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HTC One Mini 2 review

We wrap our hands around the M8’s smaller brother to find out if smartphone perfection runs in the family

Rating 5 of 5
Esat Dedezade

The HTC One (M8) dethroned the LG G2 as Stuff’s favourite phone in the world, and it’s successfully fended off attacks from the Samsung Galaxy S5 and Sony Xperia Z2. And now it’s got a smaller sibling – the HTC One Mini 2.

As well as being dinkier, its price tag will be considerably lower. So, where are the compromises?

Almost perfect

One glance at the HTC One (M8) is all you need to fall in love with it, and your feelings will only get stronger when you cradle its curved aluminium body in your hands. Thanks to its shared design DNA, it’s a similar experience to the HTC One Mini 2.

Despite its smaller size, the One Mini 2 feels almost identical in weight to the One (M8), if not a little heavier. In reality, it’s actually nearly 20g lighter, so we’re putting it down to the fact that the M8 spreads its weight over a larger area.

Rub your fingers over the surfaces and you begin to notice other subtle differences. The rear plastic accents on the One Mini 2 are raised as opposed to flush, the speaker grilles feel a little rougher and more puckered, and the power and volume buttons aren’t so perfectly enveloped by the chassis as they are on the One (M8).

Rather than machined to minute tolerances, its smooth, cool back panel appears to be pressed from a sheet of metal. The edges of the One Mini 2 are also plastic as opposed to metal.

You’ll only notice these small shortcomings if you search for them – which, of course, we did, because the M8 is so damn near flawless. Even getting close to that makes the One Mini 2 head and shoulders over almost all other Android smartphones.

There are some functional differences between the Mini and the M8, too. The power button has shifted to the left-hand side, which we (being predominantly right-handed) actually prefer, as it’s easier to access with a right index finger. Thankfully the microSD slot hasn’t had the axe, so memory should never be a concern.

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About

Esat has been a gadget fan ever since his tiny four-year-old brain was captivated by a sound-activated dancing sunflower. From there it was a natural progression to a Sega Mega Drive, a brief obsession with hedgehogs, and a love for all things tech. After 7 years as a writer and deputy editor for Stuff, Esat ventured out into the corporate world, spending three years as Editor of Microsoft's European News Centre. Now a freelance writer, his appetite for shiny gadgets has no bounds. Oh, and like all good human beings, he's very fond of cats.