HTC One (M8)
Rear camera | 4.0-megapixel; 2.0 μm camera with autofocus, UltraPixel BSI image sensor, dual-LED dual tone flash, F2.0 aperture, 28 mm lens, continuous shooting, 2.0-megapixel depth of field sensor. |
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Front camera | 5.0-megapixel, 2.0 μm camera, BSI image sensor |
Connectivity | List
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Data inputs | List |
Website | http://www.htc.com/www/smartphones/htc-one-m8/ |
The HTC One (M8) (also marketed as the all-new HTC One)
The device retains a similar design to the
The device received mostly positive reviews, with particular praise devoted to the design improvements within its hardware and software, and its upgraded internals in comparison to the One (M7). However, some reviewers criticized certain aspects of the device, such as its large
Development
Although it was once a leading manufacturer of smartphones in terms of market share, HTC has struggled in the wake of other vendors such as
Details about a possible HTC One successor, codenamed "M8", first leaked in November 2013. Photos posted by a user of the Chinese forum
In January 2014,
In February 2014, HTC began to release a series of teaser videos promoting a launch event for the new HTC One on March 25, 2014. Each video featured a highly technical explanation of a feature from the original One by an engineer, a simplified explanation by another person, followed by the engineer disclosing censored information about the new model[16][17]
Unveiling and release
The new device, officially called HTC One (M8) or the new HTC One, was unveiled during a press conference on March 24, 2014, that was held simultaneously in
It is available in grey, silver, and amber gold color options. In the United States, the gold model will be carried exclusively by the retailer Best Buy.[20]
Specifications
Design
The overall design of the HTC One (M8) closely resembles the 2013 model, the HTC One (M7), with a unibody aluminum frame and dual front-facing speakers, and a
Hardware
The hardware of the device was upgraded in comparison to its predecessor, using a 2.3 GHz quad-core
Camera
The main/primary rear-mounted camera retains the "UltraPixel"
Similar to the competing
The devices record
Although the resolution and processing performance would have sufficed for 1440p video, the One M8 lacks it too.
The main camera is accompanied by a second, 2-megapixel depth of field sensor (OmniVision OV2722) located directly above the main camera as a part of the device's "Duo Camera" system. The sensor analyzes the distance and position of elements within a photo and generates a depth map, which is embedded within each photo. The depth map, along with other information, can then be used to generate 3D parallax effects, to apply filters individually to different parts of the image, such as blurring the background to focus on an object in the foreground (branded "UFocus"), or to copy and paste an object from one photo into another, similar to those available with a Lytro camera. In mid-April, HTC released a software development kit that allows other apps to take advantage of the depth mapping system and stated that the SDK will be used by the camera app on the Google Play edition.[30] HTC CEO Peter Chou said that the work on the Duo Camera took 18 months, in close collaboration with Qualcomm whose Snapdragon 801 ISPs were boosted to handle the device's imaging needs.[31]
While 2013 phone's (M7) rear camera had optical image stabilization (OIS), it was not included in the device as developers deemed it to be "incompatible" with the new depth sensor system. It was replaced by "smart stabilization" features enabled by the depth sensor. The operating system's camera interface was also streamlined, with a new menu for switching between photo, video, Zoe, and Pan 360 modes, and a revised settings interface.[22][32][33]
The secondary/front camera for selfies that is using a
Software
The device ships with a customized version of Android 4.4.2 "KitKat", utilizing version 6.0 of the HTC Sense software suite. It builds upon the design of Sense 5 with a more minimal design, color themes, and optimizations for larger screens and Android 4.4's transparency features. A new system called "Motion Launch" was added that allows users to turn on the display by double-tapping it while picking up the device, and allows unlocking directly to BlinkFeed, the home screen, or voice dialing mode by tapping the screen and dragging in specific directions. Pressing the volume button while holding the phone horizontally will launch the camera app.[22][36] An "extreme power saving mode" was also added, which caps CPU usage and disables non-essential applications, services, and sensors to conserve battery life when running low; the mode only allows access to the phone, messaging, e-mail, calendar, and calculator apps, and disables multitasking.[25]
