HTC One (M8) smartphone review: the most metallic. Review of HTC One (M8). Old-new flagship What kind of camera does htc one m8 have?

HTC is an amazing company. Just five years ago it was an example of a successful smartphone manufacturer, but today it barely has time to count its losses. Exactly a year ago, the One phone appeared on the market, designed to, if not save, then at least help the Taiwanese in competition with Samsung and Apple.

The model received many flattering reviews and, not without reason, became the most awarded smartphone. What seems even more strange is the fact that, despite the affection of buyers and journalists, the Taiwanese flagship was unable to improve the financial situation of its manufacturer. The corporation's losses reached $62 million, and its market share fell to a meager 2%.

The One phenomenon lies in the fact that a device that was excellent in all respects did not sell well enough. The reason for this was mainly the high price and microscopic marketing costs compared to competitors. The company had no choice but to release an even cooler smartphone. Let's see if it worked.

Design

Today, it is especially clear how many players in the smartphone market have found recognizable designs for their products. Can be confused Galaxy of different generations and models, but in general, Samsung's plastic, rounded devices are identifiable at first glance. Also notable are flagship phones from Sony, Nokia, Apple, and now HTC.

The Taiwanese have adopted the tactics of the Apple corporation: the One (M8) design, apart from minor modifications, remains the same. And it is right. Last year's version of the flagship was very attractive in itself, but the new model has become even more beautiful. Without exaggeration or stretching, the updated One can easily be called the cutest Android smartphone.

During the presentation of the device, the head of a Taiwanese corporation compared it to an expensive watch. The One (M8) truly looks like a premium product. This time there are no compromises in the form of plastic strips: now the bottom end and sides are neat roundings of a single piece of aluminum.

There is very little plastic left - there are only two thin strips on the back panel. There is also a black plastic panel on the top end. There is nothing to be done - all this is necessary for the normal operation of wireless modules.

It is curious that, unlike last year’s flagship, the new One uses plastic rather than metal inserts above and below the screen. It is difficult to say why the manufacturer took such a step. It is possible that this is due to complaints from some users about the pads coming off. Perhaps the plastic is more securely attached to the base.

In all respects, the new product has become more accurate than its predecessor. The thin metal volume button is perfect in everything, from its location to the clarity of pressing. The appearance of the audio jack, which has moved to the bottom edge, now does not suffer from dents, and the trays for nanoSIM and microSD look so organic that they do not disturb the perception of the solidity of the case.

The control system that not everyone liked in the 2013 One has been fixed. In the new device touch buttons no at all, virtual keys are used instead. They are implemented perfectly, but we will dwell on them in more detail when considering the functionality of the smartphone.

Due to the increased display diagonal, the new product has become noticeably larger than last year's model - almost a centimeter longer, a couple of millimeters wider and a little thicker (9.4 mm versus 9.3). Weight increased from 143 to 160 g.

The new product can take good pictures, but not the first or even the third time. You need to take several identical frames so that later you can choose something of more or less quality from them. Fortunately, the shooting speed is instantaneous. The main thing is that you then have enough free time to select photos.

Camera One (M8) is more than enough for Instagram and other network services. However, in general, the photographic capabilities of the device do not compete with the cameras of other flagships.

This is especially disappointing given the software and hardware functionality of the photo module. So, the smartphone can change the focus in ready-made pictures. This feature is implemented thanks to an additional camera that acts as a scene depth sensor. The sensor determines the distance to the objects captured by the lens, after which the system only has to change the focus depending on the object specified by the user.

Post Focus Examples

The post-focus feature works much better than the Galaxy S5. In the case of One (M8), you don’t have to maintain a distance of half a meter, select a separate shooting mode and wait the few seconds it takes to process the photo. The HTC device does everything instantly. The main thing here is not to obscure the scene depth sensor, which, when the smartphone is positioned horizontally, is right under your finger.

