HTC One (M8)

“Fans of the old HTC One M7 will be very satisfied with the new generation: Finally expandable storage, finally a unibody case, finally a higher-resolution camera – although at the front. The camera at the back still just uses a 4 MP sensor. We can understand that the manufacturer does not want to follow the MP race, but the pictures would definitely benefit from some more pixels. HTC includes a second camera at the back in return that helps with quick focusing and enables cool effects. Picture enthusiasts, however, will not be satisfied. The speakers are now even better than before: Very loud, very well defined and clear. They also improve the voice quality: Both persons on the call can easily understand each other. The display is similar to the predecessor, but the battery runtimes are shorter, at least if you do not use HTC’s Extreme Power Saving Mode, which is a very useful feature. All necessary communication modules are integrated and work very well. The touchscreen is very precise and cool accessories like the DotView cover expand the features. The HTC One M8 is a very good smartphone with a lot of performance and an appealing design. However, you should look for another device if you want a very good camera. If a jukebox is more important for you, then the M8, once again, offers the currently best smartphone speakers. We also add one percent point for the great accessories that expand the features and the good software equipment, but deduct one point for the manipulation of benchmark results and the missing Zoe app.”

“It's faster, it's got even more metal in it, and Sense is better and more modular. The huge speakers are back, along with a pretty much unchanged (and mediocre) UltraPixel camera. The extra camera is a silly gimmick that you can pretty much ignore, although you will still have to watch out for it when holding the phone to take a picture. The screen is bigger, but the on-screen buttons use up screen space and don't make the device any smaller, which is not a great trade-off. Thanks to the big speakers and bezel, the One M8 is the largest 5-inch Android phone, which is not a good thing. If you can get over the bloated size and poor camera, the M8 is a fine phone, and there's even a Google Play Edition available that will have better software and faster updates, although you'll be paying full price for it.Overall, it just doesn't seem like much has changed. If you liked the old HTC One, you'll like the new HTC One, but the problem for HTC is that not many people bought the old HTC One. An iterative update like this would be fine from a market leader with no reason to innovate, but from an underdog like HTC, we would have liked to have seen something bolder. The speed bump is nice and the build quality is fantastic, but the new One seems destined to the same fate as the old One. If we were in HTC's position, we would be looking for a way to upend the market. The One M8 will be enough to keep the company trucking for another year, but it won't change its market position.”

“Superb to look at and hold and extremely capable, the HTC One (M8) is a proper flagship smartphone. The development team behind it deserves praise for improving the strengths of the first generation while also addressing some of its biggest shortcomings.”

“HTC's precision craftsmanship meets Google's purest vision for Android in the HTC One (M8) Google Play Edition (GPE)—the latest in the company's growing stable of Experience-branded devices. Unlocked and unburdened by carrier or manufacturer customization, the One (M8) GPE liberates owners to pick their service and apps as they see fit. And like all Google Experience devices, the One (M8) is guaranteed timely updates to the latest versions of Android. For the purists and the particular, the One (M8) GPE represents the pinnacle of design and performance without compromise.”