The successor to the last years HTC One (M7) is here. The All new HTC One (M8) is Sexier and has been improved a lot than its predecessor. Here’s all you need to know.
To go along with the launch of the HTC One (M8), HTC has released a video introduction to the HTC One (M8). The video is a montage of parts belonging to the HTC One (M8), all coming together to create this amazing smartphone.
First let’s take a look at the specs. The new HTC One (M8) has a 5-inch 1080p SuperLCD 3 screen with the new, hardened Gorilla Glass 3 coating. The Capacitive buttons are gone, and is replaced by on screen buttons just like we saw with the leaks.
It’s powered by the new 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor and 2GB of RAM, and packs in 16GB/32GB of internal storage and HTC has finally stuck a micro SD expandable slot in the side of the device that can support 128GB worth of storage. You also get 50GB of free Google Drive space for 2 Years along with the device.
It’s powered by a 2600mAh battery, which promises an “all-day” battery life. HTC promises that you get 10 per cent more talk time and video playback with the new device, which certainly doesn’t sound “all-day” based on our original battery tests of the first One. We will have to test on this when we get a device. The One M8 does pack in a fast-charging ability, however, which juices the device up from sub-10 per cent to 80 per cent within one hour.
There’s also a decidedly Samsung-esque extreme power saving mode that promises 10 dys of standby while still allowing basic apps and connectivity. We saw something similar on the new Galaxy S5 at Mobile World Congress called “Ultra Power Saving Mode”.
he new HTC One (M8) again takes the smartphone audio experience to new heights according to HTC. The latest HTC BoomSound™ technology creates an immersive, powerful, crystal-clear sound with rich tones from bass through to treble. Delivering sound that is 25% louder than the HTC One (M7), without compromising quality, the new HTC One (M8) has dual frontal stereo speakers with a new amplifier, redesigned speaker chambers and a tailored audio profile for a truly high definition experience.
The new One M8 supports it all when it comes to connectivity, the device will support 3G & 4G LTE out of the box.
The phone will come inGunmetal Gray, Glacial Silver for now and Amber Gold model will be launched later this year.
The Camera on the HTC One (M8) features a 4MP camera with 1/3″ sensor, 2 micron-sized pixels and f/2.0 aperture plus a second camera located above it meant to gather depth information. HTC calls this “Duo Camera”. It mimics the stereoscopic abilities of the human eye – two independent lenses able to calculate the relative distance of the subjects in an image. HTC’s dual camera setup enables cool effects such as selective focus (shallow depth of field) and post-shot refocusing (just like we saw on the Galaxy S5 and Oppo Find 7, even though they had just 1 Camera). The front-facing camera is a wide-angle 5 MP unit. HTC also said that there’s faster focus, and claims the One (M8) can focus in just 0.3s.
There are improvements in the flash too – it features a new duo LED Smart Flash system with two differently coloured LEDs, similar to what Apple uses for the iPhone 5S (True Tone Flash). It illuminates the cool and warm LEDs in one of over a five hundred unique colour temperature combinations, for more accurate colour reproduction with less “flash colour tint” according to HTC. The new HTC One doesn’t feature optical image stabilization, since the technology is not possible with dual-lens camera systems. HTC claims that its digital Smart Stabilization works just as well, but we will have to test it, when we get the device. We will include all thesethings in the Review here at Andro Dollar when we get the device.
Moving on to the Software department, the All new HTC One, is running Android version 4.4 KitKat with Sense 6 on top. One of the coolest new features brought by the updated package is Motion Launch, which lets you quickly open the camera or unlock the phone while the screen is off. Picking up the One (M8) in landscape mode and pressing the volume button will launch the camera. There’s double tap or slide up from the bottom to wake the phone. While locked you can pick up the phone in portrait mode and swipe left on its screen to launch the widget panel or right for BlinkFeed. These gestures will come in pretty handy, most of the time. Blinkfeed has also been updated and the API is now open for developers to make modifications.
HTC has also updated Sense TV, and it is “The only remote you need” according to HTC. The new HTC One (M8) has been redesigned to provide an interactive second screen. You can follow the conversation about the programme online with integrated official Facebook and Twitter streams along with all the latest fan commentary from your social circles. HTC Sense TV now also brings live sports statistics for the 10 most popular sports in the world, with sports fans now able to access the latest scores, match statistics and live updates from unmissable games while they watch another game on the main TV screen. We doubt whether all the above features will work globally, as we have seen some features not working in some regions earlier.
The HTC One comes with a variety of accessories like the Flip Case, Double Dip case (each in three colors), Dot View case (showing you alarms, events, calls, battery, weather and more in a colorful dotted way) and more.
According to HTC, the handset will roll out to over 230 operators across the globe beginning today, March 25th.
According to Android Police, the Google Play Edition device is also coming our way. There will be a special Developer edition of the HTC One in the US with an unlocked boot-loader, just like last year as well.