The final result largely depends on the shooting conditions. If there are many objects in the frame at different distances from the camera, you should not expect that the device will be able to focus perfectly in all cases. Blur is present in spots in the frame; there is no question of correct focus here. In the “correct” composition, using the post-focus function, you can take spectacular pictures.

Shooting in low light conditions

Photo with animated sakura petals overlay

Other effects are also applied to finished photos, many of which also use data received by the depth sensor. You can, for example, retouch the background, insert animated sakura leaves, dandelions, maple leaves or snow. You can also copy the image of a person in one frame and paste it into another, move prepared objects (caps, hats, mustaches, horns, glasses, etc.) to the picture. The 3D function turned out to be very funny, simulating a three-dimensional effect when tilting a photo.

Photo with overlay of prepared objects

A photo with a retouched background

Most of these functions are for pampering, but they are suitable for entertaining with friends.

Functionality

The One (M8) smartphone is running the latest software to date Android versions 4.4.2 with proprietary Sense 6.0 interface. The shell is good. There is no clutter of unnecessary services and applications, but it works very quickly and is designed in a slightly laconic, but very attractive style. Unlike some Korean devices, good taste here is evident both in the exterior and in the interior.

The BlinkFeed news feed is now less intrusive than the previous One. The number of desktops has increased from 5 to 6, and the news content aggregator no longer takes up main screen default. Moreover, the functionality of BlinkFeed has also changed for the better: the number of news sources has increased, including Russian-language ones, the design of the feed has been improved, and the capabilities of the service have been improved. Now BlinkFeed is even quite possible to use.

The set of built-in applications is small and not of particular interest. There is still a children's mode, the ability to control the TV via the infrared port, and a program for working with Fitbit fitness bracelets has appeared.

One of the most interesting and useful innovations of the One (M8) firmware was the Motion Launch gesture control system. The developers did not copy the functions of other manufacturers that work through the stump deck (like eye tracking), but created an intuitive control service using gestures. The smartphone user can turn it on by double tapping the display.

Using gestures left, right, down and up, you can open the widget panel, launch BlinkFeed, activate voice dialing or unlock the device. If you press the volume button while the phone is horizontal, the camera will launch. We have seen similar functionality in other flagship smartphones. In the One (M8) model, it is implemented no better and no worse - it is convenient to operate, although rare accidental operations are not excluded.

There was an urgent need for a successor who would not lose face. In the updated HTC One(HTC somewhat clumsily differentiates it from its predecessor by adding an internal model designation - M8) again relying on appearance, body materials and software thought out from the point of view of both design and functionality. We've been using the HTC One M8 as our main smartphone for almost a month and are ready to tell you in what ways it is superior to competitors' products and in what ways it is inferior - both to them and to last year's predecessor.

Specifications

OS: Android 4.4.2 with Sense 6.0 shell
Processor: Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 (MSM8974AB) 2.3 GHz
Graphics subsystem: Adreno 330
RAM: 2 GB
Storage memory: 16/32 GB, microSD card support (up to 128 GB)
Interfaces: DLNA, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0, IR port, microUSB (USB 2.0) for charging/syncing, 3.5 mm headphone jack
Screen: capacitive IPS, 5-inch diagonal, resolution 1920 by 1080 pixels (FullHD), density ~441 pixels per inch
Cameras: main 4 MP with autofocus, Full HD 1080p video recording, front 5 megapixels, frame depth sensor
Network: GSM/HSDPA/LTE
Navigation: GPS/GLONASS, A-GPS
Radio: FM tuner
Sensors: accelerometer, proximity sensor
Battery: 2,600 mAh
Colors: white, black
Dimensions: 146.4 x 70.6 x 9.4 mm
Weight: 160 grams

Design, ergonomics

The manufacturer failed to impress the press and potential buyers with the appearance of the HTC One M8 - firstly, the official announcement was preceded by 1000 and 1 leak, and secondly, the design of the device, although it has changed, is only evolutionary. The same black rectangle of the screen looks at the user, to which metal panels with perforated BoomSound speaker grilles are “attached” at the top and bottom; it unexpectedly turned out to be very similar to the inverted back panel of the iPhone 5s. Here are the most noticeable changes: we moved the buttons from the dedicated strip under the display directly to the screen, changed the location of the proximity and light sensors, and, finally, significantly increased the size, especially in length.

