FORD STARTS RECRUITING FOR SANAND PLANT FROM STATE ITIs
Mumbai/Ahamadabad:
As yet another major automobile plant in the state is all set to go onstream, Ford India starts recruiting for its Sanand plant.
The company has started visiting the industrial training institutes in the state to select candidates
for operator level recruitment at Sanand plant.
A Ford India spokesperson confirmed the development and said that the Sanand facility would eventually employ 5,000 people once operational in 2014.
"We are progressing as per our plan at our upcoming integrated
manufacturing facility at Sanand.
At present, we have over 150 engineers on site and are in the
process of active hiring," said Kel Kearns,director,manufacturing,Sanand vehicle assembly &engine Plant, Ford India.
Ford currently employs 11,500 people in India across its manufacturing and global business services functions.
Kearns added that, "We have a mix of local talent from Gujarat and first batch of employees transferred from other locations of Ford (including Chennai). At present over 50 per cent of the workforce are recruits from Gujarat and will move to over 70 per cent shortly."
A J Pandey, placement
coordinator for ITI Kubernagar said, "Ford had come for
recruitments around a week back, and have shortlisted around 18 candidates so far."
Final selection is yet to happen.
The selected candidates are likely
to be sent to Ford's Chennai plant for training. The Gandhinagar and Sarkhej ITIs also offer
courses on automotive manufacturing, he said.
Ford India currently operates an integrated vehicle and engine manufacturing facility at Maraimalai Nagar, near Chennai,
which produces the new Figo,Classic, Fiesta and the Endeavour.
A placement official at a city-based ITI said that demand for
automotive courses has picked up in the recent years, and
candidates are also getting offered higher wages.
"On an average if an original equipment maker picks up a
candidate, he gets offered anything between Rs.8,000-10,000 a month in the
beginning most of the times together with accommodation
facilities.The situation is much better compared to a few years back, when diesel mechanics and
automotive tooling candidates would get jobs at car dealerships
or at component making firms at lower wages," he adds.
Ford's Sanand plant will have an initial capacity of 240,000 cars and 270,000 engines per annum.
With the Sanand plant going onstream, Ford India's annual installed capacity will nearly treble to 610,000 engines and
440,000 vehicles.
Ford's Sanand facility is coming up with an investment of around
$1 billion (approximately Rs 5800 crore at current exchange rates).
Ford has announced eight new products by 2015, and it is in the
process of building plant capacity to support the production plan.
Thursday, 13 June 2013
BizNewZ!
JET AIRWAYS APPOINTS GARY TOOMEY AS NEW CEO
Jet Airways on Thursday said that
the airline has appointed Gary Kenneth Toomey as its new Chief Executive Officer.
The appointment follows the resignation of Nikos Kardassis,who left the airline after serving
two terms as Chief Executive Officer, initially between 1993 and 1999, and again from
October 2009 till May 2013.
58-year-old Toomey, an Australian national, has previously served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Air New Zealand Group and as Chief Executive Officer of Airlines PNG in Papua New Guinea during
their periods of major expansion.
Prior to these roles, he was Deputy Chief Executive Officer,
Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director of Qantas Airways Limited and before that Chief Financial Officer of the domestic carrier Australian Airlines.
Toomey served as a director of Qantas from 1993 to 2000, Fiji’s Air Pacific from 1998 to 2000
and ANZ Bank from 1998 to 2001, and was a member of the
Chief Executives' Board of Star Alliance in 2001.
He also managed a private consulting business for 12 years
from 2001, providing support to senior management of
businesses in the aviation,hospitality, construction and
resources industries throughout the Asia Pacific region.
Toomey’s appointment is subject to necessary regulatory approvals including security
clearance as may be required, Jet Airways said in a press statement.
Commenting on the
appointment, airline’s Chairman Naresh Goyal said, “We need a dynamic executive with deep knowledge of and experience in
the airline industry to lead the next phase of our development.
