HTC One (E8)

“More performance for less money – the One E8 is definitely an interesting alternative if you like the plastic case. It inherited many good features from the One M8 as well as the smaller HTC One Mini 2, which was actually better than the One M8 in some areas. The camera of the One E8, for example, has a higher resolution and the battery lasts longer. At the same time you get more performance.You still get the good software, the nice design and the great touchscreen. The sound quality of the speakers cannot quite keep up with the One M8, but they are very good for a smartphone nonetheless. We cannot confirm a possible cheating in benchmarks like 3DMark 2013 this time, so there is no point deduction.The HTC One E8 is available for around 400 Euros (~$500) and can actually compete with high-end devices. There are some small drawbacks like the stability of the case or the limited communication features, but the HTC One E8 is still a real recommendation for anybody who wants a very good smartphone for a low price.”

“The use of plastic in a phone's design can get overblown—there are right and wrong ways to use the material, but companies like Motorola, Apple, and Nokia have shown that plastic doesn't have to mean cheap. HTC's design heritage shines through with the One E8, which harkens back to the original One X, another beautifully designed plastic phone. It's a compromise, no doubt, compared with the premium feel of the M8, but nearly every other feature that made that phone great remains here, just at a discounted price. The E8 is the One for pragmatists, and thus earns our Editors' Choice award.”

“The HTC One series has at least one feature it can hang its hat on - premium design. This became absolutely critical with the M8, as the scorching hot flagship was outclassed by its competitors in many other areas - performance and camera being the most obvious.There goes the One (E8) - one that has to make do with its seemingly biggest advantage taken away, the aluminum unibody and its slick finish and chamfered edges replaced by polycarbonate. Now, isn't that a recipe for disaster? Especially for a company that's been struggling to regain lost market share, you'd think that moving away from your strongest suit would be a mistake. The HTC One (E8), however, has proven to be anything but.While the M8 is still quite a stunner whose only real rival in terms of design is the Sony Xperia Z2, it has proven to have several weaknesses that have since been taken advantage of by the competition. With the M8, HTC chose to stick to its 4MP UltraPixel guns second generation running, despite the lackluster performance. The Qualcomm MSM8974AB Snapdragon 801 chip that the M8 came with has also since been outperformed by competing flagships.The HTC One (E8) solves both of those problems, and solves them handily.”

“There are a number of areas where the HTC One E8 fails to live up to the M8 experience. But given the reduced price that is to be expected, so it's difficult to see the E8 as doing anything but delivering on its aims.The speed, power and software experience is, with only a few minor exceptions, the same as the already excellent M8. In short that makes the E8 a compelling option if you're looking for a powerful and affordable Android handset.But the M8 this isn't, and the plastic design does make a difference. In the world of smartphones that design difference might be diminished by using a cover, but for those who don't, what the E8 lacks is that premium feel you get every time you touch your phone. The E8 might leave you wanting more: indeed it might leave you wanting the M8 instead.”