HTC Butterfly 2

“The original Butterfly got a chance to take a look from the top but it was too short to enjoy. The interim flagship was soon ousted by the first HTC One and the Butterflies have since been living in the ruling family's shadow.The HTC Butterfly 2 is clearly timed to catch the slipstream of an outgoing flagship without having to look out for oncoming traffic. Perhaps the HTC One (M8) should be more worried about a future in which Qualcomm's bringing out the 64-bit Snapdragon 810. It's the kind of thing to cause a major stir in the premium segment, with UHD screen resolution suddenly looking cooler and with performance and power management redefined.Being a backup to the flagship, the HTC Butterfly 2 is probably safe from this kind of danger. It looks the part and has all that made the One (E8) such a good alternative to the One (M8), plus water resistance. And the fact that the Butterfly's protected against the elements without covering its ports is a good thing - having to undo a flap any time you need recharging is an annoyance.The Butterfly 2 doesn't have the exceptional build and finish of the flagship but the IP57 certification and a 13MP camera over the Ultrapixel, will probably tip the scales for many users. The Butterfly 2's camera actually is the best of both worlds: a higher resolution sensor in a Duo setup for depth-of-field effects, which are exclusive to HTC.”

“The HTC Butterfly is 2 is available in the US directly from HTC or Expansys for $619.99. Unfortunately, the option for subsidized rates from network carriers isn’t available.So there you have it – a closer look at the HTC Butterfly 2! The Butterfly 2 is basically the One (M8) in a plastic body, offering the same user experience that you’d get with the flagship device. Additions such as the resistance against dust and water are useful, but even with the upgraded camera unit, image quality is still found lacking. While the HTC Butterfly 2 could have served as a way to fix some of the issues with its flagship counterpart, it ultimately ends up offering not much more or less.”

“Nonetheless, we’re not too saddened by this realization, since the Butterfly 2 isn’t much of a drastic improvement over the One M8. Sure, it gains a water resistant construction and a more formidable 13-megapixel camera, but it loses its signature unibody aluminum body, which unequivocally gave the phone its biggest advantage - one of the best premium designs out there. At its core, the Butterfly 2 feels more like a device to tide over those who felt that the M8 was lacking, but in the back of our minds, we’re really hoping to see HTC carry on some of the new things present here into its next flagship device.”