Toomey has extensive
experience in domestic and international airline
management.”
Toomey said the Indian aviation market was one of the fastest-growing in the world, offering
significant potential for Jet Airways not only within India,
but beyond, through new or improved international connections.
Capt. Hameed Ali will continue as the Acting Chief Executive Officer
of Jet Airways,pending
regulatory approval of Mr.Toomey’s appointment, the
airline said.
Jet Airways on Thursday said that
the airline has appointed Gary Kenneth Toomey as its new Chief Executive Officer.
The appointment follows the resignation of Nikos Kardassis,who left the airline after serving
two terms as Chief Executive Officer, initially between 1993 and 1999, and again from
October 2009 till May 2013.
58-year-old Toomey, an Australian national, has previously served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Air New Zealand Group and as Chief Executive Officer of Airlines PNG in Papua New Guinea during
their periods of major expansion.
Prior to these roles, he was Deputy Chief Executive Officer,
Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director of Qantas Airways Limited and before that Chief Financial Officer of the domestic carrier Australian Airlines.
Toomey served as a director of Qantas from 1993 to 2000, Fiji’s Air Pacific from 1998 to 2000
and ANZ Bank from 1998 to 2001, and was a member of the
Chief Executives' Board of Star Alliance in 2001.
He also managed a private consulting business for 12 years
from 2001, providing support to senior management of
businesses in the aviation,hospitality, construction and
resources industries throughout the Asia Pacific region.
Toomey’s appointment is subject to necessary regulatory approvals including security
clearance as may be required, Jet Airways said in a press statement.
Commenting on the
appointment, airline’s Chairman Naresh Goyal said, “We need a dynamic executive with deep knowledge of and experience in
the airline industry to lead the next phase of our development.
Toomey has extensive
experience in domestic and international airline
management.”
Toomey said the Indian aviation market was one of the fastest-growing in the world, offering
significant potential for Jet Airways not only within India,
but beyond, through new or improved international connections.
Capt. Hameed Ali will continue as the Acting Chief Executive Officer
of Jet Airways,pending
regulatory approval of Mr.Toomey’s appointment, the
airline said.
BizNewZ!
GOVT READIES 5-POINT ACTION PLAN TO BRING NORMALCY IN THE MARKET
The Finance Minister, P.Chidambaram, has announced a five-point action plan to boost investor sentiment and arrest the fall in the rupee and soothe the stock market.
"I could not agree more with Fitch when it said more reforms
are needed," Chidambaram told
reporters on a day when key stock market indices and the rupee were down. He said that a number of decisions will be
taken in this month.
These include coal pricing and coal allocation to power plants,gas pricing, revision foreign direct investment limits in various sectors, skill development and on SEBI's committee on new norms for foreign investors.
The SEBI board is scheduled to meet on June 25 to discuss K.M.
Chandrashekhar's committee reports on KYC (know-your-
customer) and other norms for foreign investors. The committee submitted its report on Wednesday and given seven key recommendations.
Chidambaram said that the Government broadly was in
favour of these
recommendations. The Government's representative on
the SEBI board will present this view at the meeting.
He also said that a special cell has
been set up in the Cabinet Secrtariat to expedite pending
projects. About 25-30 projects,which are considered as Low
Hanging Fruits, are expected to be taken up first. These projects need just one or two clearances
and hopefully they will get them by the end of this month, the
Minister said.
Talking about the rupee, he said that there is no need to panic.
"Countries with large current account deficit have taken a hit
on their currency," he said,adding that India is one such country.
The Finance Minister, P.Chidambaram, has announced a five-point action plan to boost investor sentiment and arrest the fall in the rupee and soothe the stock market.
"I could not agree more with Fitch when it said more reforms
are needed," Chidambaram told
reporters on a day when key stock market indices and the rupee were down. He said that a number of decisions will be
taken in this month.
