HTC One unveiled in UAE

HTC unveiled its newest flagship smartphone, the HTC One, in Dubai on Sunday, a handset that the technology giant believes will be a “game-changer” in the segment with its innovative features.

By Alvin R. Cabral

Published: Tue 26 Feb 2013, 12:02 AM

Last updated: Sat 4 Apr 2015, 9:40 AM

The New Taipei City-based company also announced a partnership with du, which will see the HTC One offered first and exclusive on the UAE telco and making use of its 4G LTE network.

“We truly have something special here,” Jon French, vice-president of HTC Middle East and Africa, told Khaleej Times on the sidelines of the Press conference. “We at HTC are confident on the support our customers give us, [so we are] looking at aggressive growth in the region.”

The HTC One — codenamed “M7” in its pre-launch phase — runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 1.7GHz processor, 2GB of RAM and the Android Jelly Bean OS. It will come in 32GB and 64GB models.

It features a 4.7-inch, full HD, Gorilla Glass 2 screen and comes with new technologies such as HTC BlinkFeed, a personal live stream on the homescreen; HTC BoomSound, which offers the best audio on a mobile phone today with — for the first time — front-facing stereo speakers and a dedicated amplifier; and a zero-gap aluminium unibody design.

It also comes with the HTC UltraPixel camera, a custom snapper that includes a best-in-class f/2.0 aperture and breakthrough sensor that enables it to gather 300 per cent more light than traditional smartphone cameras. It HTC Zoe feature allows users to shoot photos and easily turn them into a motion gallery.

HTC — which recently split its Emea unit into the Europe and MEA teams — believes that the region’s smartphone market continues to see huge potential.

“The MEA is a huge region, so diverse in terms of the business model,” French said. “You really have to come here to experience it… [and] immerse yourself in it to understand what users want and convey it to the [HTC] team.”

HTC has stressed the importance of the Middle East region, which contributes around 40 per cent to its business.

“Arabic is a part of HTC’s applications, so there is no excuse to delay its launch in the region,” said Mohamed Kais Zribi, HTC Mena regional director. “And hopefully in the future, all HTC products will be available in the region simultaneously with the global launch.”

On market share, French offered a varied view: “We don’t have a market share target; market share in itself — I believe — is not a measure where success is guaranteed.”

The HTC One will be available in the UAE by the last week of March, and the rest of the region a week after. Prices, according to French, will range from Dh2,300 to Dh2,700, depending on the model (LTE/non-LTE) and storage capacity.