HTC One Mini 2 hands-on show its sleek looks and missing features

BY Rita El Khoury

Published 15 May 2014

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HTC’s miniature flagship, the One Mini 2, was announced earlier this morning with a Snapdragon 400 processor, 1GB of RAM, a 13MP camera, HTC Sense 6, and a metallic body reminiscent in look and feel of the HTC One (M8). Below are a few must-watch videos of the first hands-on with the HTC One Mini 2.

The first video comes to us courtesy of PocketNow, and goes through a quick overview oh the phone’s specs, followed by a hardware tour and a comparison against the M8. It is there revealed that while the Mini 2 looks eerily similar to the M8, it does have a polycarbonate plastic rim around the sides, and its screen looks a bit washed out compared to it. However, Michael is quick to point out that his unit is only a pre-production one, and things might change in the final hardware.

AndroidCentral has another quick hands-on video with the Mini 2, where they point out that the phone’s power button has been moved to the top left side, instead of the more traditional right side that everyone has gotten used to. The video also explains how the Mini 2 lacks an IR blaster, but still keeps the Boomsound speakers intact. The problem, when deciding whether to buy this phone or not, should only rise if you consider the full-sized HTC One (M8) too. That would be quite a conundrum, since both devices are similar in size and specs. They are also quite excellent.

AndroidAuthority has a lengthier video with the HTC One Mini 2, where they explain many of the same things mentioned in the videos above, albeit with more details. We learn that the Mini 2 is extremely comfortable to hold, and that the Power button placement shouldn’t be an issue. The video also does a short demo of Blinkfeed, mentions the absence of the Motion Gesture feature introduced with the One (M8), and says that the camera experience should be similar to the bigger sibling. While there is no Duo Camera here, the Mini 2 has the same software camera as the M8, and can do many of the same photo manipulation, except those that involve the Duo setup.

Both GSMArena and PhoneArena have more hands-on videos with the HTC One Mini 2, however they are repetitive with the same details mentioned above. You can find their videos embedded below.

What do you think of the HTC One Mini 2? Would you buy this higher mid-range device for its exquisite looks and not-as-impressive specs, or would you pass on it for something else?