The HTC One V is the smaller cousin to the company’s One X and One S, both in terms of specifications and price. However you would be surprised at the capabilities of the One V compared to similar phones in the mid-range category.

It may even outshine other similar phones

Our model had a single core 1GHz processor, 512 MB of RAM, a 3.7-inch WVGA screen, a 5MP camera, Android 4.03 Ice Cream Sandwich and HTC Sense 4.

This smartphone is slimline and feels just about the right size to hold. It’s roughly the same size of the iPhone 4S but, and here’s the deal, the display “feels” large compared to other phones in the same category. This is good for internet use. Viewing angles on the 800x480-pixel display are relatively good and the display is sharp enough.

The single core 1GHz processor is more than enough for mundane use, though you cannot expect to do a lot of multitasking with this processor and just 512MB of RAM. This is certainly not the phone for mobile gamers.

Yet this limited processing power handles Android 4.03 Ice Cream Sandwich rather well. Despite the fact that this is considered as a mid-range phone with essential features, it comes with Android 4, the latest version of this operating system available right now. Most similar phones are still based on Gingerbread 2.3.

The camera is only 5Mp but takes good pictures and can even take stills from video recordings.

You cannot remove the battery to put a new, fully-charged, one. It lasts for one day with full use in terms of phones, SMS and internet but it is strongly suggested you keep the charging cord handy.

Making and receiving calls is ok and done like all other mundane tasks.

Our verdict is that though this is not a high-end smartphone, it does its job rather well and gives a decent account of itself for its price tag. It may even outshine other phones in the similar mid-range category, and the fact it sports the latest Android 4 operating system is surely a bonus.

Go plc made the HTC One V available for review to i-Tech.