Stuff | Esat Dedezade

...it offers one of the most premium examples of smartphone build quality around - a fantastic achievement on HTC's part.

Mobile Choice | Alistair Charlton

For anyone looking to upgrade their smartphone, but who doesn't fancy man-handling some of the behemoths currently on sale, the One mini 2 is perfect. HTC didn't quite have the courage to give it specs to match the One (M8), and that's a shame, but for 90% of our time with the mini 2 we was unaware of the performance deficit, such is the handset's ability to cope with everyday life.

The Guardian | Samuel Gibbs

If you're looking for a well made, smaller Android phone then the HTC One mini 2 is arguably one of the best. It would make a solid upgrade from smartphones bought around two years ago, while not being truly hand stretching like most of the other premium smartphones with 5in or larger screens.

International Business Times | David Gilbert

The phone is well-built, well designed, and despite not having the most cutting edge technology has enough power to easily meet most people's needs. It has a great screen and decent battery life, and is much easier to use in one hand than most of 2014's flagship smartphones.

Australian PC World | Tony Ibrahim

The One Mini 2 will meet the needs of any iPhone 5 owner who relished the small form of their Apple smartphone. Sculpted from metal, studded in black and wearing the marks of precision craftsmanship, the Mini 2 truly is a sight to behold. Knowing HTC could have made this smartphone smaller yet is disappointing, but it's a gripe easily overcome.

NotebookCheck | Florian Wimmer

Buyers who liked the very high-quality casing of HTC's One M8, want speakers with a similar quality for a somewhat lower price, and can live with the lower performance can take HTC's One Mini 2 without hesitation.

What Mobile | Saqib Shah

Nonetheless, if you can overlook its processor problems, then what you're left with is an immaculately designed smartphone that can handle high-end games and web browsing and offers a variety of useful features.

Coolsmartphone | Leigh Geary

Now, whilst I'd still personally choose the HTC One M8 if you've got the money, the HTC One mini 2 really isn't a massive compromise. The build-quality is spot on, the metal construction is strong and has a quality feel throughout.

Engadget | Jamie Rigg

HTC's One mini 2 is a fantastic-looking phone with much of the One M8's appeal. Beneath the brushed-aluminum body is capable internal hardware, even if it's not a huge improvement over last year's One mini. The 13-megapixel camera leaves a lot to be desired, but if you want the M8's premium design at a cheaper price or in a smaller form factor, you won't be disappointed.

pocketnow | Michael Fisher

So on the whole, the One mini 2 is indeed a compromise, just like most of the mini flagships that came before it. But thanks to its top-notch construction and solid fundamentals, it's one we can happily recommend – for the right price.

Phone Scoop | Eric M. Zeman

There's no doubt in my mind that the HTC One mini 2 is among the best mid-range devices you can buy. The design, materials, and build quality are surpassed only by HTC itself with the larger One. What the mini 2 lacks in sheer volume of features, it makes up for with heart, grit, and some good decisions on HTC's part.

Recombu | Alex Todd

HTC knows how to make a solid all-round smartphone experience. The One Mini 2 will receive greater support for longer and comes with a better camera, but whether it's the better purchase ultimately falls to you.

Android Authority | Joshua Vergara

While it might not offer the same raw power underneath the hood, it is still more than viable for even somewhat above average users. A more conventional 13 megapixel rear camera, despite having its own limitations, has already done its part to attract a few users on its own.

BGR | Zach Epstein

The HTC One mini 2 is a clear winner when it comes to design in the mid-range category. There is not a single widely available phone in its class that can even approach the look and feel of the One mini 2.

SlashGear | Chris Davies

Aesthetically it's my favorite of the midrange phones, and while the camera falls short, the performance, software, and tidbits like BoomSound are most welcome. What I'm still not convinced about is the price.

ITProPortal | Sandra Vogel

Overall there are no major problems with the HTC One mini 2. It's solidly made, has a good screen, some nice features, and it performs well enough. The battery is perhaps disappointing, but there are some life extending tweaks you can apply.

Know Your Mobile | Paul Briden

A rather well-rounded smartphone offering wrapped in a luxurious outer shell and with excellent multimedia capabilities. The main drawback is the relative fragility and expense for what it is compared to similar devices.

TechRadar | John McCann

That said, compare it to its size rivals - the iPhone 5S and 5C, Xperia Z1 Compact and Ascend P7 - and the One Mini 2 is still a very capable handset at a reasonable price point.

Pocket-lint | Chris Hall

That's the biggest barrier we see to the HTC One mini 2: you have to really want that design and Sense 6.0 software to justify the price. It's a phone that doesn't do anything inherently wrong, but you can buy yourself a phone that will offer a similar experience for half the price.

The Gadget Show

You do get the solid M8 build though, as well as Boomsound speakers and a camera than sometimes outdoes the original M8's. There are compromises, but its solid chassis makes for an alluring handset that's hard to pass up.

PC Advisor | Chris Martin

The HTC One mini 2 is one of the better examples of a mid-ranged version of a flagship smartphone. It has the same premium feel as the M8 with only a few downgrades - namely a lower res screen and no Duo Camera or IR blaster.

The Verge | Vlad Savov

The One mini 2 aims to bring premium design into a part of the smartphone market that's more sensitive to price than aesthetics.Those whose budgets are constrained to the One mini 2's price bracket would probably be better served seeking greater functionality and performance - as offered by Sony's Xperia Z1 Compact - than classy good looks.

TechnoBuffalo | Todd Haselton

I think the One Mini 2 is a much better follow-up to the One (M8) than the original One Mini was to the One (M7) last year. It maintains much more of the overall look and feel of its flagship brother and, while there are some sacrifices made, I like that HTC didn't water down the camera (for some it's an improvement), and that it generally looks like a smaller flagship device.

CNET UK | Andrew Hoyle

With its slick metal body, the HTC One Mini 2 is among the most luxurious compact phones around. HTC, however, has given it a set of specs that put it more alongside the dirt-cheap Moto G than the One M8. This is definitely not the flagship One M8 in a more compact form. If style is of the utmost importance, it's worth checking out, but the Moto G is much better value.

Trusted Reviews | Michael Sawh

The HTC One Mini 2 is a nice phone, but at launch it's a little expensive. If you love the design you won't be disappointed with the One Mini 2, but we'd recommend most people seek out cheaper alternatives or wait for the price to drop a little.

Wired UK | Dave Oliver

The HTC One mini 2 offers a few welcome upgrades to the original and does a fairly good job of offering a cut-price alternative to the full-grown version, delivering a good range of specs without too much compromise, in an equally classy, if only slightly smaller package.

PC Pro | Jonathan Bray

Nice enough, but the price is too high for a phone with such middling specifications.

Digital Versus | Florence Legrand

The One Mini 2 has improved several aspects of the previous compact version of the One. But, while it functions well overall, it's difficult to recommend it over a G2 Mini and especially an Xperia Z1 Compact, which is now available at a more reasonable price.

Expert Reviews | Katharine Byrne

Looks desirable, but its underpowered hardware makes the One Mini 2 feel too overpriced

Digital Spy | Ben Griffin

Anyone who goes for the One mini 2 will end up with a very capable Android smartphone. It's just you could save yourself a fair few quid with the Moto G or Nexus 5 and end up in an equal or better position.