The latter is not encouraging. If the HTC One was perhaps the most comfortable of last year’s generation of flagships, the new product lies in the hand much less confidently because it has grown by almost a centimeter (to 146.4) mm in length and by 2.5 mm in width. The thickness remained almost the same (0.1 mm increase is unnoticeable), the comfort of use has increased due to the abandonment of sharp edges of the case in favor of rounded ones. But for many, the dimensions will be on the verge (or beyond) of comfortable, and the weight, having increased by 16 grams, has become more noticeable.

The volume rocker and power/lock button protrude a little more than on the 2013 model and are more comfortable to use. The only thing is that the lock button is still on the top end; every time you turn off the screen of the device you have to train your fingers to stretch with unnatural movements. It’s good to at least unlock the HTC One M8 using gestures on the screen; we’ll talk about them in more detail in the chapter on software.

The smartphone requires a nano-format SIM card (like the iPhone starting with iPhone 5, Motorola Moto X or Nokia Lumia 1520), it is inserted into the “sled” that extends from the body. In a similar way, you can insert a card on the other edge of the device microSD memory capacity up to 128 GB.

In the smartphone body itself there is now even less plastic and even more (90%, if you do not take into account the screen and filling) metal. The surface looks and feels different than last year's One - it's less matte, but has a subtle but visible texture, as if the soft aluminum had been brushed with a wire brush. It is not immune to scratches; when used without a case (with it the dimensions go beyond all reasonable limits), they appear after just a week of use. However, the color and texture are chosen in such a way that small scratches are noticeable only if you look closely, and even then they do not spoil the impression of the device.

On the other hand, the buyer will find a protective case in the box along with the phone. This is a simple translucent “bumper” that protects the back panel and the perimeter of the case, but such care cannot but be welcomed. Additionally, you can purchase a Flip Case with a flip-up lid, a cheerful multi-colored bumper Double Dip Case, or the most interesting option - the Dot View case with rows of small transparent holes on the lid. It allows the smartphone to display basic information- for example, time and weather, highlighting individual points. HTC claims that this does not significantly affect battery life.

Both connectors - for a USB cable and for headphones - are located on the bottom end of the device. On the back panel there is a main camera complete with a dual flash designed to provide natural colors in any lighting, as well as a secondary camera designed to determine the distance to objects in the frame. About why it is needed (if needed at all) - in the next section. A brief summary of appearance and convenience: the second was clearly brought by the developers in favor of the first.

Screen

Traditionally, in recent years there have been no complaints about the quality of displays in HTC's flagship products - IPS technology provides excellent viewing angles, color rendition and brightness reserves. In bright sunlight, the image, of course, fades, but remains no less readable than indoors.

With a diagonal of 5 inches, the HTC One M8 screen has a Full HD resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels, the pixel density is not a record, but quite guarantees the “invisibility” of individual pixels of 441 ppi. Most new smartphone HTC uses Gorilla Glass 3 for protection, which protects the screen from most scratches and damage. At the same time, if (like us) you don’t take special care to protect it, then small scratches that are noticeable upon close examination of the surface still appear on it after a couple of weeks of use. That is, this is not a panacea; if you want to keep the screen in perfect condition, you will have to use a case, or rather, a protective film.

Camera, sound

Let's start from the end - with the front camera. Its resolution in the HTC One M8 has more than doubled - from 2.1 to 5 megapixels. At the same time, the matrix size has remained virtually unchanged (from 1/5.8 to 1/5), so there is no need to talk about a significant increase in picture quality.