These include coal pricing and coal allocation to power plants,gas pricing, revision foreign direct investment limits in various sectors, skill development and on SEBI's committee on new norms for foreign investors.
The SEBI board is scheduled to meet on June 25 to discuss K.M.
Chandrashekhar's committee reports on KYC (know-your-
customer) and other norms for foreign investors. The committee submitted its report on Wednesday and given seven key recommendations.
Chidambaram said that the Government broadly was in
favour of these
recommendations. The Government's representative on
the SEBI board will present this view at the meeting.
He also said that a special cell has
been set up in the Cabinet Secrtariat to expedite pending
projects. About 25-30 projects,which are considered as Low
Hanging Fruits, are expected to be taken up first. These projects need just one or two clearances
and hopefully they will get them by the end of this month, the
Minister said.
Talking about the rupee, he said that there is no need to panic.
"Countries with large current account deficit have taken a hit
on their currency," he said,adding that India is one such country.
Monday, 10 June 2013
Face2Face!
‘INDIA NEEDS ANOTHER ROUND OF REFORMS’
Regulatory burden for
businesses must be reduced,says OECD Deputy Secretary-General Richard Boucher believes India should keep reforming its economy to continue on the growth track irrespective of the
forthcoming elections.
In an interview to Business Line
on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum for East Asia in
Nay Pyi Taw,Myanmar, he made a strong case for easing regulatory
hurdles and taxation reforms.
Excerpts from the interview:
What do you think India should do to reverse the slowdown in its growth process?
Part of India’s slowdown has to do with external factors. But our basic view is that India needs
another round of reforms. You started that last September.
The country has to open up some more to competition even
if there is an election coming up.
It will bring much broader benefits if other sectors are
opened up as opposed to one specific sector.
What can be done in the short run?
It has to keep smoothing the way for projects. Focus has to be on how to reduce the regulatory
burden on projects and companies. We are now starting
the next economic survey of India which will come out next
year. A lot of reforms that we want to see are the ones that are
already underway. But you need a political push to get them
through.
What kind of regulatory hurdles
are you talking about?
We don’t want to say no environmental reviews. Big projects need environmental
reviews. You just need to structure them in a way that is simple. Having to make the
rounds of 20 different offices,when one can go to one place, is not desirable.
OECD recently came out with a paper on Base Erosion Profit
Shifting (BEPS). How is it relevant for India?
The way the world trades has changed. Manufacturing value
comes not only from pieces and parts, but also from services,
business process and brands.
Companies structure their business process in a way they pay least amount of tax. It
decreases the capacities of taxation authorities and national governments to tax the process.
But it is mostly the multinational
companies that get away with it
whereas domestic companies that are smaller can’t do it. It is fair for both companies and
nations to develop a new idea of how the value chain should be
taxed. What parts get taxed and how things should be priced.
That is the idea behind BEPS and India is contributing strongly to it.
So will this put an end to the tax disputes that the Indian
Government have with companies like Apple and Vodafone?
What I am saying is that it will give everybody — Apple and the tax authorities, Vodafone and the tax authorities, Starbucks and the tax authorities — a clear idea of what gets taxed and where.
What is the progress on India’s participation in OECD’s anti-corruption initiative?
India is an active observer there.People from the ministry of
personnel, CBI and other departments have used the
platform to make contact with other people in the world they want to talk to. India has got a
proposed legislation in front of Parliament to ban bribery of
foreign officials which is a commitment it has made in the UN convention against
corruption. It is the same commitment that is required to
participate in the anti-bribery committee of the OECD.
Regulatory burden for
businesses must be reduced,says OECD Deputy Secretary-General Richard Boucher believes India should keep reforming its economy to continue on the growth track irrespective of the
forthcoming elections.
In an interview to Business Line
on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum for East Asia in
Nay Pyi Taw,Myanmar, he made a strong case for easing regulatory
hurdles and taxation reforms.
Excerpts from the interview:
What do you think India should do to reverse the slowdown in its growth process?
