer a 1080p MKV movie file of around a few gigs in size in minute or 2. It''s not as quick as the external 802.11ac adapters I have, but excellent for a phone.Cons- The metal build of this phone means that if it gets dropped it will definitely show some serious battle-scars, paint chipping, and dents. The SGS4, though plastic, does have durability going for it. It''s a shame to feel like you have to invest in a case since it''s such a good looking device, but I just don''t feel safe about using this phone outside without one because it''s so easy for someone to bump you accidentally and for this phone to get thrashed. The metal also means this thing heats up quite a bit when you''re doing things like watching movies/tv or playing a game.- Camera is just not that great overall: The camera integrates what HTC is calling ultra-pixels, which are basically a smaller number of bigger pixels to capture more light. While this is a fine solution to capture more light and give you better low-light performance, it''s not the best choice for when you do have plenty of light or even moderate light. Frankly, I just didn''t think the images were that great, and the lack of zoom while working with them on your desktop becomes readily apparent - especially if you like to crop your shots after taking them like I do. I personally think Nokia''s implementation of using a ridiculously large megapixel sensor and combining multiple pixels to oversample is the better solution. Take a look at the new Nokia 1020 sample images and compare to see for yourself. If I had to buy a Android phone today and wanted the best overall camera - my nod goes to the SGS4.- Average battery life: While the capacity seems decent for a phone, because of the higher resolution and larger screen I''ve been seeing very average to poor battery life results. I''ve used it mainly on my daily commute, which involves listening to Pandora to and from work, checking gmail very regularly throughout the day, and using the calendar and GPS functions frequently. I do watch a tv show during the afternoon sometimes if I''m on the go, and make about a hour or 2 worth of phone calls a day. Put simply, I''ve bought a external battery pack and a spare charger with me everyday that I had this phone because if I wanted to go out after work I could not trust the HTC One to make it through. Every HTC device I''ve tried has had middling battery life, from the HTC Sensation to the HTC One X. It seems HTC hasn''t changed much here, and it''s a shame because the battery is sealed in, so I''m not at all confident about battery degradation over time.- No expandable storage: The 32gb that''s built into this phone, with a fair amount used up for the HTC software, just isn''t enough for power users. I load on a good deal of my own music and I used to just swap out movies and tv shows onto a microSD card slot to take on the go (thanks to data caps ruining the fun of streaming them on the go). I think 32gb will be fine for most people, but not having the option to expand like the SGS4 or Sony models just puts HTC one step below.- Still some lag: This phone has some really fast internals, and does indeed run very smoothly most of the time. Unfortunately, there are still those moments of slow-down and lag that have plagued Android handsets for a while that I at least still notice. This isn''t going to be a 100% smooth experience, but it''s not enough to severely impact the daily use of this phone. Just wanted to mention that it still is there for those of you that care.- Poor button placement: The power button is along the top part of the phone because it''s integrated with the IR blaster, meaning it can be pretty hard to reach for those with smaller hands. Moreover, HTC decided to break the Android standard and include only the back and home button with a big non-functional htc logo in the middle. I can''t tell you how many times I''ve pushed the logo expecting to go home, and this is something my friends have done too when playing with the phone. It''s just a poor design decision.Ultimately for me the most important aspects of a phone are camera performance, screen quality, and battery life. In terms of camera-performance the HTC One is just not as good as the competition, and I cannot recommend buying it for the ultra-pixel (4MP) camera when there are better options available today and coming out soon. Screen quality on this phone is probably the best you can get in nearly all regards. And the battery-life is just something that on day-1 isn''t good enough for me on what I consider moderate usage. Overall, if I had to own this phone for a few years, I wouldn''t feel too happy about it. While the screen quality will hold up over time, the camera performance is already behind the competition and the battery life will only get worse as the battery degrades over time. I''m glad HTC is staging a comeback and this is a great first-step, but it''s still got some work to do before I can recommend their devices for long-term ownership and satisfaction.