HTC One (M8) smartphone review: the most metallic. HTC One (M8) review

Information about the make, model, and alternative names of the specific device, if available.

Design

Information about the dimensions and weight of the device, presented in different units of measurement. Materials used, colors offered, certificates.

Width Width information - refers to the horizontal side of the device in its standard orientation during use.	70.6 mm (millimeters) 7.06 cm (centimeters) 0.23 ft (feet) 2.78 in (inches)
Height Height information - refers to the vertical side of the device in its standard orientation during use.	146.36 mm (millimeters) 14.64 cm (centimeters) 0.48 ft (feet) 5.76 in (inches)
Thickness Information about the thickness of the device in different units of measurement.	9.35 mm (millimeters) 0.94 cm (centimeters) 0.03 ft (feet) 0.37 in (inches)
Weight Information about the weight of the device in different units of measurement.	160 g (grams) 0.35 lbs 5.64 oz (ounces)
Volume The approximate volume of the device, calculated based on the dimensions provided by the manufacturer. Refers to devices with the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped.	96.61 cm³ (cubic centimeters) 5.87 in³ (cubic inches)
Colors Information about the colors in which this device is offered for sale.	Silver Grey Golden Red
Materials for making the case Materials used to make the device body.	Aluminum alloy Plastic

SIM card

The SIM card is used in mobile devices to store data that certifies the authenticity of mobile service subscribers.

Mobile networks

A mobile network is a radio system that allows multiple mobile devices to communicate with each other.

GSM GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) is designed to replace the analogue mobile network (1G). For this reason, GSM is often called a 2G mobile network. It is improved by the addition of GPRS (General Packet Radio Services), and later EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) technologies.	GSM 850 MHz GSM 900 MHz GSM 1800 MHz GSM 1900 MHz
CDMA CDMA (Code-Division Multiple Access) is a channel access method used in communications in mobile networks. Compared to other 2G and 2.5G standards like GSM and TDMA, it provides higher data transfer speeds and the ability to connect more consumers at the same time.	CDMA 800 MHz CDMA 1900 MHz
CDMA2000 CDMA2000 is a group of 3G mobile network standards based on CDMA. Their advantages include a more powerful signal, fewer interruptions and network breaks, analog signal support, wide spectral coverage, etc.	1xEV-DO Rel. 0 1xEV-DO Rev. A 1xRTT
UMTS UMTS is an abbreviation for Universal Mobile Telecommunications System. It is based on the GSM standard and belongs to 3G mobile networks. Developed by 3GPP and its biggest advantage is providing greater speed and spectral efficiency thanks to W-CDMA technology.	UMTS 850 MHz UMTS 900 MHz UMTS 1700/2100 MHz UMTS 1900 MHz UMTS 2100 MHz
LTE LTE (Long Term Evolution) is defined as a fourth generation (4G) technology. It is developed by 3GPP based on GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSPA to increase the capacity and speed of wireless mobile networks. The subsequent technology development is called LTE Advanced.	LTE 700 MHz Class 17 LTE 800 MHz LTE 900 MHz LTE 1700/2100 MHz LTE 1800 MHz LTE 1900 MHz LTE 2100 MHz LTE 2600 MHz

Mobile communication technologies and data transfer speeds

Communication between devices on mobile networks is carried out using technologies that provide different data transfer rates.

Operating system

An operating system is a system software that manages and coordinates the operation of hardware components in a device.

SoC (System on Chip)

A system on a chip (SoC) includes all the most important hardware components of a mobile device on a single chip.

SoC (System on Chip) A system on a chip (SoC) integrates various hardware components, such as a processor, graphics processor, memory, peripherals, interfaces, etc., as well as the software necessary for their operation.	Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 MSM8974AB v3
Process Information about the technological process by which the chip is manufactured. Nanometers measure half the distance between elements in the processor.	28 nm (nanometers)
Processor (CPU) The primary function of a mobile device's processor (CPU) is to interpret and execute instructions contained in software applications.	Krait 400
Processor size The size (in bits) of a processor is determined by the size (in bits) of the registers, address buses, and data buses. 64-bit processors have higher performance compared to 32-bit processors, which in turn are more powerful than 16-bit processors.	32 bit
Instruction Set Architecture Instructions are commands with which the software sets/controls the operation of the processor. Information about the instruction set (ISA) that the processor can execute.	ARMv7
Level 0 cache (L0) Some processors have L0 (level 0) cache, which is faster to access than L1, L2, L3, etc. The advantage of having such memory is not only higher performance, but also reduced power consumption.	4 kB + 4 kB (kilobytes)
Level 1 cache (L1) Cache memory is used by the processor to reduce access time to more frequently used data and instructions. L1 (level 1) cache is small in size and is much faster than both system memory and other cache levels. If the processor does not find the requested data in L1, it continues to look for it in the L2 cache. On some processors, this search is performed simultaneously in L1 and L2.	16 kB + 16 kB (kilobytes)
Level 2 cache (L2) L2 (level 2) cache is slower than L1 cache, but in return it has a higher capacity, allowing it to cache more data. It, like L1, is much faster than system memory (RAM). If the processor does not find the requested data in L2, it continues to look for it in the L3 cache (if available) or in RAM memory.	2048 kB (kilobytes) 2 MB (megabytes)
Number of processor cores The processor core executes software instructions. There are processors with one, two or more cores. Having more cores increases performance by allowing multiple instructions to be executed in parallel.	4
CPU clock speed The clock speed of a processor describes its speed in terms of cycles per second. It is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz).	2300 MHz (megahertz)
Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) The Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) handles calculations for various 2D/3D graphics applications. In mobile devices, it is most often used by games, consumer interfaces, video applications, etc.	Qualcomm Adreno 330
Number of GPU cores Like a CPU, a GPU is made up of several working parts called cores. They handle graphics calculations for various applications.	4
GPU clock speed Running speed is the clock speed of the GPU, measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz).	578 MHz (megahertz)
Amount of random access memory (RAM) Random access memory (RAM) is used by the operating system and all installed applications. Data stored in RAM is lost after the device is turned off or restarted.	2 GB (gigabytes)
Type of random access memory (RAM) Information about the type of random access memory (RAM) used by the device.	LPDDR3
Number of RAM channels Information about the number of RAM channels that are integrated into the SoC. More channels mean higher data rates.	Dual channel
RAM frequency The frequency of RAM determines its operating speed, more specifically, the speed of reading/writing data.	933 MHz (megahertz)

Built-in memory

Each mobile device has built-in (non-removable) memory with a fixed capacity.

Memory cards

Memory cards are used in mobile devices to increase the storage capacity for storing data.

Screen

The screen of a mobile device is characterized by its technology, resolution, pixel density, diagonal length, color depth, etc.

Type/technology One of the main characteristics of the screen is the technology by which it is made and on which the quality of the information image directly depends.	Super LCD 3
Diagonal For mobile devices, screen size is expressed by the length of its diagonal, measured in inches.	5 in (inches) 127 mm (millimeters) 12.7 cm (centimeters)
Width Approximate screen width	2.45 in (inches) 62.26 mm (millimeters) 6.23 cm (centimeters)
Height Approximate screen height	4.36 in (inches) 110.69 mm (millimeters) 11.07 cm (centimeters)
Aspect Ratio The ratio of the dimensions of the long side of the screen to its short side	1.778:1 16:9
Permission Screen resolution shows the number of pixels vertically and horizontally on the screen. Higher resolution means clearer image detail.	1080 x 1920 pixels
Pixel Density Information about the number of pixels per centimeter or inch of the screen. Higher density allows information to be displayed on screen with clearer detail.	441 ppi (pixels per inch) 173 ppcm (pixels per centimeter)
Color depth Screen color depth reflects the total number of bits used for color components in one pixel. Information about the maximum number of colors that the screen can display.	24 bit 16777216 flowers
Screen area Approximate percentage of screen area occupied by the screen on the front of the device.	66.91% (percent)
Other characteristics Information about other screen features and characteristics.	Capacitive Multi-touch Scratch resistance
	Corning Gorilla Glass 3 Oleophobic (lipophobic) coating

Sensors

Different sensors perform different quantitative measurements and convert physical indicators into signals that a mobile device can recognize.

Rear camera

The main camera of a mobile device is usually located on its back panel and may be combined with one or more secondary cameras.

Sensor type	CMOS BSI (backside illumination)
Sensor size Information about the dimensions of the photosensor used in the device. Typically, cameras with larger sensors and lower pixel densities offer higher image quality despite the lower resolution.	5.44 x 3.07 mm (millimeters) 0.25 in (inches)
Pixel size Pixels are usually measured in microns. Larger pixels are able to capture more light and therefore provide better low-light photography and wider dynamic range than smaller pixels. On the other hand, smaller pixels allow for higher resolution while maintaining the same sensor size.	2.024 µm (micrometers) 0.002024 mm (millimeters)
Crop factor The crop factor is the ratio between the dimensions of the full-frame sensor (36 x 24 mm, equivalent to a frame of standard 35 mm film) and the dimensions of the device's photosensor. The indicated number represents the ratio of the diagonals of the full-frame sensor (43.3 mm) and the photosensor of a particular device.	6.93
Svetlosila	f/2
Focal length Focal length indicates the distance in millimeters from the sensor to the optical center of the lens. Equivalent focal length (35mm) is the focal length of a mobile device camera equal to the focal length of a 35mm full-frame sensor, which will achieve the same viewing angle. It is calculated by multiplying the actual focal length of a mobile device's camera by the crop factor of its sensor. Crop factor can be defined as the ratio between the diagonals of a 35 mm full-frame sensor and the sensor of a mobile device.	4.04 mm (millimeters) 27.98 mm (millimeters) *(35 mm / full frame)
Flash type The rear (rear) cameras of mobile devices mainly use LED flashes. They can be configured with one, two or more light sources and vary in shape.	Double LED
Image Resolution	2688 x 1520 pixels 4.09 MP (megapixels)
Video resolution	1920 x 1080 pixels 2.07 MP (megapixels)
	30fps (frames per second)
Characteristics Information about additional software and hardware features of the rear (rear) camera.	Autofocus Digital image stabilization Geographical tags Panoramic photography HDR shooting Touch Focus Face recognition White Balance Adjustment ISO Setting
	720p@120fps Duo camera

Front camera

Smartphones have one or more front cameras of various designs - a pop-up camera, a rotating camera, a cutout or hole in the display, an under-display camera.

