HTC One (M8) Android Smartphone Review

HTC has clearly been putting in considerable effort into its products' industrial design. For years, the company has churned out some of the most appealing flagship devices, running both Android as well as Windows Phone. As of late, the Taiwanese outfit has been struggling to turn a profit, and that’s despite a robust, well-received lineup of phones. In many ways, the new HTC One (known internally as the M8, signifying a followup to last year’s One M7) is a make-it-or-break-it device.

The company isn’t folding anytime soon, but it may be forced to rethink its approach to the market if the One (M8) can’t win over a significant number of consumers. Working against HTC is the Samsung Galaxy S5 (which just started shipping worldwide) as well as the impending iPhone 6 and a host of other Android-based superphones. Many phone buyers fall into an annual or semi-annual upgrade path, where they habitually upgrade their phone to the latest version of whatever it is they already own. That’s a primary driver in the repeat business that Apple and Samsung have enjoyed, and now that the cycle is maturing, it’s growing ever more difficult for firms such as HTC to grab market share.

The new One is, in many ways, a phone that pulls out all of the stops. It’s a creation that’s born from listening to years of feedback from users, and it packs just about everything one could wish for when searching for a top-tier Android device. Take a look...

HTC One (M8) Specifications & Features

Processor	2.3GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801
Memory	2GB RAM 16GB/32 GB (expandable via microSD slot)
Size & Weight	5.76 (H) x 2.78 (W) x 0.37 (D) inches 5.64 ounces
Display	5.0-inch S-LCD3 Screen with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 (1920 x 1080)
OS	Android 4.4.2 (KitKat)
SIM Card Type	Nano-SIM
Network	Sprint Frequencies: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS 850/1900/2100, LTE Bands 25/26/41 Sprint Data Transmission: GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSPA+, WCDMA, LTE
Connectivity	802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Bluetooth 4.0 LE micro-USB 2.0 MHL, DLNA, IR, HDMI, GPS/GLONASS
Software Features	HTC Sense 6.0; HTC BlinkFeed
Camera	4 Megapixel UltraPixel Rear-Facing Autofocus Camera with dual LED Flash and Duo Camera depth sensor 5MP, f/2.0, BSI, wide-angle lens
Battery	2,600 mAh
Price	$99 to $149, depending on carrier (Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, T-Mobile)

A quick glance at its specifications shows that the One is a force to be reckoned with. It’s neck-and-neck with the Galaxy S5 in terms of its underlying hardware, but it offers a number of unique features that may sway certain buyers. Plus, the company’s Sense modifications and BlinkFeed user interface offer interesting touches to Google’s Android KitKat operating system. Is this the phone you’ve been waiting for? Join us in the pages ahead as we find out.