HTC One M8 is the only smartphone ever released in the world whose front camera resolution is higher than the main one. HTC engineers are still confident that the size of the pixels is more important for the quality of the image than the number of photosensitive elements of the matrix. Therefore, the main camera still has about 4 million megapixels, but the pixels themselves are several times larger than those of competing analogues.

Traditionally, in recent years, smartphone manufacturers have been increasing the number of pixels - light-catching sensor elements - and users are accustomed to thinking that the more there are, the better. However, the final image quality, contrast and color saturation, the way we see it on a monitor (with a resolution, as a rule, no higher than Full HD, that is, two megapixels) or on a smartphone screen is influenced much more strongly by the size of the sensor matrix itself and its elements . In addition, algorithms for processing data from the matrix are important, responsible for correct color rendering and contrast.

Yes, 4 megapixels compared to 16 on the Galaxy S 5 or even 8 on the iPhone 5s can be discouraging in a flagship smartphone. But this doesn't stop the HTC One M8's camera from taking noticeably better pictures than most Android smartphones. There will be not enough pixels in only one case - if you want to crop a photo in the editor by selecting and enlarging one area of the image. Then the lack of resolution will, of course, affect the quality.

All this could be said about the camera in last year's HTC One, except that the sensor is from a different supplier and the manufacturer promises increased color accuracy and saturation. However, there is a difference - the second camera, located just above the main one. The job of this sensor (technically the same 2-megapixel module that was used for the front camera in last year's One) is to work in conjunction with the main camera to determine the distance to different areas of the image.

The smartphone simultaneously stores data from the main and secondary cameras, but only displays and saves the first one as usual. Thanks to the second camera, a "depth map" of the image is created, dividing it into several zones, conditionally the foreground, middle ground and backdrop. This data allows you to apply various effects in post-processing - from simulating a lens with a shallow depth of field (bokeh effect) to desaturating the background. Unfortunately, in practice, the "depth map" is far from always created correctly, as a result, blurry (or discolored, or autumn leaves or snow flying over them - there are countless effects of varying degrees of naivety in the arsenal) are not exactly the parts of the image that should be would.

With due persistence in certain scenarios, you can really get the effect of shooting with an expensive camera with a high-quality "portrait" lens, but the system will not be able to magically transform each shot. Perhaps the situation will improve in new versions of the software or products from third-party developers. To them, HTC promises to open the SDK of its camera so that third-party applications can access tricks with frame depth.

So far, the results of using the Duo Camera look like this. For most users, the new technology will simply be an excuse to play around with a couple of shots, and will not revolutionize mobile photography at all:

Here the result is slightly better, however, the system still could not perceive the girl in the center of the frame as one object, part of the hair and the elbow were in the background and fell under the processing effect:

In the event that you are shooting a half-length portrait or a carefully calibrated still life, the results will certainly be better. However, even then, the digital blur effect applied to the background does not look as natural as real optical bokeh.

Sample photos, comparison with iPhone 5S. Click to view full size images:

HTC One M8	Apple iPhone 5s

The pictures show that the HTC device is less careful in determining the required shutter speed - the first two frames are distinguished by overexposed areas, while the third is underexposed. On the other hand, subjectively, the grass and flowers in the second frame turned out more pleasant on the Taiwanese phone. This is not noticeable in the thumbnails, but due to the higher resolution in the picture from the iPhone 5s, you can see more details (for example, in the third frame, the pattern on the girl’s dress in the foreground). Finally, the iPhone introduces less geometric distortion into the cityscape image - the HTC has more “drunk” lights at the edges of the frame and the State Duma building on the left. In general, the quality of HTC's pictures is excellent, but the automatic algorithms that determine the desired shutter speed and white balance sometimes work a little roughly.

The rest of the photos taken by HTC One M8 can be found at this link (Dropbox). The main complaints, if you nitpick, are insufficient detail of small objects (tree branches, for example) and often overexposed bright areas of the images. The HDR mode, unfortunately, does not solve the latter problem - the smartphone brings out details in the shadows, but bright areas still remain overexposed. However, color rendition is usually correct and contrast is good; pictures look nice on a smartphone or computer screen. In low-light conditions, the smartphone takes good pictures, but during the test we did not notice any radical difference for the better from other flagships.

