By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
TechgoonduTechgoonduTechgoondu
  • Audio-visual
  • Enterprise
    • Software
    • Cybersecurity
  • Gaming
  • Imaging
  • Internet
  • Media
  • Mobile
    • Cellphones
    • Tablets
  • PC
  • Telecom
Search
© 2023 Goondu Media Pte Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Goondu review: HTC Butterfly S is the phone to buy
Share
Font ResizerAa
TechgoonduTechgoondu
Font ResizerAa
  • Audio-visual
  • Enterprise
  • Gaming
  • Imaging
  • Internet
  • Media
  • Mobile
  • PC
  • Telecom
Search
  • Audio-visual
  • Enterprise
    • Software
    • Cybersecurity
  • Gaming
  • Imaging
  • Internet
  • Media
  • Mobile
    • Cellphones
    • Tablets
  • PC
  • Telecom
Follow US
© 2023 Goondu Media Pte Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Techgoondu > Blog > Mobile > Cellphones > Goondu review: HTC Butterfly S is the phone to buy
CellphonesMobile

Goondu review: HTC Butterfly S is the phone to buy

Alfred Siew
Last updated: June 13, 2014 at 5:04 PM
Alfred Siew
Published: July 13, 2013
9 Min Read
SHARE

htc_butterfly_s_14

HTC’s new Butterfly S is one of those gadgets that make you want to own it the moment you set your eyes on it. As first impressions go, the smooth, high-gloss finish on the back and hints of colour on the full-screen panel in the front are enough to turn heads.

In its latest top-end phone, the Taiwanese phone maker has also added some of the nice touches seen on its earlier One phone. Indeed, it has improved on things. The power button and rocker switch, for example, are not as stiff and can be pressed much more easily. 

The subtle “vents” with a hint of precious metal also allude to its really beautiful One phone, but clearly the Butterfly S is a different animal altogether in terms of design. Without the aluminium finish susceptible to scratches and chipping, this new phone probably is easier to manufacture as well.

Perhaps more importantly, the new S$988 Butterfly S has taken all the good stuff in the flagship phone and expanded on them.

htc_butterfly_s_07

The screen is now upsized from 4.7 inches to 5 inches, bringing it on par with the Samsung Galaxy S4 and Sony Xperia Z. The quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor onboard is “overclocked” to 1.9GHz, for folks who are into performance numbers.

And there’s a microSD card slot here on the Butterfly S, something missing from the One. This means you can easily pop in memory cards stuffed with photos, songs and movies and not worry about running out of space.

Oh, the three standard Android buttons also make a return at the front, compared to the simplified two-button interface on the HTC One.

In terms of having everything onboard, HTC has not left anything out.

Perhaps I should start with the bigger screen. The 5-incher on the Galaxy S4 was what edged it for me when I compared an HTC One with the Korean phone months ago. Well, the Butterfly S levels that score this time.

Though HTC doesn’t use a Super AMOLED display like Samsung, the LCD screen here is mightily bright and for folks who are not for “overly vibrant” or saturated colours, the Butterfly S will impress.

htc_butterfly_s_09

Needless to say, the Full HD display shows off text and pictures, yes, pictures, very sharply. Packing in so many pixels on a relatively small screen means you hardly see any of these tiny dots. The result is a realistic, sharp image whenever you open one on the screen.

Speaking of images, the Butterfly S uses the same UltraPixel camera technology that HTC was touting in the original One. Again, it doesn’t disappoint. The images are sharp and generally well-focused for many of those low depth-of-field close-ups that you may shoot. The camera is also fast to fire, without any shutter lag of old.

I have no issues with the few snapshots I took and I’d be happy bringing the Butterfly S on a holiday. Here are a few pictures I took at home.

Image from HTC Butterfly S

Image from HTC Butterfly S

Image from HTC Butterfly S

Image from HTC Butterfly S

Of course, I’m no photographer, but most people snapping with a phone aren’t either. If you’re not deliberately framing most of your shots for some photo competition, the phone does very well for casual shots in both bright and low-light conditions.

If you’ve read about and like HTC’s Zoe photo software, then you’ll be happy to hear that it is here on the Butterfly S as well. Among other features, you can automatically add a short video seconds before a still image is taken to remind you of the context of each picture, for example (see our HTC One hands-on test for more).

htc_butterfly_s_15

What I’m also impressed with is the Butterfly S’ battery. The 3,200mAh power pack has lasted me past dinner time every day, often until I go to bed past midnight, in the four days I’ve been using the review unit.

My usage is pretty average, from surfing the Web to uploading pictures on Facebook and even making long 30-minute calls at times. Not once did the low power alert come on before 7pm.