Part of India’s slowdown has to do with external factors. But our basic view is that India needs
another round of reforms. You started that last September.
The country has to open up some more to competition even
if there is an election coming up.
It will bring much broader benefits if other sectors are
opened up as opposed to one specific sector.
What can be done in the short run?
It has to keep smoothing the way for projects. Focus has to be on how to reduce the regulatory
burden on projects and companies. We are now starting
the next economic survey of India which will come out next
year. A lot of reforms that we want to see are the ones that are
already underway. But you need a political push to get them
through.
What kind of regulatory hurdles
are you talking about?
We don’t want to say no environmental reviews. Big projects need environmental
reviews. You just need to structure them in a way that is simple. Having to make the
rounds of 20 different offices,when one can go to one place, is not desirable.
OECD recently came out with a paper on Base Erosion Profit
Shifting (BEPS). How is it relevant for India?
The way the world trades has changed. Manufacturing value
comes not only from pieces and parts, but also from services,
business process and brands.
Companies structure their business process in a way they pay least amount of tax. It
decreases the capacities of taxation authorities and national governments to tax the process.
But it is mostly the multinational
companies that get away with it
whereas domestic companies that are smaller can’t do it. It is fair for both companies and
nations to develop a new idea of how the value chain should be
taxed. What parts get taxed and how things should be priced.
That is the idea behind BEPS and India is contributing strongly to it.
So will this put an end to the tax disputes that the Indian
Government have with companies like Apple and Vodafone?
What I am saying is that it will give everybody — Apple and the tax authorities, Vodafone and the tax authorities, Starbucks and the tax authorities — a clear idea of what gets taxed and where.
What is the progress on India’s participation in OECD’s anti-corruption initiative?
India is an active observer there.People from the ministry of
personnel, CBI and other departments have used the
platform to make contact with other people in the world they want to talk to. India has got a
proposed legislation in front of Parliament to ban bribery of
foreign officials which is a commitment it has made in the UN convention against
corruption. It is the same commitment that is required to
participate in the anti-bribery committee of the OECD.
BizReport!
GOVT MULLS ADVISORY ON PRIVACY ISSUES RELATED TO GOOGLE,FACEBOOK
The Government is set to harden its stand against foreign Internet firms in asking them to comply with Indian laws.
According to a top Government source, an advisory may be
issued in the interest of general public to make them aware of
the privacy issued while using services offered by foreign
Internet companies such as Google and Facebook.
This follows an international media expose on how US
agencies were getting access to user data from Internet companies such as Google and Facebook.
Final strategy soon
Top official in the Ministry of Telecom and IT told Business
Line that the National Security Advisor, under the Prime
Minister’s Officer, is discussing the issue and will outline the final strategy on Wednesday.
The key concern is that the US security agencies may have
collected data from key Indian accounts using services from any of the Internet companies. A number of Government officials also use email service from
Google and MS Outlook, which may have been accessed by the US agencies.
The other major concern is that Indian security agencies have
also been seeking access to data from these foreign companies but so far they have not obliged
on grounds that they do not come under the purview of
Indian laws.
“If the US Government can get access to data from these companies, why can’t the Indian Government be given access,” posed a top functionary of the
telecom ministry.
While Google and other companies have denied knowledge to how the US agencies got access to their
networks, industry experts said that it’s time India starts taking concrete steps to address the
issue.
B.K. Syngal, Former Chairman,Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd, said, “If we believed that our privacy is
sacred then we would have taken effective domestic measures, years ago, to ensure
that the information of our citizens remains private. To now say that multiple US companies have betrayed our trust is
meaningless.”
‘Double standards’
Syngal said that there are double standards in the way organisations and Government is handling the issue. “As a start,lets stop giving too much time
and space to the so called “Foreign Funded NGOs” teaching us on privacy. Our problem is that we are not China. We are so
ill equipped that the third party interests aided and abetted by
these NGOs would prevail,” said Syngal.