BlinkFeed was updated with a revised design, which only now displays the weather clock if it's set as the default home screen, and will also now allow third-party developers to add content sources through an SDK; Fitbit (whose app, also pre-loaded on the device, can integrate with its sensor hub as a pedometer) and Foursquare were announced as the launch partners for the SDK.[26] The HTC Share functionality has been replaced by a dedicated Zoe app, which allows users to collaborate on highlight reels. The TV app was updated to include live sports statistics and "Fan Talk", which allows users to track and join conversations relating to TV programs on Twitter.[36]
HTC has committed to providing firmware updates for at least two years following its release. The BlinkFeed, Gallery, TV, and Zoe apps, along with a "HTC Service Pack", are packaged as apps on
Accessories
HTC unveiled a "Dot View Case" for the device during its press conference. The cover of this flip case contains a grid of holes, allowing a clock, weather forecast, and notifications of messages and calls on the screen below it to be displayed through the holes in a style resembling a dot matrix display.[47]
Variants
Google Play edition
A
Harman Kardon Edition
HTC released a special Harman Kardon Edition model of the smartphone featuring an upgraded Harman Kardon audio system, a dark grey finish with gold accents, and a pair of Harman Kardon AE-S earbuds on April 29, 2014, exclusively via Sprint in the United States. Aside from these changes, it is otherwise identical to the base model.[51]
One (M8) Dual SIM
On July 2, 2014, HTC Germany announced a
One (M8) for Windows
Manufacturer | HTC |
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Series | HTC One |
First released | August 20, 2014 |
Mass | 160 g (5.6 oz) |
Operating system | Original: Windows Phone 8.1 Update 1 Beta: Windows 10 Mobile |
Website | http://www.htc.com/www/smartphones/htc-one-m8-windows/ |
On August 18, 2014, HTC and
The development of the device for Windows was enabled by changes to the Windows Phone platform by Microsoft to allow for more flexibility and variance in hardware designs, such as support for on-screen buttons. These changes made it theoretically possible for OEMs to re-use hardware designs from Android devices for use as part of a Windows Phone device. HTC Americas president Jason Mackenzie argued that with the device for Windows, HTC was the first smartphone maker to "[launch] an iconic device on multiple operating systems without making any compromises."[4]
The device is compatible with the Windows 10 Mobile Insider Preview[55] but not with the final public release version of the OS.[56]
One (M8) Eye
HTC unveiled the One (M8) Eye in October 2014. It is otherwise identical to the standard model, except the infrared and NFC connectivity is removed, and the rear UltraPixel camera is replaced by a 13 megapixel camera. The Eye was only released in China and India.[57][58]
Reception
The Android version of the HTC One (M8) received mostly positive reviews from critics. The industrial design of the device was considered to be more "premium" looking than the previous model due to the increase in metal and less plastic, and more comfortable to hold due to its more curved shape. David Pierce of
Similarly to the previous model, the device's rear-facing camera received mixed reviews. While it received praise for its low-light capabilities, faster autofocus, along with the updates to HTC's camera software, the camera was criticized for not showing any notable improvements in image quality over the previous model, producing soft-looking images that only looked acceptable at small sizes due to aggressive noise-reduction and inadequate software processing. In addition, the device's rear camera lacked optical image stabilization (OIS) which had been found in the proceeding M7. However, Engadget praised HTC's focus on "selfies" with its 5-megapixel front-facing camera, and The Verge quipped that even its "ultimate selfie machine" took better photos than the rear-facing camera in many situations. The Duo Camera functionality received similarly mixed reaction; while critics felt that the effects could be considered fun and useful by end-users, the effects themselves (particularly the refocus effect) were panned for not having any positive effect on overall image quality, and for having inconsistent quality themselves.[22][25][35][60] Ars Technica specifically considered the Duo Camera to be "poorly executed gimmicks", noting that the effect could be replicated in software and that HTC should have instead focused on improving the hardware of the rear camera.[37] Anand Lal Shimpi of AnandTech praised the look and feel of the device, Sense 6.0, and the better power efficiency with the Snapdragon 801. Anand also praised the camera app and UI, as well as the effects processing such as the zoom and blur features, stating that the device was "an extremely versatile shooter," but noted deficiencies, such as the inadequate image quality and lack of image stabilization. Ultimately, he stated that the new HTC One "is an upgrade in so many areas, but lacked a substantial step forward in primary camera quality."[25]
See also
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