77

Conclusion: We're mixed

The HTC One V may not have the fast processors, 4G LTE connectivity or big displays of its siblings the One X and One S, but that doesn't mean this little One is a slacker. With a 3.7-inch display, 3G/HSPA connectivity, and a passable 5-megapixel camera, it's designed as a budget smartphone, primarily for sale by prepaid and regional carriers. If you're looking for a small, affordable smartphone that runs Android 4.0 and has decent performance on 3G and HSPA data networks, it might be worth considering. However, you should shop around. At $199 contract-free on Virgin Mobile, the One V isn't a bad deal. However, we're not sold on U.S. Cellular's $129 price, which requires a two-year contract, since there are much better options available if you're willing to make a long-term commitment.

Critic reviews

7.5
15 reviews
  • Reception and call quality
    8.1
  • Display
    8.0
  • Battery life
    8.3
  • Camera
    7.0
  • Ease of use
    6.8
  • Design and form factor
    8.1
  • Portability (size / weight)
    8.1
  • Media support
    7.5
  • Durability
    9.4
  • Ecosystem (apps, accessories, etc.)
    7.3

sort by

User reviews

8.4
9 reviews
8.0
Engadget Apr 13, 2012

HTC has established a new bellwether for entry-level phones. Of course, though, that tempting price means having to settle for more limited horsepower.

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8.0
Gizmodo Apr 17, 2012

The HTC One V would make a great mid-range option for someone looking to upgrade an older, clunkier smartphone to something with this year’s newest version of Android.

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7.0
CNET Jul 20, 2012

The HTC One V's premium design is fashionable but demanding Android fans should steer clear of this phone's poor performance.

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7.0
PC Mag Jul 20, 2012

The HTC One V is a good midrange phone. It's very comfortable to use, has a great display, and runs Android 4.0 with some nice additions from HTC Sense.

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8.0
Pocket-Lint Apr 19, 2012

If you're after a more compact Android handset, and as long as you accept it's limitations, it's well worth considering.

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8.0
CNET AU Sep 24, 2012

The HTC One V is definitely one of the better phones in this price category, with a great display, great battery life and a lovely, familiar HTC design.

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7.0
SlashGear Apr 16, 2012

The HTC One V really needed a slight boost in the processor department that would have cemented its position as one of the best entry-level Android smartphones. As it stands ... we wouldn’t feel comfortable recommending it at the prices that have been announced.

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7.0
CNET Asia Apr 16, 2012

The HTC One V is a handset that delivers great value for its low-cost. While it sports good features like the BSI camera and a refreshing take on an old design, the handset is let down by its single-core 1GHz processor which isn't capable of keeping up.

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7.0
CNET UK Apr 24, 2012

The HTC One V is an attractive addition to Android's mid-range. It looks good, feels great, has a reasonable camera and apps aplenty. The con? Slightly sluggish web browsing.

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9.0
TrustedReviews Apr 19, 2012

If you don't have money to burn or want one of the current crop of enormous smartphones, the HTC One V should be top of your shopping list.

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8.0
phoneArena Apr 6, 2012

The smartphone has style and character that few devices in its price category can match, and we are pretty happy with it for the most part.

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8.0
GSM Arena Apr 21, 2012

It's not really all that underpowered. It's just that the pressure of dual-cores may be too much to handle. But then, nothing beats a metal unibody if you want to look cool under pressure.

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7.0
Android Central Apr 17, 2012

The HTC One V isn’t going to blow your head off with bleeding-edge hardware or full-featured software, but if you want a basic Android experience without breaking the bank, it's a dependable all-rounder with one or two outstanding features.

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6.0
TechRadar Feb 26, 2012

The HTC One V is the Jack Donaghy of smartphones; there are lots of good things about it and it thinks it's something pretty special, but in fact there are slimmer, more attractive and better quality phones out there in 2012 that will usurp it before long.

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6.0
PocketNow Apr 12, 2012

With major performance issues in the browser and in other areas of the operating system, we can't help but to not recommend the One V until HTC offers a software update to fix these issues.

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10
Samarthwiz Samarthwiz

This phone has all the perks of high quality phones which cost 600+ however it is lag at points, otherwise I highly recommend this phone to beggining android people, However intermidiate android users would probably want the more advanced HTC One X. This phone could also be used as the phone...

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8.0
whyme09 whyme09

I recently got out of my Sprint contract with the HTV Evo 4G. After buying an extended battery and changing the OS because the phone was lagging with crappy battery life, this One V has given me a new appreciation for Android. For $199 and Virgin Mobile's $35 a month plan for 300 minutes,...

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