There is another problem that relates to shooting videos as well as photos in low light - the HTC One M8's camera lacks optical stabilization. Most likely, the manufacturer decided to save money, or the OmniVision supplier was unable to produce the required number of modules on time. In any case, the HTC One M8's image stability when shooting video handheld or on the go is noticeably lower than that of its "optically stabilized" predecessor.

It's worth mentioning that the HTC One M8's camera is extremely fast - it takes a fraction of a second to autofocus, saving is generally instantaneous. In addition, in continuous shooting mode, it is possible to shoot up to 99 frames in a row at a speed of about 12 frames per second. If desired, you can trust the automatic function to select the best one. The camera app itself looks very thoughtful, all the settings are at hand, but do not get in the way unnecessarily. Unfortunately, HTC refused to simultaneously display the photo and video buttons, so to quickly switch to shooting a video, you will have to get into the shooting mode menu.

Finally, briefly about sound - for the second year in a row, HTC is releasing a smartphone that leaves behind all its competitors in terms of the capabilities of its built-in speakers. Of course, the laws of physics do not allow us to fit a truly high-quality audio system into a compact smartphone body, but among flagship devices, the HTC One M8 is still the leader in both the volume of stereo speakers and the purity of playback. No one has yet made a better built-in alternative to compact Bluetooh speakers.

Filling, performance

Like its main competitors - Samsung Galaxy S5 and Sony Xperia Z2 - HTC One M8 is built on the most powerful chip available to manufacturers today, Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 (MSM8974AB). In the European version of the smartphone, which is also sold in Russia, the processor frequency is 2.3 GHz. The Asian one has 0.2 GHz more, but it probably drains the battery faster. In any case, the result is one of the best:

The device is also ideal for gaming, although it could be easier. Frame rate at maximum quality almost no different from that at the minimum, that is, the graphics performance margin is huge:

The HTC One M8 has 2 GB of RAM - the engineers considered it irrational to install more. The device has 16 or 32 GB of internal memory, but the presence of a microSD slot with support for cards with a capacity of up to 128 GB makes it pointless to purchase a 32 GB model. Out of the box, a little more than 10 GB is available to the user:

Another important design feature is that the device requires a nano-SIM; the old mini- or micro-format card will have to be cut or replaced.

The battery capacity of HTC One M8 is 2600 mAh - 13% more than its predecessor. With normal use (45 minutes of video, about 15 minutes of calls, regular monitoring of news in the Press RSS reader, occasional surfing, social networks and email viewing, switching to airplane mode at night), the smartphone has a battery life of a day:

This means that even with active use, you can “kill” the battery during a working day before returning home only by trying - for example, by playing 3D games for several hours or continuously watching movies in Full HD at maximum brightness. When the brightness was set to 2/3 of the maximum, the HD Ready resolution video in .mp4 format was played by the HTC One M8 smartphone without stopping until the battery was completely discharged for just over 11 hours. This is a phenomenal result compared to its predecessor - the 2013 HTC One could continuously operate as a “cinema in the palm of your hand” for no more than 6-7 hours. In case of web surfing via 3G/LTE when automatic installations brightness, you can count on a result of 7-9 hours of continuous operation, via Wi-Fi - more than 10 hours. And the One of the 2014 model charges significantly faster than the 2013 model - on average, just over 2.5 hours versus 3.5.

The HTC One M8 has no problems with data transfer speeds (3G and LTE networks), LTE is even faster than other Wi-Fi. In addition, it was noticed that at points where the iPhone 5s received data over 3G uncertainly or even switched to EDGE, the HTC One M8 transmitted data perfectly and quickly enough on the 3G network. The disadvantages of the device’s communication capabilities include thoughtful GPS work. At least in Google maps and Yandex, after waking up the device, the location marker usually appeared in the proper place after 10-25 seconds. Most other smartphones find themselves “waking up” much faster. I would like to hope that this is a flaw in the software and it will be promptly corrected.