Sensor type Information about the camera sensor type. Some of the most widely used types of sensors in mobile device cameras are CMOS, BSI, ISOCELL, etc.	CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor)
Svetlosila F-stop (also known as aperture, aperture, or f-number) is a measure of the size of a lens's aperture, which determines the amount of light entering the sensor. The lower the f-number, the larger the aperture and the more light reaches the sensor. Typically the f-number is specified to correspond to the maximum possible aperture of the aperture.	f/2.8
Image Resolution One of the main characteristics of cameras is resolution. It represents the number of horizontal and vertical pixels in an image. For convenience, smartphone manufacturers often list resolution in megapixels, indicating the approximate number of pixels in millions.	2688 x 1520 pixels 4.09 MP (megapixels)
Video resolution Information about the maximum video resolution that the camera can record.	1920 x 1080 pixels 2.07 MP (megapixels)
Video recording speed (frame rate) Information about the maximum recording speed (frames per second, fps) supported by the camera at maximum resolution. Some of the most basic video recording speeds are 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, 60 fps.	30fps (frames per second)

Audio

Information about the type of speakers and audio technologies supported by the device.

Radio

The radio of the mobile device is a built-in FM receiver.

Location determination

Information about the navigation and location technologies supported by your device.

WiFi

Wi-Fi is a technology that provides wireless communication for transmitting data over close distances between various devices.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a standard for secure wireless data transfer between various devices of different types over short distances.

USB

USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard that allows different electronic devices to exchange data.

HDMI

HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is a digital audio/video interface that replaces older analog audio/video standards.

Headphone jack

This is an audio connector, also called an audio jack. The most widely used standard in mobile devices is the 3.5mm headphone jack.

Connecting devices

Information about other important connection technologies supported by your device.

Browser

A web browser is a software application for accessing and viewing information on the Internet.

Browser Information about some of the main characteristics and standards supported by the device's browser.

HTML HTML5 CSS 3

Audio file formats/codecs

Mobile devices support different audio file formats and codecs, which respectively store and encode/decode digital audio data.

Video file formats/codecs

Mobile devices support different video file formats and codecs, which respectively store and encode/decode digital video data.

Battery

Mobile device batteries differ from each other in their capacity and technology. They provide the electrical charge necessary for their functioning.

Capacity A battery's capacity indicates the maximum charge it can hold, measured in milliamp-hours.	2600 mAh (milliamp-hours)
Type The type of battery is determined by its structure and, more precisely, the chemicals used. There are different types of batteries, with lithium-ion and lithium-ion polymer batteries being the most commonly used batteries in mobile devices.	Li-polymer
2G talk time 2G talk time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged during a continuous conversation on a 2G network.	14 h (hours) 840 min (minutes) 0.6 days
2G latency 2G standby time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged when the device is in stand-by mode and connected to a 2G network.	271 h (hours) 16260 min (minutes) 11.3 days
3G talk time 3G talk time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged during a continuous conversation on a 3G network.	20 h (hours) 1200 min (minutes) 0.8 days
3G latency 3G standby time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged when the device is in stand-by mode and connected to a 3G network.	496 h (hours) 29760 min (minutes) 20.7 days
Characteristics Information about some additional characteristics of the device's battery.	Fixed

Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)

The SAR level refers to the amount of electromagnetic radiation absorbed by the human body while using a mobile device.

Head SAR level (EU) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation that the human body is exposed to when holding a mobile device close to the ear in a conversation position. In Europe, the maximum permissible SAR value for mobile devices is limited to 2 W/kg per 10 grams of human tissue. This standard has been established by CENELEC in accordance with IEC standards, subject to the guidelines of ICNIRP 1998.	0.419 W/kg (Watt per kilogram)
Body SAR level (EU) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation to which the human body is exposed when holding a mobile device at hip level. The maximum permissible SAR value for mobile devices in Europe is 2 W/kg per 10 grams of human tissue. This standard has been established by the CENELEC Committee in compliance with the ICNIRP 1998 guidelines and IEC standards.	0.22 W/kg (Watt per kilogram)
Head SAR level (US) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation that the human body is exposed to when holding a mobile device near the ear. The maximum value used in the USA is 1.6 W/kg per 1 gram of human tissue. Mobile devices in the US are regulated by the CTIA, and the FCC conducts tests and sets their SAR values.	0.54 W/kg (Watt per kilogram)
Body SAR level (US) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation to which the human body is exposed when holding a mobile device at hip level. The highest permissible SAR value in the USA is 1.6 W/kg per 1 gram of human tissue. This value is set by the FCC, and the CTIA monitors mobile devices' compliance with this standard.	1.16 W/kg (Watt per kilogram)

Photos of HTC One in the interior

Positioning

If we evaluate such things as the design and body materials used in a smartphone as subjectively as possible, relying solely on personal feelings, then with the release of the new generation HTC One, I would divide the Android device market into two categories - HTC One (M8) and “other smartphones.” Fortunately or unfortunately, this cannot be done, so in the review I will try to reveal both the positive and negative aspects of the use of an aluminum unibody case in the company’s new flagship and the work of engineers in favor of the design. We will also talk about the hardware of the new HTC One, the camera, display, sound and branded case. There will be a separate article about the updated HTC Sense and all the interface features.

But we should start with the name of the smartphone. Yes, for some, even for many, the company’s move to retain the HTC One name seems incomprehensible, illogical and simply wrong. Personally, I’m on HTC’s side in this matter, and I’ll try to explain why. Like any other more or less well-known manufacturer, even despite a very compact model range, HTC once faced the problem of naming its devices. Simply put, there were a lot of smartphones, ideas on what to call them, and concepts too, but in the end all this began to turn the lineup into a mess, the same as has been observed for many years in the line of phones and smartphones from Nokia, Samsung, LG and other manufacturers . There are almost no exceptions here, except that Apple more or less successfully maintains the simplicity of names, and even then, this applies only to smartphones; in the tablet segment, the company once managed to step on the same rake, calling the next tablet “The New iPad” instead of the usual addition of a number.

In 2012-2013, HTC finally almost solved the problem of names - HTC One X became not just the manufacturer’s new flagship, but a new line of top-end devices with a more or less clear and simple name. Then the X prefix was simplified, and we got a simple and clear “One” series of smartphones: the classic flagship One, the compact One mini and the “spade-shaped” One Max. Perhaps, from the point of view of the convenience of finding accessories for the previous model, searching for other information, communicating with people when discussing the HTC model, the choice to keep the name HTC One seems strange, but from the point of view of name recognition, this is the right step. The efforts spent on promoting HTC One are now converted into recognition of the new flagship with the same name, especially since the company has been advertising the One series for the last six months, and not a specific smartphone. Personally, I also like this choice because of my love for simple names - HTC One sounds short and clear, it’s not HTC One XL, HTC One minimax or anything else, it’s just a new HTC One. However, I cannot but agree with those who believe that simply adding a number would not spoil the new HTC One.

By the way, the HTC One of the previous generation was, on the whole, a successful model for the company, and although one device cannot push the manufacturer to the pedestal where Samsung “sits”, good sales of the flagship showed that the company does not intend to give up and will make every effort to get out of difficult situation. The new HTC One clearly shows how serious the Taiwanese company's intentions are - it is a very balanced, well-tailored and high-quality device. But enough general words, let's move on to the details.

Scope of delivery

The device comes in a flat box that is already familiar to some of the company's new models; the previous HTC One was exactly the same. Inside, in addition to a smartphone and a couple of paper instructions, there is a charging block, a wired stereo headset, a USB-microUSB cable and a gray silicone case.

A headset with a remote control, where there is a button for answering or canceling a call, the format is earplugs, there are replaceable tips. In appearance, these are the simplest inexpensive headphones, I can’t say more.

The silicone case is useful in terms of protecting the case, but is impractical - it quickly becomes covered with dust particles and generally gets very dirty. In addition, the smartphone does not look as cool and impressive with it on as it does without it. However, I am sure that there are those who will find this accessory useful.

Design

The main thing you need to know about the design of the new HTC One is that it is completely different from the previous generation model. Yes, in comparison photos, HTC One (M7) and HTC One (M8) look almost the same, but this is not the case. To appreciate the difference in design, specifically in design, and not in dimensions, metal texture, and so on, you need to pick up a smartphone. Such is the paradox.