According to Sunil Abraham,Executive Director, Centre for
Internet and Society, companies such as Google and Facebook are foes when it comes to privacy issues and friends when it comes to freedom of speech. “An Indian consumer using any of these
foreign websites has no privacy rights whatsoever. The Indian Government also cannot force
these companies to follow Indian laws,” said Abraham.
The Government is set to harden its stand against foreign Internet firms in asking them to comply with Indian laws.
According to a top Government source, an advisory may be
issued in the interest of general public to make them aware of
the privacy issued while using services offered by foreign
Internet companies such as Google and Facebook.
This follows an international media expose on how US
agencies were getting access to user data from Internet companies such as Google and Facebook.
Final strategy soon
Top official in the Ministry of Telecom and IT told Business
Line that the National Security Advisor, under the Prime
Minister’s Officer, is discussing the issue and will outline the final strategy on Wednesday.
The key concern is that the US security agencies may have
collected data from key Indian accounts using services from any of the Internet companies. A number of Government officials also use email service from
Google and MS Outlook, which may have been accessed by the US agencies.
The other major concern is that Indian security agencies have
also been seeking access to data from these foreign companies but so far they have not obliged
on grounds that they do not come under the purview of
Indian laws.
“If the US Government can get access to data from these companies, why can’t the Indian Government be given access,” posed a top functionary of the
telecom ministry.
While Google and other companies have denied knowledge to how the US agencies got access to their
networks, industry experts said that it’s time India starts taking concrete steps to address the
issue.
B.K. Syngal, Former Chairman,Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd, said, “If we believed that our privacy is
sacred then we would have taken effective domestic measures, years ago, to ensure
that the information of our citizens remains private. To now say that multiple US companies have betrayed our trust is
meaningless.”
‘Double standards’
Syngal said that there are double standards in the way organisations and Government is handling the issue. “As a start,lets stop giving too much time
and space to the so called “Foreign Funded NGOs” teaching us on privacy. Our problem is that we are not China. We are so
ill equipped that the third party interests aided and abetted by
these NGOs would prevail,” said Syngal.
According to Sunil Abraham,Executive Director, Centre for
Internet and Society, companies such as Google and Facebook are foes when it comes to privacy issues and friends when it comes to freedom of speech. “An Indian consumer using any of these
foreign websites has no privacy rights whatsoever. The Indian Government also cannot force
these companies to follow Indian laws,” said Abraham.
Sunday, 9 June 2013
BizArticZ!
A HOME AWAY FROM HOME!
Want to buy property abroad?
It’s a great time to do so and here is how you can go about it.
With local property prices soaring, why not look at buying a
home abroad? Foreign real estate may offer good returns on
three counts - bargain prices due to the downtrend in markets
such as the US, Europe and Dubai, a weakening Rupee and
healthy rental yields of over 5 per cent. Real estate markets abroad are also more liquid.
Financing the Purchase So how do you buy? Home purchases in other countries are typically self-financed, as banks in India do not lend for property
purchases abroad. Citizenship and requirements such as
ownership of other assets in the country make it near impossible to get loan from banks overseas.
The purchase amount is subject to the Liberalised Remittance Scheme’s annual limit of $.200,000 per person. Joint ownership and purchasing properties that are still under
construction, where payments are made over multiple years, are typically used to purchase higher
value property.
In addition to the personal financing route, property
investment can also be made through the corporate route.
Companies are allowed to purchase property to be used by
their overseas subsidiary.
This has been the route that is widely used by Indian professionals who are buying property in London. “Using the
company route offers at least two benefits — one can avail
bank loans and avoid large inheritance taxes imposed on
individuals”, says Ahuja. Home loans are available at rates below the rental yield in many countries, including Singapore
and the UK. There is also tax benefit on interest payments.
These properties therefore generate cash, in addition to
having the potential for capital appreciation.