Another feature of every self-respecting flagship smartphone V Lately has a built-in motion sensor. Both the iPhone 5s and the Galaxy S5 have a pedometer, and the new HTC flagship also has one. The devices come pre-installed with one of the best-in-class FitBit apps, which can analyze data from the One M8's built-in sensor. There will be another reason to force yourself to tear yourself away from your chair and go for a short walk. HTC One M8 and iPhone 5s, being in different jeans pockets throughout the day, recorded almost the same number of steps.

Software Features

HTC One M8 runs on latest version Android 4.4.2 with HTC Sense 6.0 interface shell. The latter took all the best from previous version, intelligently integrated innovations into KitKat and, most importantly, imposes much less controversial usefulness on functions like the universal news feed HTC BlinkFeed or the photo-video story creation tool Zoe. True, the Wallet application for NFC payments dangles on the home screen, which, as it turned out, mercilessly wastes the battery in the background. For this reason, and also because of the reluctance to trust card data to the most vulnerable mobile platform (sorry, Android, but it's true), it was mercilessly demolished after a couple of days of testing.

The appearance of Sense 6.0 is very good; perhaps this is the only firmware from first-tier manufacturers that can compete with stock Android not so much in the abundance of dubious functions, but visually. The fonts, the choice of colors, and the widget design are good; HTC software designers clearly eat their bread for a reason, unlike their colleagues from some other companies.

Besides the visual differences, as well as dubious attempts to compete with third-party software developers in their field like BlinkFeed, HTC Sense 6.0 adds some really useful things to Android. One of them is the extreme energy saving mode. You can turn it on manually or program it to activate when the battery reaches a certain level.

In it, the device essentially turns into an ordinary “dialer”-communicator with access only to the most important things: calls, SMS, e-mail(inbox will have to be updated manually), calculator and calendar. At the same time, the maximum screen brightness is limited, the frequency of the processor and graphics core is reduced, background data transfer, motion sensors and screen gesture recognition are turned off, and all applications are unloaded from memory. In this mode, 5% of the battery charge, HTC claims, can last for 15 hours, and 20% for 60, that is, 2.5 days.

The second important and truly useful feature of the HTC One M8 software is gesture control. With such dimensions, no one wants to reach for the unlock button several dozen times a day, so you can “wake up” your smartphone with a regular double tap on the screen, holding it in portrait orientation. To immediately unlock the device, just swipe up from the bottom of the screen. To launch the camera, hold the smartphone in landscape orientation and press the volume up button. Unfortunately, there are no gestures for locking the device. In order to turn off the screen, you still need to reach for the button on the top end of the smartphone.

Purchase, conclusions

Before us is clearly one of best Android smartphones 2014. The price of the device matches these conclusions - 33,000 rubles at the start of sales, which is 10% more than its obvious competitors - Samsung Galaxy S5 and Sony Xperia Z2. A device imported into Russia unofficially and deprived of a manufacturer’s warranty can be purchased for about 5,000 cheaper; in addition, many “white” sellers are retreating from the 33,000 mark. However, choosing best smartphone 2014, we must remember that the HTC One M8 is still the most expensive of them.

However, the device is not without its drawbacks. The first is average ergonomics due to the size, although the Z2 and Galaxy S5 are even worse with it. The second is the camera, the pictures from which are great for Instagram and other social networks, as well as sending by mail, but nothing more. If these two factors do not bother you, then HTC One M8 is perhaps the most impressive smartphone of 2014 in terms of design (including interface design) and workmanship, moreover, it has a very durable battery, best-in-class speakers and a full-fledged microSD card support up to a record 128GB capacity.

