New HTC Phone Promises 'Stunning' Selfies

If you want to look your best when shooting selfies, the new HTC One Mini 2 may be the smartphone for you. This handset retains the sharp front camera of the larger One M8 in a smaller body that's easier for one-handed use. The bite-sized handset is launching overseas in June, though there's currently no word on a U.S. release.

The selfie obsessed will appreciate the 5-MP front camera on the Mini 2. Not only is there a self-timer to help you nail the right pose, there's a Touch Up feature for smoothing your skin, eliminating red eye and even adjusting the contours of your face. HTC claims you will "still look natural."  

MORE: Samsung Galaxy S5 vs HTC One M8

The One Mini 2 also packs a 1.2-GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 CPU, 1GB of RAM and 16GB of expandable storage.  The handset's 4.5-inch, 1280 x 720 display is a far cry from the 5-inch 1080p screen found on the One M8, but the One Mini 2 keeps the flagship's signature BoomSound speakers.

HTC has also ditched its rear Ultrapixel camera for the One Mini 2 in favor of a 13-MP shooter. The Ultrapixel camera captures more light than your typical smartphone but is stuck at 4 MP, which limits the amount of cropping you can do on photos.

Like the One M8, the One Mini 2 runs Android 4.4 KitKat with HTC's stylish sense UI. The phone will be available in the same Gunmetal Grey, Glacial Silver and Amber Gold shells as it's M8 counterpart.

We were impressed with last year's HTC One Mini, which retained the original HTC One's premium design and best-in-class speakers. HTC has yet to announce pricing for its upcoming One Mini 2, but its likely to land in the $99 ballpark compared to the more premium One M8's $199 price tag.

Michael Andronico
Editor
A devout gamer and tech enthusiast, Mike Andronico joined the Laptop team in July 2013. With a B.A. in Journalism from Purchase College and experience at GameNGuide, Examiner and 2D-X, Mike tackles everything from iPhone rumors to in-depth hardware reviews.