The main difference in design between the new and old HTC One is the integrity of the body - while in the M7 the body was made of aluminum, but it looked like it was assembled from several parts, then in the M8 it seems more monolithic. This effect was achieved due to the base; in the M7 it was entirely aluminum, but with plastic inserts not only at the antenna output points, but also at the edges of the body; in the M8 there are only thin strips of plastic at the antenna locations, and that’s all. The very shape of the case in the new HTC One has become smoother and more rounded, due to which the device, despite its dimensions, fits relatively well in the hand.

I think there’s no getting away from comparing the HTC One (M8) with the company’s steel thermos; it just so happens that at a certain viewing angle and lighting “from the back,” the device really resembles this simple and useful item.

HTC One is available in three colors (there are two colors in Russia so far): light silver, gray (pictured in the review) and gold. It is still unknown when we will have a version in gold. It must be said that the classic dark and light gray versions turned out to be very successful in terms of color - the smartphone does not look boring and dull, while the body looks expensive and noble, and a well-chosen color plays an important role in this.

If we briefly summarize only the design, that is, the most subjective part of the review, then I like it very, very much. And the point is not only and not so much in the materials, because now we are looking at the appearance of the smartphone, but in the shape of the body, how it looks on the table, in the hand, how it feels, to a large extent, precisely because of the design.

Housing materials

The main body material is aluminum. The base of the smartphone is made from it; the electronics, display and other elements are placed in it; above and below the screen there are inserts made of plastic to look like aluminum. There is also an insert made of plastic at the top end, where the power button and the IR port window are located.

The problem of placing antennas in the device was solved in the same way as in the previous smartphone. They are located outside the case in small plastic grooves on the “back” of the device.

As for possible scratches, they can hardly be avoided. Yes, the body is made of metal, yes, it looks very tightly built and assembled, but you need to understand that small scratches will still remain on the surface of the aluminum. Exactly the same situation is observed among owners of iPhones: if you want to feel metal in your hand, and not a silicone case (which comes with the HTC One, by the way), you will have to pay for this by wearing out the case.

A positive aspect of using aluminum is the complete absence of visible marks and prints on the body. More precisely, they are there, but completely invisible, no matter how you twist your smartphone and try to look for them. The smallest scratches are also almost unnoticeable, so from the point of view of appearance, the HTC One is good - it will look like new, this smartphone will last for a long time if you do not throw it on the asphalt.

Assembly

The use of a unibody body without removable elements (except for trays for a nanoSIM card and memory card) makes the new HTC One very good in terms of build quality. There are no wobbly or creaking parts, no play of any individual elements, we have a metal bar in front of us that inspires confidence. The downside of this design is maintainability, but that's a completely different story.

Dimensions

For the first time, I will be defending a smartphone with huge, shovel-shaped dimensions, while my position specifically on the size of the HTC device now has nothing to do with the fact that I am an ardent fan and supporter of HTC. Yes, the new One is huge, among smartphones with a 5" screen diagonal, this is one of the largest, that is, one might think and say that the company's engineers, unlike Samsung or LG engineers, for example, failed to arrange the electronics in the case so so that this body is not huge. If you put HTC One, Samsung Galaxy S5 and LG G2 side by side, it turns out that the new One is larger than the “Koreans”, albeit only slightly. In practice, things are a little different.

According to one of the most important parameters that most strongly influences the convenience of gripping and holding a smartphone in your hand, width, the HTC One is even slightly better than the LG G2 and SGS5. The body width of the new One is 70.6 mm, the LG G2 is 70.9 mm, and the Samsung Galaxy S5 is 72.5 mm. The thickness of the case, which in One is greater than that of its competitors, in reality does not play a special role in terms of ease of grip; whether the device has a case with a thickness of 8 mm or 10 mm, you will barely notice it. Yes, there are models with a body made of a piece of paper, almost 5 mm, but whether it is so convenient is a big question. In addition, the HTC One is slightly thicker than its competitors, but the thickness of the body is offset by its smoothness and the absence of sharp corners.

Let's compare the dimensions of different smartphones with 5" screens, and also take several smaller devices to illustrate the difference in size between conventional devices and "shovels":

• Apple iPhone 5S– 123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 mm, 112 grams
• – 146.4 x 70.6 x 9.4 mm, 160 grams
• LG G2 138.5 x 70.9 x 8.9 mm, 143 grams
• Meizu MX3– 139 x 71.9 x 9.1 mm, 143 grams
• Samsung Galaxy Note 3– 151.2 x 79.2 x 8.3 mm, 168 grams
• Samsung Galaxy S5– 142 x 72.5 x 8.1 mm, 145 grams
• Sony Xperia Z2– 146.8 x 73.3 x 8.2 mm, 163 grams

As you can see, the HTC One is comparable in size to its competitors, the LG G2 and SGS5 are slightly more compact, and the closest to the new HTC in size is the Sony Xperia Z2. The Japanese smartphone is slightly thinner, but wider than the One (M8).

HTC One (M8) and HTC One (M7)

HTC One (M8) and Lenovo Vibe X

HTC One (M8) and Nokia Lumia 920

HTC One (M8) and Meizu MX3

HTC One (M8) and Samsung Galaxy S5

HTC One (M8) and Samsung Galaxy Note 3

The only parameter that, in my opinion, prevents the HTC One from being called generally comfortable given its enormous size is the height of the case. Here I have nothing to say in defense of the new One: holding the device with one hand, I cannot reach the upper elements of the screen without grabbing the smartphone.

In conclusion, regarding the dimensions, I will say that for now we, the users, just have to get used to the increase in the size of smartphones. Sooner or later this race of diagonals will end, but for now the situation is such that almost every manufacturer is slowly but surely striving to increase the screen diagonal for their top products, and HTC is no exception.

Controls

Last year's HTC One differed from the HTC One X in terms of control system, the number of keys and their purpose, the new HTC One also differs from last year in terms of control. Let's see what has changed.

In HTC One (M7) there were two touch keys under the screen, to the left and right of the logo, in HTC One (M8) the area with the logos is empty, and the keys have been moved up, now there are three on-screen buttons: “Back”, “Home” and “ Latest applications". Two actions only on the Home key, in addition to the main task of returning to the main screen, by holding it you can call up the Google Now service.

When you touch any of these keys, the device vibrates slightly.

There are not so many moments that raise questions in the new smartphone; the empty space around the “HTC” logo along with the 4 MP camera is one of them. The company says that moving the buttons to the screen is part of the new style, and also that the space under the display (where there were two keys in last year's HTC One) is occupied by circuitry, in particular a speaker and an amplifier for it.

The power key remains on the top end. Yes, HTC partially listened to users who noted its inconvenient and illogical location on the top left, and placed it on the top right. It became the same as it was, no way. If in last year's HTC One the power key was inconvenient due to its position on the top left, now it is just as inconvenient, because the improved location (top right is still better for right-handers) only compensates for the increased height of the case. Also on the top end there is an IR port window for using HTC One as a remote control for a TV, set-top box or home theater.

However, the company was still able to compensate for the inconvenient location of the power key in the new One in a sense. HTC One (M8) implements technology Motion Launch. As HTC says, in the new One, information from all sensors is transferred to a special coprocessor and any application receives this information immediately, without polling each sensor. Firstly, this allows you to save a little more battery power, and secondly, it implements all the things that are in the HTC One (M8). The main feature of Motion Launch is different ways to unlock the screen without the power key. If the LG G2 had an option with a double tap on the display surface, then HTC went further. Double tapping on the display will take you to the lock screen, swiping from left to right to the BlinkFeed screen, from right to left to the main screen, from top to bottom to voice control, from bottom to top you will be taken to the screen where you locked the device (game , application menu, some running program, and so on). The device distinguishes all these actions best when you hold it in your hand in a vertical orientation, although if you turn it into portrait mode, they will also work, although not so clearly (everything except the double tap works fine). Another convenient feature is to turn on the camera from a locked state - just rotate the device to landscape mode and press any volume key.

The volume key is located on the right edge, I can’t say anything special about it - it’s a quite convenient button with a familiar location. Near it is a tray for a microSD memory card. To install or remove a memory card, you need to use a needle (or a supplied piece, similar to an “iceclip” for the Apple iPhone).

On the top left edge there is a tray for a nanoSIM SIM card. As you can see in the photo, the tray is wide, approximately twice as wide as the SIM card placed in it, it is logical to assume that HTC decided to immediately make a tray for two SIM cards, with a reserve for the Dual SIM version of the device.

At the bottom end of the case there is a microUSB connector and a 3.5 mini-jack for headphones or a headset. I want to dwell on this point in more detail. The fact is that for many years HTC has installed a 3.5 mini-jack on top of the body in its smartphones (HTC Sensation, HTC One X, HTC One first generation). This is, of course, better than the connector located on the side edge, but it is still not very convenient. If you listen to music on your smartphone and carry it in the pocket of your trousers, jeans or even a jacket, then you have to put it in your pocket with the top end (with the 3.5 mm jack) facing up. Therefore, when removing the device, you must then intercept it, because you have to pull out the device by holding the upper part of the case. The new HTC One has a connector at the bottom, and rightly so. When you take this device out of your pocket, you hold it the way you will hold it later when using it, that is, you do not need to grab the smartphone after you have taken it out of your pocket. This seems like a small thing, but it’s these little things that make up the overall convenience of daily use of the device.

On the front side there are speakers at the top and bottom; at the top there are also light and proximity sensors, a light indicator inscribed in the speaker grille and a 5 MP wide-angle front camera.

Screen

The new HTC One has a Super LCD3 display, most of the characteristics are the same as last year's model, and this is good, in my opinion. Screen diagonal – 5"", resolution – 1920x1080 pixels (FullHD), pixel density – 441 ppi.