So, here's what the review of the HTC One M8 (2014) smartphone allowed us to find out:

Pros:

Great design, build and materials
High, although not record-breaking, productivity
Long battery life
Loud and clear sound from built-in speakers
Thoughtful, functional and stylish software

Minuses:

"Slow" GPS
Inconvenient size, especially vertically
Controversial Camera

The amount of RAM has not changed since last year. This is not surprising: the main driving factor in this direction is the screen resolution, and, as you know, it has not changed since last year. The amount of internal memory is 16 or 32 GB (with 24 and 10 GB available, respectively), but now it can finally be expanded thanks to the microSD slot, which supports cards up to 128 GB, so you are unlikely to feel the lack of free space.

Communications that a smartphone could still have are quite difficult to come up with; it contains everything, including all possible Wi-Fi standards, HSPA and LTE. There is even an infrared port, which we already mentioned.

The capacity of the non-removable battery is 2600 mAh, and this is the weakest indicator among the results of the trio chosen for comparison. However, HTC has carried out optimization and as a result, the new flagship lasts longer than the previous one. It lasts for almost a day active use. There is also an energy-saving mode, or rather, even two energy-saving modes: traditional and critical.

Everything is clear with the first one, but what happens in the critical one? First of all, it goes down clock frequency processor, and significantly. Almost all sensors and sensors are turned off, data transmission stops immediately after the screen goes out, and the backlight brightness becomes minimal. But that's not all. In critical power saving mode, you cannot use almost any applications except calls, messages, mail, calendar and calculator. Of course, it only makes sense to turn on this mode when the battery is very close to being completely discharged. But you can also set it to turn on automatically at 20, 10 and 5 percent charge.

Case Dot View, Sense 6.0

We have seen more than once how manufacturers are trying to make sure that a case is not just a case, but a functional element that makes working with a smartphone easier. Apple started it all with its SmartCover for iPad. But HTC, in our opinion, has gone the furthest. The Dot View case looks like a traditional (and not the most convenient) accessory. It completely covers the back panel of the device and is fixed on it, and on the front side there is a hinged silicone lid.

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 keep the name HTC One 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 the very compact the lineup, HTC once faced a problem with naming its devices. Simply put, there were a lot of smartphones, ideas of what to call them, and concepts too, but in the end, all this began to turn the lineup into a mess, the same that has been observed in the line of phones and Nokia smartphones, 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 this applies only to smartphones, in the tablet segment the company managed to once step on the same rake, naming another tablet " The New iPad" instead of the usual adding of numbers.

In 2012-2013, HTC finally almost solved the problem of names - HTC One X became not just a new flagship of the manufacturer, but a new line of top-end devices with a more or less understandable and simple name. Then the prefix X was simplified, and we got a simple and understandable series of smartphones “One”: the classic flagship One, the compact version of One mini and the “shovel-shaped” One Max. Perhaps, from the point of view of the convenience of finding accessories for the previous model, finding other information, communicating with people when discussing the HTC model, choosing to keep the HTC One name 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 past 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 previous generation HTC One became, 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.

Contents 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 body 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 considering 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 of 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 invisible, so from the point of view appearance HTC One is good - it looks like new, this smartphone will last for a long time if you don’t 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 and creaking parts here, no backlash of some 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 hardly 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 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 upper elements screen without intercepting your 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, you can call it by holding it Google service Now.

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 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 on which 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 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 generations). 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.

The automatic brightness control on the new HTC One works correctly in most situations. For the week that I have already been using the device, I have not had a desire to turn off auto-adjustment and set the brightness manually, and on some smartphones (many) I do just that.

One of the new features of the display compared to last year's One is support for stylus touches, the ability to use the display while wearing gloves, and a good response to pressure with wet fingers.

Compare the display in HTC One with Samsung screen Galaxy S5, it seems to me, there is no point. 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, juicy, contrasting, with very high brightness, but at the same time poor readability in the sun. I like the HTC One screen more, but this is just the opinion of someone who is used to calm colors.

