We’ve spent weeks drooling over leaked renders and rumored specifications for the HTC One, but at press events in London and New York today, the device finally got its official unveiling. Thanks to all those rumors, there wasn’t a great deal of surprise in HTC’s announcement. But nevertheless, the One looks like an incredible smartphone.

In addition to its 4.7-inch LCD display, which boasts a full 1080p resolution with 468 pixels-per-inch, the One sports a gorgeous form factor (one of the nicest I’ve seen on an Android device), a 1.7GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, and a new “UltraPixel” camera technology that captures around three times more light than than conventional 8-megapixel cameras.

That UltraPixel camera is certainly the One’s biggest selling point, and it’s what sets it apart from other flagship smartphones. HTC’s taking a bold step forward that other Android manufacturers aren’t taking, and it might be what’s needed to allow the One to compete with rivals like the Galaxy S IV, which is expected in March.

The One’s camera features a custom imaging sensor that can absorb around three times more light that a conventional 8-megapixel camera, which will provide you with significantly better low-light photographs than you’ve gotten from other smartphones to date — except perhaps the Nokia 808 PureView.

There is a downside, however; the technology limits the resolution of photos taken on the One to 4 megapixels — not that that’s insignificant by any means. Other camera features include optical image stabilization, HDR video recording, and a new photo editing suite.

The One also offers a new sound experience, which HTC is calling “BoomSound.” It promises “the best audio experience of any mobile phone,” using two front-facing stereo speakers that sit above and below the display. As you’d expect, the One also offers Beats audio integration, while its dual-microphone setup gives you HDR sound.

Other hardware features include 4G connectivity, a 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor — that’s a step up from the Snapdragon S4 Pro, 32GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot, a 2,300 mAh battery, GPS, Bluetooth 4.0, and NFC. The One also has an infrared emitter on its top end, which lets you use the device as a television remote.

Seriously, is there anything this smartphone doesn’t do?

HTC has also made some big improvements when it comes to software, too. The One is the first smartphone to offer HTC’s next-generation Sense 5.0 interface, which is vastly different to its predecessors. It looks completely different — as those leaked renders showed — and offers plenty of new features, such as the TV remote app I mentioned above.

The device will be available worldwide in black, silver, and red towards the end of March, and I can’t wait to get my hands on one. With its cutting-edge specifications, plus unique features like the UltraPixel camera and BoomSound, the One could be the first HTC smartphone that gives Samsung’s Galaxy devices a run for their money.

• SourceHTC