A screen with maximum viewing angles: no matter what angle you tilt it at, diagonally, edges or edges, the picture is not distorted. There is a good reserve of brightness, the display remains readable in the sun. Color rendering is close to natural, the colors are moderately saturated and rich, but not overly contrasting or acidic.

Automatic brightness adjustment in the new HTC One works correctly in most situations. In the week that I've been using the device, I haven't had the desire to turn off auto-adjustment and set the brightness manually, and on some smartphones (many) I do just that.

One of the innovations of the display compared to the screen in last year's One is support for touches with a stylus, the ability to work with the display while wearing gloves, and good response to pressing with wet fingers.

It seems to me that there is no point in comparing the display in HTC One with the screen of the Samsung Galaxy S5. Both screens are good, but in different ways. In HTC One, the display is more calm and traditional, while in Samsung Galaxy S5 it is bright, rich, contrasting, with very high brightness, but at the same time poor readability in the sun. I like the HTC One screen better, but this is just the opinion of a person accustomed to a calm color scheme.

Below you can take a look at a comparison of the old and new generation HTC One screens; for example, the Meizu MX3 smartphone is also taken as one of the standards among five-inch devices in terms of display.

From left to right Meizu MX3, HTC One (M8), HTC One (M7)

Camera

Like the previous One, the new generation device is equipped with a 4 MP camera, and this is the most important thing you need to know about the camera in the HTC One (M8). In fact, there are two cameras here - the main one, the company calls it HTC UltraPixel, with the following characteristics: back-illuminated matrix, pixel size 2.0 micrometers, sensor size 1/3"", f/2.0 aperture, 28 mm lenses - and an additional one to collect information about the depth of the scene, it is necessary to be able to change the focus point in the frame after you have taken the photo. Together, the cameras are called HTC Duo Camera and offer the user, according to the company, many new capabilities and functions for working with photography.

In practice, HTC's words about the camera's capabilities in terms of functionality are true; there really are many different modes and ways to edit pictures. I'll tell you about them in order.

The camera has a menu for selecting different scenarios, and the main one is called “Camera”. This is standard shooting in automatic mode or any of the selected ones.

Automatic shooting mode (Auto). In Auto mode, you can adjust ISO, exposure (EV), white balance and choose from 15 overlay effects. The camera settings also set the aspect ratio of the frame: widescreen (16:9), normal (4:3) or square (1:1), a grid for ease of shooting, saving geotags, self-timer, contrast values, image sharpness saturation and retouch strength for pictures. All settings can be saved in a separate profile with its own name and turned on if necessary. There can be several profiles.

Frames taken in the “Auto” mode are subject to the greatest number of changes. I will not describe all the editing methods in words, I think you just need to look at the screenshots yourself, everything is clearly shown there.

Of the interesting modes, I will note one of the most important - UFocus, based precisely on information about the depth of the scene collected by the additional camera. In a photo that has already been taken, you can move the focus point from the main object to some other object, in the background, for example. Alternatively, you can simply blur the background of the scene, leaving the original object in focus. The modes associated with Ufocus are applying effects to the background (Foreground), creating animation (Seasons) and turning the image into three-dimensional (Dimension Plus).

UFocus is best suited for shooting portraits and further blurring the background, in my opinion, and in general, if you take a shot with a clearly defined object in the foreground and a more or less monochromatic background, in such scenes the background blur occurs correctly and accurately. The option of choosing a new focus point after shooting, in my opinion, is almost unworkable. Of course, you can shift the focus to some object in the distance, but in most situations it will still remain a little “out of focus”, and the object on which the initial focus was made will appear too unnaturally blurred.

Therefore, I repeat, in my opinion, Ufocus and the entire HTC Duo Camera system are best suited for portrait photography with beautiful background blur, and in this capacity this mode works well.

Below are photos taken in Auto mode:

Here is an example of a photograph with the subsequent application of effects from the UFocus series, the first photo is the original, then three frames with effects:

The smartphone captures text well, although in my opinion, it is better to do this in the “Auto” mode than in the special “Text” mode. In the second case, the photos turn out to be excessively grainy, although this is not required. However, judge for yourself, on top there are two pictures of text in the “Auto” mode, on the bottom – in the “Text” mode:

The individual modes “macro” and “night” work, in general, quite well; sometimes you can get good pictures in them, especially in “macro”.

There's also an HDR mode, a panorama mode, and a Photosphere mode where you can take photos of everything you see around you while standing in one spot. You won’t be able to view it on a PC using standard programs, only on the smartphone itself.

Manual shooting mode (M). One of the camera features in the new HTC One, in addition to the presence of an additional module for capturing information about the depth of the scene, is a manual shooting mode. Yes, today many devices have manual adjustment of exposure, ISO value, brightness and other things, but there are still very few devices where you can manually select shutter speed and adjust focus.

In manual mode, you can change the following parameters - white balance, exposure, ISO, shutter speed, focus. White balance is adjustable in the range from 2300K to 7500K, ISO values ​​in the range of 100-1600, shutter speed in the range of 1/8000–4 seconds.

The most important thing, in my opinion, is the ability to manually adjust the focus. This is not focusing on an object by tapping on the screen, but choosing a fixed distance at which focusing will occur. That's why the new HTC One can now take close-up photos of any object, not just those that the device can focus on in Macro mode.

Below are examples of manual focus shots:

Notice how easy it is now to get close-up shots of objects, including hair or fishing line, for example. On the previous generation HTC One it is almost impossible to get such frames (some of them), but on the new One it is a matter of a couple of seconds and the correct focus.

Naturally, for most users, the manual shooting mode will be useless, but in some situations it allows you to get very high quality pictures in comparison with those that the same device will take in the “Auto” mode. Here is a clear example of such a situation - taking a close-up shot of a figure in low light (in a dark, unlit room).

Auto mode, shutter speed 1/11, ISO 3200

Mode “M”, shutter speed 1, ISO 320 (photo sensitivity set automatically)

Auto mode, shutter speed 1, ISO 200 (photo sensitivity set manually)

It is clear that to take such a picture at such a long shutter speed you need strong hands and nerves of steel (or a tripod, some kind of support), but in general, I think you understand how much the potential of even such an unremarkable in terms of final pictures in the “Auto” mode increases » cameras, like in HTC One.

The front camera in HTC One (M8) allows you to take ordinary pictures, as well as pictures in two windows, when the main frame is used for the image from the front or main camera, and a small window in the corner is for the image from the additional one.

Dual LED flash HTC One can work in several modes and also serve as a flashlight.

Video recording. Video in standard mode is recorded in a maximum resolution of 1920x1080 pixels, recording speed is 30 frames per second (variable), bitrate is 20 Mbps, audio is recorded in stereo mode, recording quality is 192 Kbps. During recording, you can manually change the focus point, there is also tracking autofocus, the optical stabilization work, albeit a little, is noticeable if you record video at the maximum zoom level. Separately, I would like to note the very high, to my ears, quality of sound recording in the video. There is no sound confusion, individual sounds are perfectly distinguishable, while wind noise (it was present during recording) is minimal.

In addition to the standard mode, there is a slow motion mode, recording at 60 frames per second and HDR. Below you will find examples of video recording in each of these modes.

• Sample video in slow motion mode (MP4, 99 MB) >>>
• Example video in recording mode at 60 fps (MP4, 35 MB) >>>

Comparison of cameras (Roman Belykh)

I’ll make a reservation right away that the comparison will be small, since we will soon prepare detailed material where we will put lens to lens on the main smartphones that boast their own camera modules.

It seems to me that at the moment people are interested in the difference in the quality of photos taken on the HTC One (M7) and the new HTC One (M8). Below are frames with 100% crop. In fact, there is practically nothing to tell, since the camera module remains the same. In M8, we corrected the white balance (it became, in my opinion, a little more correct), worked on the smoothing and sharpening algorithms (there was noticeably less noise), and slightly added saturation. It's possible that HTC used a different lens on the M8 (or maybe that's how the software works), since the shots of buildings have less perspective distortion due to the wide-angle lens. Focusing speed has increased, focusing is now more accurate even in difficult lighting conditions. The blurring of part of the image has also been eliminated.

Next, we compared photos taken on the Samsung Galaxy S5, HTC One (M8) and Nokia Lumia 1020. Again, we will have detailed testing of the cameras of these devices. And now, literally in a few words about the pictures.

Naturally, if we consider photographs in terms of resolution, then the clear outsider is HTC One (M8). But if you do not take this parameter into account, the smartphone takes pictures well: accurate white balance, natural colors (compared to the SGS5 and Nokia 1020), clear contrast, wide angle and high shooting speed.

In general, I think it’s not entirely correct to compare HTC One (M8) with the Galaxy S5 and 1020 from Nokia, since the latter two devices have a much higher resolution, and it’s simply impossible to bring the frames one to one (or enlarge the photo to 16/38 MP, or reducing 16/38 MP to 5 MP is incorrect). Only 100% crop. You will learn about the results of comparing SGS5, Nokia Lumia 1020 and other smartphones later, from our comparative photo test.

Sound

I hope the reader will forgive me (for known reasons) for the shortest possible description of the sound in the headphones. There are a few basic things to say here. Firstly, HTC no longer has anything from Beats Audio; all algorithms for improving sound and processing are its own. Secondly, the sound is a little louder than the previous generation HTC One. Thirdly, with BoomSound mode enabled by default, the new HTC One sounds worse than without it. And it’s precisely without it that the smartphone sounds great, to my ears.