And I did this without turning on the Power Saver feature on the phone. The screen brightness was set to automatic, but it certainly looked brighter than my Galaxy S4, which I have been using for a few months.

I also prefer HTC’s cleaner Sense interface. Its BlinkFeed feature brings up news headlines and Facebook updates on your home screen in nice, large tiles, which are great for folks switching over to Android for the first time.

If you want to turn that off and go back to a clean interface with fewer icons and widgets, you can, of course. I switched to Nova Launcher, an app you can download for free, and the look and feel reverted back to the simple Android interface I’ve grown to like.

The best thing about this is there’s no lag at all with this “wrapper” or interface added on. Switching between apps, I could detect no jerkiness. This compares well against Samsung’s Galaxy S4, which despite having a similar processor and amount of memory, betrays a hint of jerkiness every now and then.

htc_butterfly_s_13

One other thing that HTC has done very well in is audio. Placing the speakers at the front, like it did with the One, means the Butterfly S projects sound directly at you, rather than away from you, which many phones do.

Not everyone’s a fan of the bass-heavy Beats Audio enhancements that the Taiwanese firm has included in the phone, but music from the Butterfly S does sound fuller, with more body, than the tinny noise from other phone speakers.

One evening, my wife came into the room and thought I was actually listening to speakers on the desk.

If there’s one thing I will nitpick with HTC, it’s that the Butterfly S feels heavy. At 160 grams, it feels clearly heavier in the hand compared to Samsung’s 130-gram Galaxy S4. It’s also bulkier, despite having the same screen size.

For folks looking for the biggest screen on the smallest frame, Samsung still wins. Yet, for the other things that the Korean phone maker has trumped the One on previously, the Butterfly S now has caught up.

And there are things that HTC does better, for example, its more useful software suite and simply alluring design.

htc_butterfly_s_21

I had compared the Galaxy S4 with the HTC One a few months ago and bought the Korean phone because of a few practical reasons – its bigger screen and perhaps less “vulnerable” plastic case.

With the Butterfly S, these reasons don’t exist to give the Galaxy S4 the edge. The Samsung phone still has a slimmer, lighter design. But that, I feel, is easily trumped by the luscious finish on the Butterfly S out in Singapore later this month.

If I’m buying a phone soon, the choice is clear. It’s the red Butterfly S. Yes, there are also silver/grey and white, but who prefers a dull-coloured butterfly?

Image from HTC Butterfly S
Image from HTC Butterfly S
Image from HTC Butterfly S
Image from HTC Butterfly S
Lenovo Yoga 9i (Gen 8) review: Excellent speakers, keyboard, but stylus seems an afterthought 
Will you buy a BlackBerry 10 device?
LG StanbyME review: More screen time with a wireless TV that can be wheeled around
Goondu review: Nokia Lumia 610
Latest Singapore mobile operator Gorilla uses blockchain to give back users unused data
TAGGED:Butterfly SHTCreviewSingapore price and availabilityUltraPixel

Sign up for the TG newsletter

Never miss anything again. Get the latest news and analysis in your inbox.

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Share This Article
Facebook Whatsapp Whatsapp LinkedIn Copy Link Print
Avatar photo
ByAlfred Siew
Follow:
Alfred is a writer, speaker and media instructor who has covered the telecom, media and technology scene for more than 20 years. Previously the technology correspondent for The Straits Times, he now edits the Techgoondu.com blog and runs his own technology and media consultancy.
Previous Article Can Nokia’s Lumia 1020 open up a new market with 41-megapixel lens?
Next Article Monster launches extensive 2013 headphone lineup in more colours
18 Comments
  • Tiger333 says:
    August 19, 2013 at 6:59 am

    Excellent review! – i’ve got the original buttery (droid dna) – looking to replace with this one.. Do you know any places to buy that ship to the UK?

    Reply
  • hohopig says:
    August 17, 2013 at 11:43 pm

    Sounds great and good to see the SD card. But still no removable batteries? That is disappointing especially since HTC Singapore replied to my post and confirmed that ALL parts only have 1 year warranty. This is a deal breaker for me definitely, since I like to keep my phones for more than 2 years and I do not want to be held hostage to the vendors when I just want to change a battery.

    Wonder what will be the ifixit grade for this phone? Hope it is not as devilish to open and change the battery as the HTC One.

    Also, I suppose the dreaded unresponsiveness of the back button has been resolved? And are there any QC problem with the phone, such as the gaps that were present on HTC One?

    Reply
  • badboy says:
    August 4, 2013 at 8:17 pm

    So the phone is out in the market ? I wonder when M’sia getting it

    Reply
  • Bryan Ng says:
    July 29, 2013 at 9:25 pm

    How heavy is the phone in the hand? Like does it feel comfortable?

