Conclusion Get the lowdown
Features How they compare
Performance Real world benchmarks
Differences Technical showdown
Reviews Word on the street
Competition Others to consider
Discussion Answers and opinions

Compare with...

LG Nexus 4
Sony Xperia J
Sony Xperia U
Sony Xperia Sola
HTC Desire X

HTC One V

« Change

HTC Desire S

Change »

from $192

Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
3.5G
3.7"
1 GHz

Released April, 2012

Ergonomically, it feels great and fits the hand very well, while the weight is just right - not too heavy and not too light.

by GSM Arena (Apr, 2012)

from $190

Android 2.3 Gingerbread
3.5G
3.7"
1 GHz

Announced February, 2011

The 800 x 480 pixel panel is incredibly bright when needs be, produces strong vivid colours, has a very high contrast ratio ensuring whites are white and blacks are black rather than shades of grey, is pin sharp and its viewing angles are excellent – there's almost no colour or contrast shift when viewed from even the most acute angle.

Rated 80% by by TrustedReviews (Aug, 2012)

Conclusion Which is better for you?

HTC One V

HTC Desire S

74%

85%

FeaturesView Details

Community RankingView Details

83%

PerformanceView Details

78%

74%

ReviewsView Details

Winner

HTCDesire S

Overall Score

Features Key features of the HTC One V compared to the HTC Desire S

GHz1

Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich 3.5G

Tew/CNET). Measuring 4.74 inches tall by 2.35 inches wide by 0.36 inch thick, this device is tiny enough to use one-handed and slide into pockets without drama.

Rated 70% by by c|net (Jul, 2012)

1 GHz

Android 2.3 Gingerbread 3.5G

The screen is big enough and has broad viewing angles but sunlight legibility is less than perfect.

by GSM Arena (Apr, 2011)

screen size

One V3.7"

Desire S3.7"

On the multimedia front, the smaller screen here means video and games have much less visual impact than on larger models, but given how popular the iPhone's small screen is, we can hardly complain.

One V by TrustedReviews (May, 2012)

While it’s still not as good as a hardware one, it’s the next best thing – the 3.7” screen has enough real estate for big, well-spaced keys, which are easy to hit.

Desire S by GSM Arena (Apr, 2011)

screen resolution

HTC One V

800 x 480 resolution screen

One V 800 x 480 resolution screen

HTC Desire S

800 x 480 resolution screen

Desire S 800 x 480 resolution screen

While the One S and One X are flexing muscle at each other as a way to stay sharp for the invasion of the other predators with multi-core processors and high resolution screens, the One V aims at a less violent market segment - and it's priced accordingly.

One V by GSM Arena (Apr, 2012)

Display resolution is 800x480 and is really good for a 3,7" display, color are vivid and angle view are great (I think this display is IPS).

Desire S by nick88msn (Mar, 2012)

memory

0 GB

Desire S0.75 GB

One V0.5 GB

0.8 GB

processor

HTC One V

Single core

One V Single core

HTC Desire S

Single core

Desire S Single core

I'm talking a massive screen, 4G LTE data where you can get it, plus a nimble dual-core processor...the clear choice for die-hard Android fans.

One V by c|net (Jul, 2012)

Its latest offering is the HTC Desire S that doesn't pack in a headline grabbing dual-core processor, fancy camera, or ginormous screen but is a beautifully made, classy smartphone that should be high on your wish list.

Desire S by TrustedReviews (Aug, 2012)

camera resolution

0 MP

Desire S5 MP

One V5 MP

5 MP

Of course, the One V's 5-megapixel shooter has lower resolution than the 8-megapixel sensors found in many of today's high-end smartphones.

One V by c|net (Aug, 2012)

The HTC Desire S packs a 5MP camera for stills of up to 2592x1952 pixel resolution.

Desire S by GSM Arena (Apr, 2011)

Performance Real world tests of HTC One V vs HTC Desire S

cpu speed

One V1 GHz

Desire S1 GHz

Sure it would be nice if the camera and processor were both a little bit better but overall we've completely fallen for the combination of features on offer here.

One V by TrustedReviews (May, 2012)

After rooting my phone, I installed an app to control the CPU frequency and I have used the phone at 400 MHz and it runs flawlessly.