As for the BoomSound mode, it is automatically turned on when you listen to music through the speakers (it cannot be turned off in this case), and this is where it is useful - the sound is clear, loud, without wheezing and other things.

The quality of voice recording in the new HTC One remains at the level of the previous model, that is, the same high. The device records voice with high quality and clarity, without extraneous noise, even if it is present close to the sound source. At the same time, in a voice recording, the voice is clearly distinguishable, even if the interlocutor was at a distance of 2-3 meters from the smartphone during the recording.

Autonomous operation

The smartphone uses a non-removable Li-Pol battery with a capacity of 2600 mAh, which is 300 mAh. The company also states that the operating time of the new HTC One, in general, has seriously increased due to many new solutions both in hardware (using an unoverclocked version of the processor, a coprocessor for collecting data from all sensors) and in software (new economy mode, in particular).

The HTC One (M7), tested a year ago, worked for 8 hours when playing a 720p video in a loop, while the HTC One (M8) showed 10 hours in this test. If we talk about daily use, then my M8 sample works on average up to 20-22 hours, that is, a whole day. The load is as follows: 40-60 minutes of calls, 10-20 text messages, Gmail in push-mail mode, 3-4 hours of listening to music and about 1-2 hours of active use of the mobile Internet (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, browser). In general, the new HTC One is better than the previous generation model in terms of operating time. Of course, I don’t see a 30-40 percent increase here, but a couple of hours on top is also not bad, because last year’s model was far from an outsider among top-end devices.

The smartphone has a regular power saving mode, by turning it on, you can save battery power by lowering the screen brightness level, turning off transmission, and vibration.

New to HTC One 9M8) is a critical power saving mode. In this mode, the processor operates at a reduced frequency, most sensors and sensors are turned off, no data is transmitted when the screen is turned off, vibration is turned off and the screen brightness level is reduced. But the most important thing is that in this mode you have access to a limited set of applications, namely phone, mail (so far only configured through a proprietary client), messages, calendar and calculator. You cannot run other programs or add new ones to the list of those allowed to work in this mode.

Platform, memory

The smartphone is built on the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 platform (MSM8974AB) with a 2.3 GHz quad-core processor, Adreno 330 graphics subsystem (GPU). In the HTC One version for Asia, the processor is overclocked to 2.5 GHz. The device has 2 GB of RAM and 16/32 GB of internal memory for storing user data. And although the amount of built-in memory may seem insufficient, there is a slot for a memory card (support for cards up to 128 GB is guaranteed), so there is no point in talking about a lack of memory.

The most important thing you need to know about the speed of this device is that the device is very fast: there is no lag, there are no delays, there is no slow animation, there is no “thoughtfulness” in the interface. The smoothness of operation of the new HTC One can be compared with the Apple iPhone 5/5S; it is at about the same level.

Below are screenshots of testing the new HTC One in Antutu Benchmark X.

All “heavy” games that require smartphone hardware run smoothly on the HTC One, without any problems; there are also no difficulties with video playback, if we are talking about operating speed. The only thing I have a problem with is the lack of sound on some test videos run in the standard player. It can be solved by installing MX Player or Dice Player.

Interfaces

The smartphone operates in GSM (850/900/1800/1900), HSDPA (850/1900/2100) and LTE (800/900/1800/2600) networks; LTE networks are also supported for Russia. You can turn wireless interfaces on and off through the settings or by adding one of several widgets to the main screen, as well as using the notification shade, which has a convenient menu with the ability to display exactly those switches that you need on the main screen.

To synchronize with a PC and transfer data, the included microUSB cable is used. The characteristics of the smartphone indicate the version of the USB 2.0 interface, but when you connect HTC One to a computer (Windows 7), the system displays a notification that this device can work faster if you connect it via USB 3.0. However, the difference in the time of transferring a 1 GB file to a smartphone via USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports is only about 5 seconds in my case: 40 seconds via a USB 2.0 port on a computer and 35 seconds via USB 3.0.

The smartphone has support for USB On-The-Go (USB OTG) – you can connect flash drives and other storage devices, for example, a camera, to the device via an adapter to transfer pictures from it to the device’s memory. The system in HTC One allows you to read and copy information from flash drives formatted in the FAT/FAT32 file systems, but the NTFS flash drive on my device was identified as empty.

Here it is necessary to note a strange point, which HTC apparently has no plans to correct. In a flash drive with data connected to a smartphone, you can view pictures, videos and music using standard programs preinstalled on HTC One. You cannot read other data from it, because the device does not have a file manager; it must be installed separately from Google Play.

Bluetooth. Built-in Bluetooth 4.0 module with A2DP support.

Wi-Fi (802.11a/ac/b/g/n). HTC One uses a dual-band Wi-Fi module. You can leave it to work in automatic mode, or you can manually specify the operating frequency band for Wi-Fi - only 5 GHz or only 2.4 GHz. The module works flawlessly. In additional settings, you can set the maximum performance mode (uncheck “Wi-Fi optimization”), and also enable or disable automatic connection to the last saved active network. When the module is operating, the device does not heat up.

Wi-Fi router. HTC One has the ability to “share” a 2G/3G/4G Internet connection via Wi-Fi. In the wireless networks menu, select the “Mobile Internet Sharing” option and then “Wi-Fi Router”. Here, when starting for the first time, you need to select a network name and password (WPA2). You can also set the maximum number of connections to your smartphone (1-8) or separately prohibit or allow each new connection. When the utility is enabled, you can connect to the Internet, “distributed” via Wi-Fi by your smartphone, from any device, be it a laptop, another smartphone or tablet, and so on.

DLNA, HDMI. The smartphone supports DLNA technology, so if you have a DLNA-compatible media server and other devices at home, you can use HTC One with them. For example, output sound or video from the device directly to the TV. Also, the HTC One device has HDMI support; the connector is combined with microUSB (MHL), so in order to use HDMI, you will first need to buy a special cable.

NFC. Like previous flagships, the second generation HTC One supports NFC, but there are still not too many scenarios for using this module. Specifically, HTC uses this module to quickly connect a smartphone with wireless Bluetooth accessories (speaker, HTC mini+ remote control). And, of course, do not forget that using NFC and the Yandex.Metro program (or analogues) you can check on your smartphone the number of remaining trips on your metro pass.

Navigation

HTC One has GPS/Glonass support; searching for satellites takes a minimum amount of time, from 5 to 15 seconds. The device comes pre-installed with Google Maps and Google Navigation. Google Navigation is used as the main navigation program.

For convenient work with a smartphone when it is in a car mount, there is a special “In the car” mode. When you turn it on, you see large icons on the desktop; there are also special enlarged versions of the main applications: address book, music, settings, dialing. If desired, you can add shortcuts to other programs in this menu. In this mode, you can use a special assistant, a utility that performs voice commands like “Call + contact name”, “Play + track name” and some others. It's worth paying attention to this program if you're going to use the HTC One while driving; it really works and recognizes commands quite well if you speak them more or less loudly and clearly.

HTC Dot View Case

A brilliant idea, born on the wave of popularity of pixel themes or just like that, I don’t know. In addition to the HTC One (M8), there is a special Dot View case. It looks like an ordinary book-sized plastic case with a silicone lid perforated with blind holes. There are five colors to choose from: dark gray, dark blue, mint, bright orange, cherry. The cases may look different on renders and in reality, but I think they will soon become available in stores and everyone will be able to evaluate them for themselves. The cost of the cover in Russia will initially be 1,790 rubles. Here's what the HTC One (M8) looks like packed in this case.

Now the coolest part! The case not only protects the body of the smartphone, but also displays various notifications. The notifications themselves are drawn on the screen in pixel font, and we see them through the perforated lid. It looks amazing, and, importantly, from a practical point of view, everything is also quite convenient. Double tap on the cover of the case and you can see the time and weather. Swipe from top to bottom during a call - hang up, from bottom to top - answer the call. Also displayed is a notification when a timer or alarm goes off, an icon for a new text message or missed call, and the call time if you have already accepted the call.

Indoors or in the evening, the information from the case is perfectly readable, and the accessory itself looks very impressive and cool “in action”. This is such an unexpected wow effect from such a simple idea that at first I didn’t even expect it every time I showed my smartphone to friends and acquaintances. Not a single person remained indifferent, and everyone perceived the case with delight and positive surprise. Yes, on a bright sunny day outside, HTC Dot View is unlikely to be very convenient, but in other situations the text can be read well from it, even at home or in the office on a sunny day, see the photo below.

This case is a clear confirmation that even now, in 2014, when it seems that all the ideas around smartphones and portable electronics in general have been exhausted, you can make something very cool, impressive and unusual, but at the same time simple and elegant. The HTC Dot View case, it seems to me, will be very popular, and probably many owners of the new HTC One will want to buy the case not because of its protective properties, but because of the wow effect and the indescribable coolness of the accessory, forgive me for saying so.

By the way, HTC has not yet announced any plans for the future of Dot View, but it is likely that the company will want to increase the popularity of the accessory, and the logical step for this would be to open the SDK for developers. In this case, in addition to standard notifications, Dot View will “learn” to show notifications for various third-party applications, this could well be some kind of twitter client, music and video players, email clients, and so on.

