If the Butterfly S has all the features of the HTC One and then some, is it a new flagship? Not at all, says HTC.
(Credit: Seamus Byrne/CNET)
If it walks like a flagship, and quacks like a flagship... that doesn't make it so. At least that's the case at HTC where the upcoming HTC Butterfly S (and expected successor to the Droid DNA in the USA) holds all the raw numbers over the HTC One but will not be stealing its place as HTC's premier handset.
The Butterfly S features a faster processor than the HTC One, a 5-inch 1080p screen (with newer Super LCD 3 and Gorilla Glass 3), and a microSD expansion slot, a huge 3200mAh battery, plus all the new HTC features like BoomSound speakers, BlinkFeed, Sense TV, and the rest. Apart from the HTC One's higher PPI screen and the all metal chassis, compared with the Butterfly's car paint finished plastic casing, there isn't a spec the HTC One is stronger on. On matters of pure specifications most might argue the Butterfly S is the strongest phone in HTC's line up. So why doesn't it become the new flagship?
At HTC's Frequencies Asia event in Bangkok on Wednesday, Justin Zhang, Head of Product Portfolio, South Asia, for HTC, said this is a reasonable question but HTC feels comfortable that the HTC One is still very much the flagship in the company line up.
'It isn't just about specs anymore, it's about design and experience. Consumers want different things,' said Zhang. 'Some are looking for the best thing out there, some are following other trends. Then there are the enthusiasts who know what they want. For them it's the screen, or it's battery life. The One is still our flagship phone, but the Butterfly had its own success and we heard a lot of its fans saying they'd really love to see all the new HTC One features in a Butterfly, so we are giving them that.'
'Interestingly we always thought the Butterfly would attract the 'high-end geeks',' said Zhang. 'That's who we thought it was for. But it turned out the Butterfly has been more successful with female consumers than ever for us. Because they love the design.'
HTC also confirmed the Butterfly S will be released in 4G versions in the regions that support such an option. The original Droid DNA was LTE capable, so this confirmation should come as no surprise in the US market.
The Butterfly's mixed global branding is also likely to play a role in keeping the One on top, as well as the One's metal unibody enclosure as a stand out signature design choice. HTC earlier confirmed it will continue to use and refine its metal unibody production process introduced for the HTC One in future phone designs.
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