Back in February we saw HTC making a big decision. The HTC One Series meant that the company would concentrate on a core group of handsets – the One X, One S and One V.
It was clear. The One X was the power-house. The One S was the slender unibody smartphone and the One V was the classic Legend-esque handset. Three phones.
I’ve been covering this whole mobile business for some 10 years now and, let me admit, I’m confused.
In May HTC announced the HTC One XL. It’s available now on EE and is pretty much the same as the HTC One X but has 4G. The HTC One XL only has a dual-core 1.5 GHz chip, but the X has quad-core 1.5 GHz.
So, the HTC One X, One XL (which is actually the X but with less power and 4G), One S and One V. Simples.
But then in October HTC announced the HTC One X+. It’s the upgraded HTC One X with a 1.7GHz quad-core CPU and 64GB of internal storage.
So there’s now three variants of the HTC One X. The original One X, the One XL with 4G and the One X+ with a faster CPU and more storage.
Errm.. I’m with it still, just.
But yesterday we saw the launch of the HTC One SV and will be available on EE. What HTC appear to have done is to strap 4G to the existing HTC One S. However, they’ve not – like the HTC One XL, called it the One SL. Why is it called the One SV when there’s already a HTC One S and a HTC One V?
Confused yet?
HTC One X
HTC One X+ (with more power and storage)
HTC One XL (with 4G)
HTC One S
HTC One SV (with 4G)
HTC One V
That’s just the One Series. Don’t get me started on the HTC Desire X, Sensation XL, or Desire C… and around the world things get even more confusing. If you’re in Asia you’ve got the choice of the HTC Desire VC, Desire V, Desire C, Desire SV, One S, One SV, One X, One XL, One X+ and more.
Perhaps I’m just getting on my soap box here, but the names are becoming a little confusing and, even though I can understand HTC trying to add some differentiation between handsets like the One X, it’s not making sense. Look at Samsung. Their Samsung Galaxy SIII is the third Galaxy handset they’ve made, so it’s called the SIII. They have a 4G version. That one is called the Galaxy SIII LTE. They have a smaller version with a bit less power. That’s called the Galaxy SIII Mini.
This, in my head, makes a bit more sense. But is it just me? Let me know in the comments below..
While I agree that the naming and different similar versions of them is confusing, Samsung make not just the Galaxy SIII, SIII LTE and SIIImini…. They Make the Galaxy Y,W,Ace,AceII, Splus etc….
Now do the same for Samsung… or Sony. I think you’ll find that both are FAR worse.
It’s fine, when you come to upgrade or buy a new device, just get the latest model, then the model name/number you do not have to worry about 🙂
But I get your point, I think the biggest issues is not with the actual names, but the uniform way they do not correspond, like the LTE versions having a different extra letter, it is daft, and we can sit here and question it, but at the end of the day, it has happened for years in the Mobile world.
Like the Audi A4, Audio S4 and the RS4. Then you have Avant for the estate versions and Quattro for the four wheel drive. Which ever Audi you buy it is the same language.
HTC can have One X, one X+ and One X LTE, then maybe a One X+ LTE. Easy
If they want to completely replace it next year, just call it the Two X or the One X²