Legal Considerations
Besides the obvious need for due diligence, additional country-specific laws need to be considered. For example,purchasing property in the US
has to be done through a registered agent and the buyer
requires a Tax ID Number (TIN).
In Thailand, foreigners are not allowed to own land, but can
only hold a long tenure lease on
the land. Singapore and Australia require government clearance
for foreigners to own a property with land.
Inheritance laws vary with country and cross-border succession issues can be quite tricky. Inheritance tax rate and laws governing estate transfers
may depend on one’s
citizenship/residential status. In countries such as the UK,
inheritance tax can be quite large— around 30 per cent, vastly
reducing realised returns. One must also consider entry and visa restrictions imposed by the country.
Financing, Tax Aspects
Compared with buying local,
overseas property purchase involves additional expenses and needs to be budgeted. Foreign
exchange rates may move unfavourably, increasing the total
outlay required. Broker fees may
range as high as 5 per cent and legal fees may be an additional 1 to 5 per cent.
Some countries such as Singapore require foreigners to pay an additional 10 per cent
stamp duty on purchase. On an ongoing basis, cash is required for property tax in the range of
0.5 to 2 per cent. This is larger in comparison with the low house tax, typically under 0.5 per cent of the property value, paid in
most cities in India.
Additionally there is a wealth tax levied based on the property
value and one may also have to account for property management and upkeep expenses.
Also, unlike the Indian market where prices have risen even
before the deal is closed, even in
a liquid overseas market, there is
a risk of deflation. This needs to be factored, especially if one has a fixed time horizon for exit.
Income from property abroad may be subject to double
taxation. Even if there is no income from the property, a notional rate of rent may be
applied and taxed.
India has Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA)
with countries such as the US,but checking with tax consultants in India and the
country where the property is located will save a lot of hassle.
Global round-up
We have listed some of the popular destinations for property investments, along with costs,
features and rental yield. An investment capital of Rs 2 crore
is used as a base, considering the annual remittance limit of $.200,000 and assuming joint ownership by two investors.
Want to buy property abroad?
It’s a great time to do so and here is how you can go about it.
With local property prices soaring, why not look at buying a
home abroad? Foreign real estate may offer good returns on
three counts - bargain prices due to the downtrend in markets
such as the US, Europe and Dubai, a weakening Rupee and
healthy rental yields of over 5 per cent. Real estate markets abroad are also more liquid.
Financing the Purchase So how do you buy? Home purchases in other countries are typically self-financed, as banks in India do not lend for property
purchases abroad. Citizenship and requirements such as
ownership of other assets in the country make it near impossible to get loan from banks overseas.
The purchase amount is subject to the Liberalised Remittance Scheme’s annual limit of $.200,000 per person. Joint ownership and purchasing properties that are still under
construction, where payments are made over multiple years, are typically used to purchase higher
value property.
In addition to the personal financing route, property
investment can also be made through the corporate route.
Companies are allowed to purchase property to be used by
their overseas subsidiary.
This has been the route that is widely used by Indian professionals who are buying property in London. “Using the
company route offers at least two benefits — one can avail
bank loans and avoid large inheritance taxes imposed on
individuals”, says Ahuja. Home loans are available at rates below the rental yield in many countries, including Singapore
and the UK. There is also tax benefit on interest payments.
These properties therefore generate cash, in addition to
having the potential for capital appreciation.
Legal Considerations
Besides the obvious need for due diligence, additional country-specific laws need to be considered. For example,purchasing property in the US
has to be done through a registered agent and the buyer
requires a Tax ID Number (TIN).
In Thailand, foreigners are not allowed to own land, but can
only hold a long tenure lease on
the land. Singapore and Australia require government clearance
for foreigners to own a property with land.
Inheritance laws vary with country and cross-border succession issues can be quite tricky. Inheritance tax rate and laws governing estate transfers
may depend on one’s
citizenship/residential status. In countries such as the UK,
inheritance tax can be quite large— around 30 per cent, vastly
reducing realised returns. One must also consider entry and visa restrictions imposed by the country.