Conclusion

During the week of using the new HTC One, I had no complaints about the quality of signal reception. The device picks up the network well, the sound in the conversational speaker is clear, without wheezing or extraneous noise, with, albeit a small, but still a reserve in volume. The vibration alert is relatively strong and is felt, despite the size and weight of the device, in most situations. The volume of the ringing speaker is above average, it cannot be said that it is “ultra-loud” here, approximately at the level of competitors, but what distinguishes HTC One from other devices is the high quality of sound in the ringing speakers, and not the volume.

The smartphone went on sale literally the next day after the official announcement; on March 26, the new HTC One could already be bought at the company’s company store in Moscow, the cost of a model with 16 GB of internal memory is 32,990 rubles. Yes, compared to the Samsung Galaxy S5 16 GB for 29,990 rubles, the new HTC One seems expensive, but if you look at it, for the first time in a long time the company is offering something truly new on the market, not in terms of dry characteristics, but in terms of sensations and perception .

It took HTC five years to achieve this. Five years to return to what they were loved for by a narrow circle of true fans of the brand, technogeeks, for which their devices were sometimes chosen by users completely unfamiliar with the concept of “communicator.” I'm talking about the HTC HD2, released in 2009 and the last HTC device to date with charisma and energy. Then there was a slow decline, the peak of which, in my opinion, fell on the Sensation line - with many childhood ailments and problems. Then the company gradually began to re-find itself in the direction in which it was strongest, and last year with the release of the first-generation One, it seemed that HTC was about to find itself again.

The HTC One (M8) smartphone is the final step. The new device is a combination of all the best that HTC can do - a recognizable, cool design that is unlike competitors, expensive body materials, a convenient, understandable and simple interface that allows you to get used to the new device without any extra effort. During a week of using HTC One (M8), I did not notice any glitches, lags or software problems, problems with the telephone part, excessive heating of the body and other things that are sometimes characteristic of the company's past smartphones. I will not vouch for all batches of the new product and say that the device is one hundred percent stable and bug-free, but with my specific sample the situation is this: it works perfectly.

For the first time in a long time, I used the device with such delight and inspiration, as if I had come to work on the site just a couple of weeks ago and they immediately gave me the coolest and most expensive toy for testing that I had dreamed of before. Yes, the new HTC One has its drawbacks, in particular, a camera with a low resolution of pictures (it’s no joke, at home on a monitor with a resolution of 2560x1440 I practically can’t enlarge the image in photos, because their resolution is 2688x1520, that is, a little more), a non-removable battery and large dimensions. But even if we consider the new M8 only from the point of view of specifications and changes in comparison with the M7, you can see the work that the company has done: the new HTC One has better operating time, it has a slot for a memory card, the inconvenient location of the power key is neutralized by a gesture system, and the 3.5 mm mini-jack took a logical place at the bottom end. All this is a huge job, in fact, and it shows that the company, in addition to trying to create a beautiful and impressive smartphone, solved current problems, and successfully.

Therefore, if you ask me whether it is worth replacing last year’s HTC One with a new one, the answer will be unequivocal: yes. The new One is a completely different level, and not only compared to the previous model from HTC, but simply compared to all Android smartphones. This is a device that shows what a real modern smartphone should be - not a nameless piece of plastic with good characteristics, but an object that will not only perform all the necessary tasks, but also delight you every day from an aesthetic and practical point of view. All this is the new HTC One.

Characteristics

• Class: company flagship
• Form factor: monoblock
• Housing materials: aluminum unibody housing
• Operating system: Android 4.4, HTC Sense 6
• Network: GSM/EDGE, WCDMA, LTE (nanoSIM)
• Platform: Qualcomm Snapdragon 801
• Processor: Quad-core 2.3 GHz
• RAM: 2 GB
• Storage memory: 16/32 GB, microSD memory card slot (128 GB cards and higher are supported)
• Interfaces: Wi-Fi (a/b/g/n/ac), Bluetooth 4.0 (A2DP, aptX), microUSB connector (USB 2.0) for charging/synchronization, 3.5 mm for headset, HDMI (via microUSB), DLNA, NFC , IR port
• Screen: 5’’, capacitive, 1920x1080 pixels (FulldHD), automatic backlight level adjustment
• Camera: HTC Duo dual camera: 4 MP main camera (maximum image resolution 2688 x 1520) with UltraPixel technology (using “ultrapixels” 2 micrometers in size), 1/3"", f/2.0 sensor, 28 mm, optical stabilization. Additional camera for capturing scene depth data. Video recording in 1080p (1920x1080 pixels), dual color LED flash (works as a flashlight)
• Front camera: 5 MP, f/2.0, wide-angle (no autofocus), 1080p video recording
• Navigation: GPS/GLONASS (A-GPS support)
• Sensors: accelerometer, position sensor, light sensor, gyroscope, barometer
• Battery: non-removable, Li-Pol, capacity 2600 mAh
• Dimensions: 146.4 x 70.6 x 9.4 mm
• Weight: 160 grams

Related links

A family feature of HTC flagships is the surprisingly durable metal body. Many other manufacturers on the market were chasing megapixels and gigahertz, forgetting about the reliability of the phone. But not HTC. And there is no deception in the One M8 body either: 90% aluminum. However, engineers also did not forget about megapixels and gigahertz. The second striking feature of the HTC One, for which active young people may decide to buy it, is the loud, clear sound of its front speakers.

HTC One M8's secret weapon

Loud sound is achieved using stereo speakers located on the front panel. Have you noticed the sluggish and dull sound of smartphones with one rear speaker? Buy NTS VAN M8 and forever forget about searching for the correct location of the phone body when watching videos or listening to music. HTC called the technology of its speakers BoomSound, hinting at unprecedented sound volume.

To ensure that nothing slows down, the manufacturer installed 2 GB of RAM. For Android smartphones, this is a critical indicator, especially with a large number of simultaneously running applications. Showing Full HD videos on the Super LCD 3 SoLux screen with a diagonal size of 5 inches and a resolution of 1920 × 1080 pixels is not a difficult task for the Snapdragon 801 processor from Qualcomm. Everything goes smoothly and beautifully. Including animation in modern games, which HTC One M8 complemented by a bright, rich sound that is inaccessible to many competitors.

HTC One M8: who are the competitors?

In competitors HTC One M8 many worthy solutions. Galaxy S5, LG G3 and Xperia Z2 from Sony: these are perhaps the most important of them. The price niche of these smartphones is such that there cannot be any dull models here. Each must stand out in some way, but at the same time demonstrate the high performance and user-friendly interface that competitors provide. Which is not surprising, since all these solutions have almost identical processors.

In numerous positive reviews about HTC One M8 users note that the smartphone’s main strengths are its reliable metal body and the loud, rich sound of its extraordinary front speakers. Fans of the company undoubtedly saw in it a breed of the beloved HTC One line. But fans of other manufacturers will also see in this balanced solution an excellent combination of a modern smartphone and a reasonable price.

2 years ago 0

0. Nice design1. Good screen: no graininess, nice natural colors, good brightness. Glass is almost impossible to scratch.2. Simply great sound! (if you have good headphones, of course) By the way, the sound from the built-in stereo speakers is also good (as good as the sound from the built-in telephone speakers can be).3. Performance. I compared it not by parrots, but in the process of working with other devices. For example, a full backup/restoration of the system through recovery is done five to six times faster than on my previous device (although in the parrots the difference was ~ two times. Both devices have 4 cores and 2 gigs, the flash drive is the same). The interface does not lag at all.4. You can easily use official services from HTC to unlock the bootloader and download any

2 years ago 0

Excellent screen - Simply amazing sound both in the headphones and in the speakers (Better than in the old One for sure) - Attractive design and all-metal body - Improved interface compared to the previous generation of this model (for example, the on-screen buttons are much more convenient than the buttons on the previous one one, nicer design, the camera has a lot of new software features, added a couple of nice little things to the interface, such as the ability to close all applications at the same time in the task manager and unlock gestures: double tap, swipe, etc. - very convenient) - Improved battery life -Smooth, powerful (36500 points in Antutu)

2 years ago 0

Nice bright screen. Before this, I had an HTC One m7, which I really liked. Despite the fact that the M8 is a little larger in size, it feels much more comfortable in the hand. And it looks more beautiful. The battery lasts longer, the first 50 percent is spent as quickly as the M7, when it reaches half, for some reason the percentage decreases very slowly, that is, by about 12 at night about 35% of the charge remains. Wi is turned on -Fi, Bluetooth, Facebook and all the news on Blinkfeed, which I really like, thanks to it the phone is “alive”, something changes there all the time. This is only from HTC as far as I know.

2 years ago 0

Beautiful case, fits very nicely in the hand. Nice bright screen. It's not buggy. Good sound. And the charge holds for quite a long time. Initially I was going to buy a Sony Z3, and even ordered it from an online store (with the condition of pickup from their outlet on Gorbushka), but when I went to pick it up on the way to the 2nd floor, I accidentally saw this device in the window :)) I already compared 2 devices in my store and chose, of course, HTC. Moreover, before that there was also the old NTS.

2 years ago 0

Design, operating time, SD card up to 128GB.

