HTC Butterfly S: A Better Smartphone for Social Content Sharing


When the HTC One was announced, it offered quite a bundle of new experiences for smartphone users. From the gapless aluminium body construction to the front-facing stereo speakers and the bold Ultrapixel camera, HTC One makes me shoot more and create awesome video content easily using HTC Zoe and Video Highlights.

With the Butterfly S, HTC continues to leverage on these key features and include more competitive features to entice the demanding consumers.

Go read my review on the HTC One where I elaborate on the unique features available only to HTC - how the BlinkFeed delivers news, daily activities to let you browse and read easily; how the front-facing stereo speakers make video watching a lot better, louder, clearer; how the Ultrapixel camera delivers good image quality for social network sharing; how the HTC Zoe produces moving images; and how HTC Video Highlights creates 30-second clips with synchronised edits with the background music.

The HTC Butterfly S carries the same user interface as the HTC One, and I get the same positive experience when using it. The apps loading and animations are smooth with no random freezes or crashes. The HTC Sense 5 works differently from Android stock UI or other manufacturers so it takes a little getting used to. And unlike other manufacturers, the HTC Sense 5 UI seems to be put together well-thought rather than just some random functionality. The power button continues to double up as the infra-red transmitter, which, when used with Remote TV app, controls your TV and cable set-top box channels with ease.


Above All
If you are already interested in HTC One, here are the reasons why you will prefer the Butterfly S.

1. Expandable micro SD card. Many people loved the HTC One, but they cringe when they realise there is no expandable memory option. The HTC Butterfly S saves the day.

2. Larger 5-inch full-HD screen. Consumers who so crave for a larger screen can now be satisfied with the HTC Butterfly S. Excellent screen quality without over-saturated details, wide viewing angles with minimal contrast deviations.



3. Standard Android 3 touch buttons. I am one of the many who am not used to the 2-button implementation on the HTC One. HTC Butterfly S puts back the usual Android buttons so that you can access them without relearning. And because the 3 buttons are outside the display screen, the phone does not waste any space with displaying the menu bar.

4. Increased processor speeed to 1.9GHz. To make the HTC Butterfly S even more irresistible, the processor is pushed up to Quad-core 1.9GHz with Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 so that all your apps and games can run a little more faster than competitors, whether you can can actually feel the difference or not.

5. Larger built-in battery of 3200mAh. I have reviewed so many smartphones over the years, and finally the HTC Butterly S lasts me the entire work day without requiring any re-charging at all. If you need a smartphone that lasts longer than your current phone, then there is no other than the HTC Butterfly S.


So does that mean one should totally disregard HTC One? Certainly not, if you prefer the premium design and a smaller device. The HTC Butterfly S glossy plastic may not be everyone's cup of tea. The hard truth is that the HTC One feels stunning while the HTC Butterfly S looks stunning, especially the red one.


Pitting Against the Competitors
When comparing the earlier HTC One with competitors like Samsung Galaxy S4, there were a few feature gaps that prevented consumers from swinging over. Now with the launch of HTC Butterfly S, it has become a lot more attractive to consider the HTC. But still, the Galaxy S4 may hold its fort due to some features that Butterfly S could not overcome:

1. Low megapixel-count. No matter how HTC markets the UltraPixel, it is still of fewer pixels than the competitors. Throughout my review, I have never felt the Butterfly S 4-megapixel camera is inferior. I also never pixel-peep because most of the photos I took are for social sharing, which make sense to have a lower pixel count. In fact, it saves me data bandwidth when I often upload the photos I took to cloud storage or email attachments. Despite, no one will reject high pixel counts, even if they do not really need it.

2. Non-removable battery. Another psychological barrier that could put the brakes on the purchase of Butterfly S. Even though the Butterfly S can last me an entire day, there is no reprieve if I do not have access to charger. A removable battery allows me to swap a fresh pack and continue using the phone, but at this age, more people bring a USB battery pack rather than an extra battery for your device, the latter costing cheaper than the original battery.

3. Heavier and larger. For consumers who prefer their smartphones to be smaller or lighter, the Butterfly S is neither. Having said that, my personal opinion is that it is neither too big (like the phablets) nor too heavy (like the phlabets). The Butterfly S still fits easily on your palm, in your pockets, and the density provides a good feel as compared to the Samsung Galaxy S4 which felt too featherweight to be taken seriously (although I must admit it is an engineering marvel, kudos to Samsung).


The Social Sharing Enabler
Too often than not, every new smartphone offers hardware upgrades to increase smartphone speed, increase camera pixel count, bundle new apps that may already be available in the app store.

In my HTC One review, I concluded that the device makes me capture more and share more. The HTC Butterfly S continues this vision and adds popular hardware features like larger battery and microSD slot to overcome some mental barriers of consumers who worries about battery life and insufficient storage capacity.

And if I haven't said enough, the HTC BlinkFeed helps you get constantly connected with your friends and the social network, the HTC BoomSound lets you enjoy content comfortably with front-facing speakers, the HTC Zoe captures video images and compiles into Video Highlights (within seconds) that easily wows your peers.

From picking up the phone to taking the shot in less than 3 seconds. Taken with HTC Butterfly S and processed with Instagram filters. Using other smartphones would have led to missed moments.


The HTC Butterfly S is not just another higher-spec smartphone. It is a gateway to your social network, and enables you to create photo and video content effortlessly. The HTC Butterfly S remains the most enjoyable phone I have used for capturing photos and videos.


HTC Butterfly S Specs:



This article is also published on XINMSN and StarHub Community Portal.

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