Pure Pocket Power Or Pint-Sized Poser? We Review The HTC One Mini 2

It’s not uncommon these days for manufacturers to create a smaller or scaled-down version of their flagship device a few months after the initial release, but don’t be fooled by the word ‘mini’ in the name of the HTC One Mini 2. It isn’t particularly small, nor is it actually a smaller version of the HTC One, but rather the impressive HTC One M8 device revealed last year.

And that becomes obvious by the unmistakable resemblance the device shares with the One M8. It features the curved metal back, the non-removable backplate and “zero gap” design of the M8, albeit in a slightly more compact shell, making it a little easier to slide into your pocket.

Despite the tagline, the Mini 2 also features a pretty impressive 4.5-inch screen – that’s quite large for a ‘mini’ handset.The screen’s resolution of 1,280 x 720 pixels means this is a handset that doesn’t fuzz its text and gives you crisp, clear graphics.

HTC One Mini 2

The impressive specs also extend under the hood, as it features the quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 chipset to provide the driving power for this handset, along with 1GB of RAM. There was no slow-down or lag during use and it handled the everyday tasks with zero interruption.

As for memory, you get 16GB straight out of the box, and because there is no removable back, there is a microSD card slot on the right edge. And of course if you are in need of yet more storage, there’s also a USB On The Go option, allowing other USB devices like a USB flash drive, digital camera, mouse, or keyboard to be attached to the Mini 2.

HTC One Mini 2 camera test

Moving onto the camera, the 13 megapixel offering is one of the most impressive I’ve used in the range of decides, even rivaling that of Nokia’s high-end Lumia range. The images are clear, detailed and capture light better than most other phones of the market. This will definitely do the job, whatever it may be.

Overall the HTC One mini 2 is a surprisingly capable and appealing option in the congested smartphone market these days. It’s solidly made, has a good screen, some nice features, a strong camera and it performs well enough. You’d be mistaken to think this is anything ‘less’ due to its name, as it can compete with the big boys out there in the smartphone arena.

The RRP for the device is R7,699.