2 years ago 0

I bought an excellent device and am very pleased. The response time is simply excellent, does not lag. Fits in the hand as it should

2 years ago 0

The screen is not inferior in brightness to s4, brighter than One m7. The color is the same, if you compare the same matrices, on the European One m7 (in my case, Norwegian assembly) cold ones predominate, here the temperature is lower, it doesn’t hurt the eyes so much. - The sound is louder than m7, by 25%. Better quality instrumental. In headphones it’s worse, as it seemed to me, the channel separation is crooked; if almost nothing is noticeable in the earplugs, then in some BD 990 you can clearly hear the difference. - Appearance. The back cover is simply a standard, it looks great. The front is also good. - Battery. Overnight it discharged 1% in standby mode. Generally lives ~40% more than m7. There is an Extra Energy Saving function, at 15% it lasts 40 hours, current calls, SMS, and mail are available. - Factory overclocking with one tick. - 3D panorama, looks great. - Sense 6.0, very

2 years ago 0

Excellent screen, colors are saturated and close to natural - Simply amazing sound, I get real pleasure from listening to songs both on speakers (of which, by the way, there are two, with amplifiers) and on headphones. Boomsound really improves the quality of sound playback -Sense 6 and Android 4.4.2. The smartphone is very fast, runs very smoothly -Very powerful and not very power-consuming processor (I have a frequency of 2.3GHz) -32 GB of internal memory (about 25-26 GB available) -Support for SD cards up to 128 gb -The all-metal body fits very comfortably in the hand, it feels like a glove to my hand. The quality of the materials and the assembly of the smartphone are at a high level. The design of the smartphone is, of course, a subjective matter, but for me it is great. Holding the phone in your hand, you realize that this is a real thing worth the money -Nesmo

2 years ago 0

Design, assembly, battery (lasts 24 hours with average use). At seven in the morning I charge to 100%, at seven in the morning the next day I charge again at 15%. Charges quite quickly. An excellent interface, after the “touchwiz” from Samsung, the “sixth sense” from HTC is simply pleasing to the eye. The controls are very convenient. The camera is a solid four. For a smartphone camera, you don’t need a higher rating; if you want a solid five, buy a DSLR. Great sound. Loud speakers, even quiet melodies can be heard clearly. Vibration is a bomb. It is better not to place it on the edge of the table, the phone may vibrate downward.

2 years ago 0

0. A bad camera in its class, and not the software shell, but its hardware. The color rendering is disgusting. The photos look dark and have a blue tint to them. I would forgive this if the device were 2 times cheaper, but such cameras are not installed in flagships.
1. IMHO - a disgusting shell! So as not to ramble on for too long, I’ll write this: Sens, it’s like a car, with enormous fuel consumption, which can only be driven straight. At the same time, what’s especially annoying is that it will consume gasoline, even if you parked it and went home with the keys! This can easily be fixed with third-party firmware, but most people won’t bother with this, right?
2. Aluminum body. Yes, yes, I wrote it down as shortcomings. In my opinion, there are two reasons for this: firstly, it is quite slippery and often falls, and secondly

2 years ago 0

The rear camera is frankly bad, this also applies to image resolution and color rendition.
-Although the interface has been improved, it is not particularly convenient, you need to get used to it if you haven’t used the sense before
-High price of 33 thousand rubles, they could have done it for less
-The case is too large for a five-inch display
-Inconvenient location of the unlock button, although there are gestures that eliminate this drawback

2 years ago 0

I don’t really see it, well, if the battery were even more powerful.

Camera. Whatever you say, ultrapixels don’t help. However, the pictures look good on the screen, plus excellent video. It’s better not to transfer to the desktop.

2 years ago 0

For those who specifically need a 5-inch smartphone, it may not be suitable, because... Due to the on-screen buttons, the working diagonal of the smartphone is about 4.7 inches
-Camera (yes, it’s not perfect), but pictures on a smartphone look great.

2 years ago 0

It opens various applications in your pocket and rejects or answers calls on its own if you have the Motion Lunch feature enabled. Without a cover - a book, it is better to disable this function. The speakerphone went off twice during a conversation, I almost went deaf in one ear, considering that the speakers are very loud. I don’t yet know the reason for the spontaneous activation of the speakerphone, I hope it won’t happen again.

Taiwanese HTC released its 2014 flagship just two weeks ago. The new model acquired the M8 index and became the successor to the relatively successful old One. Definitely, the new smartphone is the Asian manufacturer’s last hope for a place in the sun among the world’s largest brands. Knowing this, the engineers and designers did a great job, but there is still something to complain about.

The updated smartphone has updated and improved all the previous functions, and at the same time acquired new interesting features. There is an improved camera, even two at once, gesture and knock control, an infrared port and much more - in general, everything that is now in trend.

I suggest starting the review with the first improvement - the design.

Of course, the previous generation HTC One had an excellent and recognizable design, not to mention the body materials. In the M8, the manufacturer went further. The edges have been rounded, the metal has become more interesting, but the concept of the appearance is identical to its predecessor.

The company presented its creation in gray, silver and gold colors for the consumer's choice. Consistency and special style - all this has been preserved from the previous version of the device.

The body remains entirely metal with rare plastic inserts. A barely noticeable edge has appeared around the screen, which in theory should protect the display from scratches if the smartphone is lying face down.

The aluminum surface has received a new run-in with horizontal stripes. A similar technology is used in the manufacture of Parker handles or Bork kitchen appliance housings. The smartphone has taken on a new look. The metallic texture plays beautifully in the light and looks amazing. However, the device turned out to be very slippery and holding it in your hands is sometimes difficult.

Apparently, the manufacturer is concerned about protecting the smartphone and therefore the kit includes a special silicone case with thick walls and special plugs for connectors. Thus, when using this accessory, the smartphone receives at least some protection from falls and moisture. However, using the device in this case is even more difficult, since it instantly collects all the dust and dirt around, and it is impossible to take the phone out of your pocket without turning it outward.

Still, I would like to express special gratitude to the manufacturer, since the included case is always a pleasant bonus for the buyer. This has not been observed with major market players for a long time - everything is aimed at reducing costs and obtaining maximum profits.

In addition, a charger, a headset, a synchronization and charging cable, and a metal device for removing the SIM card are supplied with the smartphone.

Since the back cover is no longer removable, the HTC One now has separate trays for nano-sim and a memory card.

You can remove them from the device body using a special mediator from the kit or a regular paper clip. The latter fits into the hole with difficulty, but can still help out when changing the SIM card.

The best is the enemy of the good. Taking this into account, the company decided to leave the idea with two speakers. Next to the top speaker there is a periodically flashing event indicator, proximity and light sensors. Even more to the right, in its place, there is a camera of as much as 5 megapixels. It's funny that the front camera has a higher resolution than the main one (4 MP). This is a game of numbers, but we will return to the essence later.

It's gratifying that the 3.5 mm jack is located at the bottom, as is the micro-USB port. This arrangement of ports is always convenient for everyday use. It would be better if the audio input was a little further away from the charging port, since users can use a variety of cables and plugs.

Touch buttons have been moved to the display. There are doubts about this approach, but it seems to be the trend now. In the empty space there was a wide black frame with the emblazoned HTC inscription. Apparently, the hardware architecture could not be optimized to remove this space and reduce the height of the smartphone.

On the upper streamlined edge there is a plastic insert that hides the infrared port and the Power button. It is slippery and sometimes difficult to reach, but you can live with it.

The volume rocker key is located approximately in the middle of the side edge, which leads to frequent accidental presses. This is especially true when using the device in a branded case.

For the most part, the assembly does not cause any complaints, but not everything is as smooth as we would like. The card trays are slightly recessed into the body, which is why the feeling of solidity is lost. In addition, the transition is noticeably noticeable at the junction of the glass and the speakers. All this does not do honor to the assembly of the device. It is impossible to compare HTC One (M8) and the reference iPhone 5S in this parameter. The latter is assembled much better. Of course, there is no play or squeaks here, but the fit of the body parts still raises questions.

Despite its rather impressive dimensions, using the smartphone is very convenient. The roundness of the edges affects.

	Length	Width	Thickness	Weight
HTC One (M8)	146,4	70,6	9,4	160
Apple iPhone 5S	123,8	58,6	7,6	112
LG G2	138,5	70,9	8,9	160
Samsung Galaxy S5	142	72,5	8,1	145
Sony Xperia Z2	146,8	73,3	8,2	163

Yes, the new One is not skinny, but the sleek shape of the device gives the device an airy feel. The weight of 160 grams does not weigh down the pocket too much, but is quite consistent with the entire form factor and hence the perception of the device as a whole.

Display

The screen is covered with Gorilla Glass 3 protective glass with an oleophobic coating. Below it is a screen with a diagonal of 5 inches and a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, made using Super LCD3 technology, or simply an IPS matrix. The dots per inch density is 441 ppi. FullHD, good contrast, excellent color rendition - everything here is at a high level: no “eye-popping” colors, excessive saturation, etc.

Of course, when tilted, the excellent level of brightness is reduced, but the colors are not distorted at all.

In general, the industry has developed a certain level of minimum requirements for displays, which almost all devices meet with a small amount of difference in contrast and color rendition. Boring. Of course, this does not apply to the creations of Korean manufacturers. It has its own path and its own rules.

For clarity, here is a comparison of the screens of HTC One and iPhone 5.

Of course, the display recognizes up to 10 touches simultaneously. This function must be activated separately from the menu.

The smartphone comes pre-installed with special drawing applications. Of course, there is no talk of any pressure recognition, but the correctness and speed of touch processing is impressive. For example, the Sony Z Ultra implements this worse.