Desire S by Omar-Garcia (Mar, 2012)

Differences What are the advantages of each

Full specs comparison

HTC One V

Read review

Advantages compared to the Desire S

Significantly newer operating system	Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich	vs	Android 2.3 Gingerbread
Newer Android OS; Get all the latest features and security updates with a more recent version

Has a gyroscope	Yes	vs	No
Somewhat common; Play games and use applications that take advantage of device rotation

Smaller	60 x 120 x 9 mm	vs	60 x 115 x 12 mm
Around 20% smaller

Records higher definition video	1280 x 720 @ 30 fps	vs	1280 x 720 @ Unknown
30x higher definition video

Lighter	115 g	vs	130 g
More than 10% lighter

Thinner	9 mm	vs	12 mm
More than 20% thinner

More highly reviewed by consumers	77.94%	vs	73.79%
Around 10% more highly reviewed by consumers

HTC Desire S

Read review

Advantages compared to the One V

Has a compass	Yes	vs	No
Somewhat common; Great for maps and navigation apps

Has a removable battery	Yes	vs	No
Somewhat common; Old batteries can be replaced inexpensively

Reviews Word on the street

	HTC One V		HTC Desire S
	Rated 90% Read the review (May, 2012) As for messaging, the text messaging and email interfaces are simple but effective.		Rated 80% Read the review (Aug, 2012) There's also GoogleTalk on hand for instant messaging while you get the standard Gmail interface as well as a customised email inbox for any other accounts.

	Rated 80% by 38 users at amazon.com All your music will be crisp and each instrument sounds very independent of the others, which makes it sound like you are sitting in the studio. Rated 100% by by Will-G (Jul, 2012) I love my HTC ONE V!!!GREAT QUALITY AT SUCH A CHEAP PRICE. Rated 100% by by Emil-E. (Apr, 2013) Screen is super sharp and clear. Rated 80% by by Marina-Bekker (Jan, 2013)		Rated 67% by 17 users at amazon.com Desire S camera is very impressive if there is enough lighting around, and it shoots 720p video, which is very crisp. Rated 100% by by RedWolf (Jul, 2011) The screen is incredibly crisp and clear. Rated 80% by by Omar-Garcia (Mar, 2012) AwesomenessAnd as usual in this type of devices, we would like to get longlasting batteries, when I use this phone at it's full capacity the battery just runs for about 6 hours and needs to be recharged again, so I always take with me a spare microUSB cable and the car charger to keep it running for the whole day. Rated 100% by by MAURICIO-VANEGAS-GUERRERO (Aug, 2011)

screen

The display isn't particularly bright and it's obviously pretty reflective so using the Desire S outside on a bright sunny day is not exactly an easy task.

HTC Desire S | by GSM Arena (Apr, 2011)

HTC Desire S supports multi-touch and you can take full advantage of it while browsing your images.

HTC Desire S | by GSM Arena (Apr, 2011)

There’s no trackpad on the HTC Desire S. With the whole interface designed for touchscreen use it was redundant to begin with, probably only usable as a shutter key.

HTC Desire S | by GSM Arena (Apr, 2011)

cpu

Linpack shows the One V trumped by its superior competition - normal given the fact that the One V CPU not only has fewer cores but also uses an older architecture.

HTC One V | by GSM Arena (Apr, 2012)

The HTC Desire S certainly isn't the flag bearer for a new era in super fast smartphones, with it lacking the headline dual-core processor.

HTC Desire S | Rated 80% by by TrustedReviews (Aug, 2012)

The HTC Desire S is powered by the Snapdragon chipset with a 1GHz Scorpion processor and Adreno 205 graphics.

HTC Desire S | by GSM Arena (Apr, 2011)

size

We don't get it - there isn't an issue with the screen estate because the Desire S (among others) has it and its LCD is of the same size.

HTC One V | by GSM Arena (Apr, 2012)

While the HTC Desire S keeps the screen size of the original Desire and even throws in several new features, it manages to fit into an even more compact package.

HTC Desire S | by GSM Arena (Apr, 2011)

gpu

The One V isn't quite the benchmark champion, but then again it was never meant to be.

HTC One V | by GSM Arena (Apr, 2012)

The JavaScript benchmark SunSpider brought better news for the One V as a good performer, as its new JS engine, which comes with ICS helped it outdo the Sensation XE.

HTC One V | by GSM Arena (Apr, 2012)

ram

The HTC One V is nothing special in terms of hardware - the familiar single-core 1 GHz Scorpion processor, which can be traced back to devices such as the Desire S and the Desire HD, the Adreno 205 GPU and 512 MB worth of RAM are hardly anything to write home about.

HTC One V | by GSM Arena (Apr, 2012)