Financing, Tax Aspects
Compared with buying local,
overseas property purchase involves additional expenses and needs to be budgeted. Foreign
exchange rates may move unfavourably, increasing the total
outlay required. Broker fees may
range as high as 5 per cent and legal fees may be an additional 1 to 5 per cent.
Some countries such as Singapore require foreigners to pay an additional 10 per cent
stamp duty on purchase. On an ongoing basis, cash is required for property tax in the range of
0.5 to 2 per cent. This is larger in comparison with the low house tax, typically under 0.5 per cent of the property value, paid in
most cities in India.
Additionally there is a wealth tax levied based on the property
value and one may also have to account for property management and upkeep expenses.
Also, unlike the Indian market where prices have risen even
before the deal is closed, even in
a liquid overseas market, there is
a risk of deflation. This needs to be factored, especially if one has a fixed time horizon for exit.
Income from property abroad may be subject to double
taxation. Even if there is no income from the property, a notional rate of rent may be
applied and taxed.
India has Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA)
with countries such as the US,but checking with tax consultants in India and the
country where the property is located will save a lot of hassle.
Global round-up
We have listed some of the popular destinations for property investments, along with costs,
features and rental yield. An investment capital of Rs 2 crore
is used as a base, considering the annual remittance limit of $.200,000 and assuming joint ownership by two investors.
Saturday, 8 June 2013
TechHuB!
REVIEW: HTC ONE
In the year 2013, few things are as hyped as a new premium
smartphone. There were adverts for the Sony Xperia Z all over the national press, technology journalists (ourselves included)
are falling over themselves to pick up on any rumours about
the Samsung Galaxy S4 and even staid, businesslike BlackBerry hired Alicia Keys to be its Creative
Director. By contrast, HTC has been relatively quiet about the new HTC One.
There was a launch press conference in London but,acrobats aside, there were few
gimmicks. Make no mistake,though; this is the big one. HTC
has fallen far behind Apple and Samsung in sales, and it hopes
this is the top-end phone to revive its fortunes.
First impressions, thankfully, are
great. The One is a gorgeous phone, and we think it wipes the
floor with the Sony Xperia Z. The combination of metal rear,bevelled metal edges and edge-
to-edge screen are class itself,and make the Xperia Z feel
square and tacky, despite its glass rear. The HTC One's curved
back also makes it comfortable to hold - a minor downside is that it's tricky to type when it’s lying flat on a desk.
The metal-backed HTC One is a thing of beauty, and even out-
classes the Sony Xperia Z's glass chassis We were also seriously impressed with the screen. It's a
4.7in model with a Full HD 1,920x1,080 resolution, leading
to a huge pixel density figure of 468ppi. When compared side-by-
side with the Xperia Z's display,we preferred the HTC One's screen, thanks to its superb contrast. It has incredibly deep
blacks (for an LCD at least), and our test photos showed rich,
vibrant colours and plenty of shadow detail.
The Xperia Z had the advantage when it came to looking at web pages, however; its slightly larger 5in display meant text was ever-so-slightly larger and easier to
read when web pages were fully zoomed out, helped by brilliant white backgrounds,compared to the very slight grey tinge on the
HTC One.
Last year it was 720p, now Full HD 1080p screens are becoming the norm on top-end
smartphones
The HTC One wins out when it comes to web browsing performance. It has a quad-core 1.7GHz processor, and completed our Sunspider JavaScript
benchmark in a super-fast 1,123ms. This is far faster than the 1,890ms we saw from the Xperia Z, but we think much of this is down to the speed of the Xperia Z's browser. For comparison, we ran the same test using the fast Dolphin
browser, and the HTC One remained ahead of the Xperia Z with a score of 1,120ms
compared to 1,357ms.