HTC One has the following technical characteristics:

• Operating system Android 4.4, HTC Sense 6 shell
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor (quad core) 2.3 GHz
• Video accelerator Adreno 330
• RAM 2 GB
• Data memory 16 or 32 GB (about 9.5 GB actually available)
• Slot for microSD memory cards (capacity up to 128 GB)
• Display 5 inches, Super LCD 3, 1920x1080, 440 ppi,
• Battery 2600 mAh
• Cameras: main 4 MP (2688x1520 pixels), front 5 MP (2560x1440 pixels), video recording 1920x1080, 30 fps
• GSM, EDGE, WCDMA, LTE networks
• Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi (a/b/g/n/ac), IR port, NFC, DLNA, GPS
• Sensors: accelerometer, position sensor, light sensor, gyroscope, barometer
• Connectors: microUSB (2.0, USB host), 3.5 mm, nanoSIM SIM card

The smartphone's resources are sufficient to perform most tasks. The interface does not slow down at all; scrolling through work screens, menu lists and activating applications occurs very quickly and smoothly, without any slowdown. The same goes for FullHD video playback and resource-intensive games - there are no delays anywhere.

In the AnTuTu rankings, the newest One is an outsider. However, the loss is not so great and it is impossible to feel the difference in normal use scenarios. In addition, much often depends on software optimization and new firmware always adds performance points to devices.

Two parameters of the smartphone are surprising, namely: USB 2.0 standard and only 2 GB of RAM. Of course, for most users this amount of RAM will be more than enough, but the data transfer speed over the cable will not be what you expect from a modern device.

Camera

While testing the smartphone, I couldn't help but get the impression that the HTC One's main function was the camera. This was facilitated by several features of the device.

First of all, there are three cameras here! In addition to the front one, One has a main one of 4 megapixels. It is called UltraPixel, since the size of one dot is 2.0 micrometers, which is quite a lot. For example, one pixel size in the iPhone 5S matrix is ​​1.5, and in the Sony Z1 it is even smaller - 1.1 microns. The main sensor of HTC One is equipped with back-side illumination (BSI). The aperture is set to 2.0, which helps render nice blur and create depth in the image. The second camera installed above also helps with this. Together, the two sensors are called HTC Duo Camera and allow you to create photos in which you can change the focus point (UFocus). This feature is reminiscent of the famous Lytro camera.

Secondly, there is no shortage of different shooting modes on the HTC One. There are really a great many of them. Among them are panoramic shooting, the ability to create spherical photographs, and double photography, that is, when in addition to the main frame, the picture contains a small image from the front camera. All kinds of photo effects and editing methods are also present by default. In addition, there is an interesting Zoe application, thanks to which you can create your own diaries.

The number of all these settings is off the charts and because of it, the developers had to create a rather confusing interface for the photo application. We are all accustomed to the standard division of functions into photo and video recording. Here, in the main menu of the sensor, you can select creative scenarios, which have a place among all other modes and settings of the camera.

Of course, HTC wanted to put what they considered to be the most interesting features in prominent places, but this only confuses the user. Most consumers need to quickly take a photo and occasionally edit it a little with the tools at hand. Nobody wants to learn anything and remember every time: “Where did I see this regime last time?” And this is a minus.

Thirdly, about pleasant things. The camera starts up in less than a second, and the frame rate is very high. There are no freezes. All frames, frills and other effects are opened and applied at lightning speed. Once the camera app crashed, but it was a one-time glitch and not a defect at all.

The quality of photographs lags behind the loud cries of marketers.

The smartphone is definitely not suitable for those who are looking for a powerful and modern solution with the ability to create beautiful shots.

Despite the fact that all modes, such as “HDR”, “Night”, “Text” in special conditions really help to achieve maximum quality, the overall picture is somewhat depressing. Beautiful pictures can only be taken in sufficient lighting conditions. High detail is difficult to achieve. In cloudy weather, the machine makes mistakes and of two photographs taken with the same settings, under the same conditions, one can turn out to be much better than the other.

Scripts such as UFocus, changing the background of an image, overlaying photo frames, and others resemble more toys than really useful functions that consumers use every day. It’s strange when a world-class manufacturer focuses on some little-used features and tries to force customers to do and appreciate what they don’t need. All this leapfrog took place at one time in Nokia with the function of using gloves to control a smartphone and 41 megapixel cameras.

Let's look at example photographs.

It is obvious that the detail of the images is at an average level. Colors almost always remain natural and undistorted.

Of course, frames created, for example, using the “Photosphere” script are just cool features and cannot be viewed on a computer the way One itself shows them.

In fully manual mode (M), you can independently set the parameters of exposure, white balance, shutter speed and ISO (100-1600). Among other things, you can choose the focusing depth and get a beautiful and strong background blur. This is not necessary, since the device focuses perfectly on any object, even in auto mode and in low light conditions. Yes, this cannot be taken away from him. By the way, a dual LED flash can come to the rescue for taking pictures in the dark.

Video recording

The characteristics of the video camera are standard: 1920×1080 pixels at 30 frames per second and stereo sound recording. Tracking focus and stabilization perform their functions at the proper level. Additional settings include HDR mode, video recording at 60 frames per second, or SlowMotion scenario. The latter is not accompanied by a sound stream and is recorded in silence. You can see sample videos below.

Simple video shooting:

Video recording in SlowMotion mode:

Video with 60 frames per second effect:

Sound

HTC One has two external speakers. Despite this, the volume of the melodies is not amazing. The playback quality is really good, but from those loud praises that are in the press release, you still expect more.

The sound in the headphones is high quality and pleasant. The BoomSound add-on really brings changes that are pleasant to the ear: it adds purity and volume to the sound.

The playback quality is comparable to the competition, and in my opinion, the One does a slightly better job of this feature than, say, the iPhone 5. In reality, such nuances can only be discovered through direct comparison and nothing else.

Interestingly, there are no special Beats Audio settings in the device now. This is how HTC accustoms its users to one thing over several generations of devices, and at one point it’s as if nothing had happened.

Software

The smartphone runs out of the box on Adnroid 4.4 and is equipped with the HTC Sense 6 shell. The company has not abandoned its proprietary BlinkFeed desktop and other interface features.

The device comes pre-installed with a home-made Internet browser, which is difficult to use. It is not stable, it has difficulty loading pages, which in Chrome launch almost at lightning speed. In general, the standard web surfing application resembles Internet Explorer.

The infrared port is equipped with a proprietary application and does an excellent job of controlling any equipment. You just need to download the appropriate profiles and train yourself to keep your smartphone close to the controlled devices.

Battery life

The HTC One, as mentioned above, has a non-removable battery with a capacity of 2600 mAh. This is not much, but in practice the device has well-functioning power supply algorithms. There are many modes and settings that activate the gentle mode of using the smartphone’s battery and really help you get the most out of a single charge.

Compared to the previous generation, the M8 has increased battery life. With intensive use of all functions, the One can last until late at night. Unfortunately, in our time this is quite a good indicator for a flagship.

With intensive use, the smartphone heats up quite noticeably. Surfing the Internet, heavy gaming, and the camera interface cause the back of the HTC One to get very hot. Of course, it is impossible to burn your hands, but for some this may be a critical moment.

Sensors and technologies

The smartphone features a new interesting system called Motion Launch, the essence of which is that data from all the device’s sensors is collected and stored in one place. Applications do not need to access sensors directly; they use information from a single database. This feature allows you to save battery power and implement new smartphone features.

HTC One can be unlocked in a variety of ways. The first is tapping on the screen. Secondly, swiping your finger across the display surface in sleep mode, which activates one or another function of the smartphone depending on the direction of the gesture. Everything is configured by the user from the menu. During the time that I tested the device, I managed to get used to the function of unlocking the smartphone by double tapping the screen. This is a really useful thing, not marketing nonsense.

In addition, if you turn the smartphone horizontally and press any volume key, the camera interface opens from sleep mode. This script is the only one that worked once, or even twice. Otherwise, the device’s sensors always work correctly.

Alternative HTC Dot View Case

The company offers to purchase a lattice case as an additional accessory for relatively little money (1,790 rubles). This plastic case protects your smartphone well and opens up new dimensions of using the device. The accessory is compatible with all the same Motion Launch gestures.

The smartphone, while in the case, displays various notifications through its holes. It looks really impressive. Of course, such effects work best indoors or in low light conditions. In the sun, these flickers noticeably fade.

Bottom line

HTC has shown the monstrous speed with which a new device hits the market. The updated version of HTC One was announced on March 25, 2014, and the next day, the smartphone could be purchased at retailers. Such a trick cannot be cheap, as the price of the device indirectly tells us.

Of course, 32,990 rubles is expensive!

We all know the current exchange rate of foreign currencies in which all transactions of world brands are carried out. And it is no longer possible to maintain the same price level as in previous years. We see this in the example of HTC and the hero of today's review.

Next. In the first month of the smartphone being on the market, it will no longer be alone. The Samsung Galaxy S5 has arrived on store shelves and the Sony Xperia Z2 is on its way. And HTC One becomes the most expensive of the three newest flagships. And this does not mean at all that it has the best characteristics. Samsung Galaxy S5 has a camera with very decent image quality and the highest detail, USB 3.0 and higher frequency characteristics of the processor (2.5 versus 2.3 GHz for the Taiwanese brainchild). Of course, the Korean cannot be compared with the HTC One in appearance. However, there is also the Japanese new Z2, which, in addition to 3 GB of RAM, a larger display, and the ability to record 4K video, has its own distinctive design.

Is it worth buying HTC One (M8)?

In my opinion, no. At a price of 25,000 - 27,000 rubles, the smartphone would have every chance to compete for some noticeable market share. At the moment, the device is of interest only to connoisseurs of the Sense brand and shell. It is also possible that users who are tired of Apple design or the notorious Sony Style will find something new for themselves in One.