Below you can take a look at a comparison of the screens of the old and new generation HTC One, also taken as an example. Meizu smartphone MX3 is 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 to know about the camera in HTC One (M8). In fact, there are two cameras here - the main one, which the company calls the HTC UltraPixel, with the following characteristics: back-lit matrix, pixel size 2.0 micrometers, sensor size 1/3 "", f / 2.0 aperture, 28 mm lenses - and an additional 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 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 slightly “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 quite 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. View it on PC using standard programs It won’t work, 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 the shutter speed and adjust the 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.

Front-camera in HTC One (M8) it 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 clearly distinguishable, while wind noise (it was present during recording) is minimal.

Except 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 on this 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 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 good pictures: accurate white balance, natural colors (against the background of SGS5 and Nokia 1020), clear contrast, wide angle and high speed shooting.

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, the voice is clearly distinguishable in the voice recorder, 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 mode savings, 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 normal mode energy saving, by turning it on, you can save battery power by lowering the screen brightness level, turning off transmission, 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 most importantly, in this mode, a limited set of applications is available to you, 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 smartphone's specifications indicate the USB 2.0 interface version, but when you connect HTC One to a computer (Windows 7), the system displays a notification that this device may work faster if connected via USB 3.0. However, the difference in the transfer time of 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 USB support 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 file systems FAT/FAT32, 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 intention of correcting. 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 from Google Play separately.

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 mode maximum performance(uncheck “Wi-Fi optimization”), and 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. On the menu wireless networks select the option “Share access to mobile internet" 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 has NFC support, however, 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 Google programs 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, and there are also special enlarged versions of the main applications: The 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 answered 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 is readable 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 different 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 purchased in company store company 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 its 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 100% 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 one should be modern smartphone- 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: dual camera HTC Duo: 4 MP main camera (maximum image resolution 2688 x 1520) with UltraPixel technology (using “ultrapixels” 2 micrometers in size), 1/3" sensor, f/2.0, 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

⇡ Technical specifications

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HTC One M8
Display	5.0 inches, 1920x1080, IPS Matrix Sharp LC050T1SC01K
Touch screen	Capacitive, up to 10 simultaneous touches
Air gap	No
Oleophobic coating	Eat
Polarizing filter	Eat
CPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 MSM8974AB v3: four Qualcomm Krait-400 cores (ARMv7), frequency 2.27 GHz; process technology 28 nm HPm
Graphics controller	Qualcomm Adreno 330, 578 MHz
RAM	2 GB LPDDR3-1600
Flash memory	16 GB (about 11 GB available) + microSD
Connectors	1 x micro-USB 2.0 (MHL) 1 x 3.5mm headset jack 1 x microSD 1 x nano-SIM
cellular	2G/3G/4G Qualcomm MDM9x25 modem (built into the processor), WTR1625L transceiver One nano-SIM format SIM card
Cellular connection 2G	GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
Cellular 3G	WCDMA 850/900/1900/2100 MHz DC-HSPA+ (42.2/5.76 Mbps)
Cellular 4G	LTE FDD band 3, 7, 8, 20 (1800/2600/900/800 MHz) LTE Cat. 3 (150/50 Mbit/s)
WiFi	802.11a/b/g/n/ac, 2.4 and 5 GHz
Bluetooth	4.0
NFC	Eat
IR port	Eat
Navigation	GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS
Sensors	Light Sensor, Proximity Sensor, Accelerometer/Gyroscope/Pedometer, Magnetometer (Digital Compass), Barometer
Main camera	4 MP (2688x1520), 1/3″ HTC UltraPixel matrix with back illumination, element size 2 microns; autofocus, dual two-color LED flash; additional camera, recording information about the distance to the objects being photographed
Front-camera	5 MP (2560x1920)
Nutrition	Non-removable battery 9.88 Wh (2600 mAh, 3.8 V)
Size	146.7x70.8 mm Case thickness: 9.4 mm
Weight	158 g
Water and dust protection	No
operating system	Google Android 4.4.2 (KitKat) Own HTC Sense shell with disable HTC BlinkFeed