Smartphone review, HTC One V

For the One V, HTC chose to go with unibody metal construction, which not only makes the phone sturdier but also makes it look much better than the usual glossy phones.

Taking a cue from the design of the HTC Heroand Legend, the One V also has a pronounced lip. The battery is not user removable while the SIM and microSD slot are under a small slide-out cover on the lower half of the device. 

Up front you have a beautiful 3.7-inch display with excellent touch response and sharp output — quite like the more expensive HTC One X. In fact, the One V also has the same Sense 4.0 interface as the One X, which, in our opinion, is one of the best user interfaces for Android. 

Where performance is concerned, the One V is great for day-to-day use, but it isn't meant for power users and serious multi-taskers. We felt a slight sluggishness creep in when a lot of apps were running in the background — a common issue with many Android smartphones with 512MB RAM. Also, out of the built in 4GB storage, only 1GB is user accessible. Multimedia audio output is fantastic thanks to the integrated Beats Audio technology. 

The 5MP shooter on the rear takes beautiful images in daytime as well as in low light situations. Because it has a similar camera interface as the One X, the One V is also capable of shooting images quickly in burst mode, simultaneously shooting images and videos and has many photo effects to play around with. Video recording is top notch as well and can be done at 720p HD resolution.

The 1500mAh battery lasts just a day, similar to most other Android smartphones Overall, HTC's One V is a great option if you are looking for a sub Rs 20,000 smartphone. It scores on looks, build quality, display, multimedia performance and camera quality. For about the same price, you can consider LG's Optimus L7 (Rs 19,000) that runs Android 4.0 on a similar hardware but offers a larger 4.3-inch display, NFC connectivity, front camera and a larger 1700mAh battery.