    Reply
    • Alfred Siew says:
      July 30, 2013 at 12:18 am

      Hey Bryan, it felt heavy at first for me because I was using a Galaxy S4. But it’s not so heavy to be a deal breaker. Of course, preferences vary. Try it out at the store first before buying!

      Reply
  • André says:
    July 24, 2013 at 7:18 am

    Is this phone (or variant), be available outside Asia? THIS IS MY NEXT PHONE FOR SURE!

    Reply
    • Alfred Siew says:
      July 24, 2013 at 1:13 pm

      Yes, I believe it is sold in the US, going by reports online. http://www.ubergizmo.com/2013/07/unlocked-htc-butterfly-s-on-pre-order-in-the-us/

      Reply
  • Jamil says:
    July 18, 2013 at 4:51 pm

    How is the battery life compared to galaxy s4?

    Reply
    • Alfred Siew says:
      July 19, 2013 at 4:58 pm

      Hi Jamil, both phones last me past a regular working day, i.e. from 9am to 7pm. I have almost never had to plug my phone in during the day, whether I’m using the HTC or Samsung. That’s regular usage, not head-to-head video playback tests, and I’d say both fared well. One thing to note though – the HTC seems to be brighter, possibly because I didn’t turn on its power saver feature.

      Reply
  • butterflies says:
    July 14, 2013 at 9:16 am

    this phone has non-removable battery right??

    Reply
    • Alfred Siew says:
      July 15, 2013 at 11:02 pm

      Yes, non-removable.

      Reply
  • Morpheus says:
    July 14, 2013 at 8:27 am

    For me this phone has near perfection status. I’m nit-picking on the battery which I thought was a deal breaker for me. But using the nexus 4 has mellowed me somewhat. As soon as this hits the stores end this month at my mama telephone shop. I’m grabbing the red variant. Not waiting for the galaxy note 3. This is way too hot to resist.

    Reply
    • Hun Boon says:
      July 15, 2013 at 9:42 pm

      Is it because the Nexus 4 has terrible battery life?

      Reply
      • Morpheus says:
        July 15, 2013 at 9:59 pm

        Not terrible, averaging a day of abstained usage. Still the nexus 4 is a fantastic companion. Unfortunately, coming from a huge fan of removable & spare batteries. It’s a hard pill to swallow. I’m only a consumer for embedded power source if it helps the design and processes.

        Reply
  • Hun Boon says:
    July 13, 2013 at 5:22 pm

    HTC did leave out wireless charging and water resistance, otherwise this phone would be perfect. 🙂

    Reply
    • Alfred Siew says:
      July 15, 2013 at 11:06 pm

      Yes, you got me there, Han Boon! Unfortunately, I hadn’t factored those two features in, believing that they are less important than screen size, for example. 🙂

      Reply
      • Joeeasy says:
        August 6, 2013 at 9:15 am

        If screen size is key – why not buy a galaxy note instead?

        Reply
    • Tiger333 says:
      August 19, 2013 at 7:00 am

      good point! –

      wireless charging on the original butteryfly is nice but not a deal breaker.

      Reply

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Stay Connected

FacebookLike
XFollow

Latest News

Computex 2025: A glimpse of the machines inside Nvidia’s “AI factories”
Enterprise
May 22, 2025
The three megatrends shaping society and technology
Enterprise Internet
May 21, 2025
Computex 2025: Asus ROG Falcata impresses with ergonomic feel
Gaming PC
May 20, 2025
Computex 2025: To broaden AI footprint, Nvidia offers fast links to third-party chips
Enterprise
May 19, 2025

Techgoondu.com is published by Goondu Media Pte Ltd, a company registered and based in Singapore.

.

Started in June 2008 by technology journalists and ex-journalists in Singapore who share a common love for all things geeky and digital, the site now includes segments on personal computing, enterprise IT and Internet culture.

banner banner
Everyday DIY
PC needs fixing? Get your hands on with the latest tech tips
READ ON
banner banner
Leaders Q&A
What tomorrow looks like to those at the leading edge today
FIND OUT
banner banner
Advertise with us
Discover unique access and impact with TG custom content
SHOW ME

 

 

POWERED BY READYSPACE
The Techgoondu website is powered by and managed by Readyspace Web Hosting.

TechgoonduTechgoondu
© 2024 Goondu Media Pte Ltd. All Rights Reserved | Privacy | Terms of Use | Advertise | About Us | Contact
Join Us!
Never miss anything again. Get the latest news and analysis in your inbox.

Zero spam, Unsubscribe at any time.
 

Loading Comments...
 

    Welcome Back!

    Sign in to your account

    Username or Email Address
    Password

    Lost your password?