This difference was borne out in our subjective web browsing tests. Both phones rendered
graphics heavy web pages at a similar speed, but when zoomed in and panning around a web page, the Xperia Z would stutter when coming across a large
image – a problem we didn’t have with the HTC One.
Luckily, HTC has provided a huge 2,300mAh battery to power the fast processor and bright screen.
The handset managed 8h 32m in our continuous video playback test, which is a strong result and
bodes well for all-day battery life.
SENSE 5.0
An Android smartphone can be
beautifully designed and have an amazing screen and top-notch
chipset, but none of this will make any difference if the
software is rubbish. HTC sails closer to the wind than most on
this front, as it heavily customises Android with its latest Sense
interface.
Sense has always divided opinion, but this time HTC has
really pushed the boat out!
So how is it for you? Comfort and Useful!
In the year 2013, few things are as hyped as a new premium
smartphone. There were adverts for the Sony Xperia Z all over the national press, technology journalists (ourselves included)
are falling over themselves to pick up on any rumours about
the Samsung Galaxy S4 and even staid, businesslike BlackBerry hired Alicia Keys to be its Creative
Director. By contrast, HTC has been relatively quiet about the new HTC One.
There was a launch press conference in London but,acrobats aside, there were few
gimmicks. Make no mistake,though; this is the big one. HTC
has fallen far behind Apple and Samsung in sales, and it hopes
this is the top-end phone to revive its fortunes.
First impressions, thankfully, are
great. The One is a gorgeous phone, and we think it wipes the
floor with the Sony Xperia Z. The combination of metal rear,bevelled metal edges and edge-
to-edge screen are class itself,and make the Xperia Z feel
square and tacky, despite its glass rear. The HTC One's curved
back also makes it comfortable to hold - a minor downside is that it's tricky to type when it’s lying flat on a desk.
The metal-backed HTC One is a thing of beauty, and even out-
classes the Sony Xperia Z's glass chassis We were also seriously impressed with the screen. It's a
4.7in model with a Full HD 1,920x1,080 resolution, leading
to a huge pixel density figure of 468ppi. When compared side-by-
side with the Xperia Z's display,we preferred the HTC One's screen, thanks to its superb contrast. It has incredibly deep
blacks (for an LCD at least), and our test photos showed rich,
vibrant colours and plenty of shadow detail.
The Xperia Z had the advantage when it came to looking at web pages, however; its slightly larger 5in display meant text was ever-so-slightly larger and easier to
read when web pages were fully zoomed out, helped by brilliant white backgrounds,compared to the very slight grey tinge on the
HTC One.
Last year it was 720p, now Full HD 1080p screens are becoming the norm on top-end
smartphones
The HTC One wins out when it comes to web browsing performance. It has a quad-core 1.7GHz processor, and completed our Sunspider JavaScript
benchmark in a super-fast 1,123ms. This is far faster than the 1,890ms we saw from the Xperia Z, but we think much of this is down to the speed of the Xperia Z's browser. For comparison, we ran the same test using the fast Dolphin
browser, and the HTC One remained ahead of the Xperia Z with a score of 1,120ms
compared to 1,357ms.
This difference was borne out in our subjective web browsing tests. Both phones rendered
graphics heavy web pages at a similar speed, but when zoomed in and panning around a web page, the Xperia Z would stutter when coming across a large
image – a problem we didn’t have with the HTC One.
Luckily, HTC has provided a huge 2,300mAh battery to power the fast processor and bright screen.
The handset managed 8h 32m in our continuous video playback test, which is a strong result and
bodes well for all-day battery life.
SENSE 5.0
An Android smartphone can be
beautifully designed and have an amazing screen and top-notch
chipset, but none of this will make any difference if the
software is rubbish. HTC sails closer to the wind than most on
this front, as it heavily customises Android with its latest Sense
interface.
Sense has always divided opinion, but this time HTC has
really pushed the boat out!
So how is it for you? Comfort and Useful!
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