A challenger appears: HTC unveils the HTC One M8s, a new take on the 2014 flagship
It’s not quite the HTC One M9 Plus, but it is a familiar face. HTC has just announced a new device called the HTC One M8s and as you might expect from the name, is actually just last year’s HTC One M8 with a few changes. At first glance, it will look like the phone has […]
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AT&T HTC One M7 getting Lollipop today, AT&T M8 update on 4/6
While HTC has been much more aggressive with rolling out updates since the arrival of the HTC One (M7), they’ve fallen a bit behind schedule with the Lollipop rollout. The update to carriers should have happened months ago now, but better late than never.
AT&T HTC One (M7) Owners! Great news, we’ve received technical approval on Lollipop OS. OTA will start tomorrow. Thank you for your patience
— Mo Versi (@moversi) March 30, 2015
For those on AT&T’s network, you’ll be happy to know the One M7 and One M8 will soon be seeing an update to Android 5.0 Lollipop, starting with the HTC One M7 sometime today. Mo Versi originally confirmed the news of the One M7’s impending update through Twitter last night, and this morning also revealed that the HTC One M8 will also be making the jump, albeit slightly later on April 6th.
@LindsayCallende Hi Lindsay, M7 has been received. OTA to start tomorrow. M8 scheduled for 4/6. Thanks.
— Mo Versi (@moversi) March 30, 2015
As for what’s new here? Both updates will bring a number of new features from Lollipop including notification improvements, a redesigned recent apps panel, and a slew of new security features. As for Material Design, you can expect a few aesthetic changes but the visual update will be much less noticeable than you’d find with a stock Android device like a Nexus, thanks to HTC’s custom skin.
Keep in mind that the One M7 update is coming sometime today, but we’ve yet to receive any confirmation that its rollout has begun. We’ll be sure to update you as soon as we learn more.
Looking back at the HTC One (M8)
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HTC followed up its very well received One (M7) flagship with the M8, a smartphone with a design that was further refined, which rightfully continued to win awards and fans. As other OEMs were only beginning to find their footing in the design and build quality department, some more so than others, HTC’s latest offering certainly brought with it the hope that this would be the One people chose over the competition. Shortcomings aside, its eye-catching profile and fantastic user experience did lead to a number of users snatching up the One (M8).
But that was then, and this is the HTC One (M8)… now.
Unlike this year, when HTC launched its latest flagship in Barcelona just before the official start of MWC 2015, HTC chose to stay away from any trade shows last year, launching the One (M8) during simultaneous events held in New York and London. HTC has to be appreciated for the fact that they keep their device announcement events pretty simple, a similar philosophy to what we see in the company’s approach to its smartphones.
The One (M8) brought with it the appearance of a second “eye” on the back of the phone, above the 4 MP “Ultrapixel” camera that HTC was still touting as the best low-light camera experience. Though the Ultrapixel camera proved itself in the One (M7) as a decent performer, its detractors focused mainly on the lack of high detail when zooming in, as the pictures were much smaller compared to other flagships.
This time around, a second camera module was going to bring depth data to photos, resulting in better depth of field, similar to what you’d get with DSLR shooters. This certainly caught a lot of people by surprise, given the rumors that suggested that the Duo Camera addition would be for 3D picture shooting, instead of something that allowed you to add effects to just about any picture after the fact.
Aside from the phone, one nice aspect of this new flagship was the addition of many in-house accessories for the One (M8), something that wasn’t always the case with Android devices. And given the out-of-the-box thinking with the Dot View Case in particular, the HTC One (M8) felt like an “experience,” rather than just a device bursting with raw power to appease the the spec hungry masses.
Once we actually got our hands on the phone, much of what we liked from the announcement and the first hands-on continued to impress. In particular, the One M8 stood out from the smartphone crowd due its metal unibody design, which made for a much better looking phone when compared to the plastic or glass builds from other manufacturers, like Samsung with its Galaxy S5. A smooth software experience that didn’t require you to fight with the user interface to get things done, and one of the best audio experiences available to users in the front-facing BoomSound speakers were definitely contributing factors as well. The One (M8) felt like a phone that just worked, which is exactly what many users are looking for in a phone.
The One (M8) is not without its flaws though. The brushed metal is still one of the most slippery surfaces to use, and complaints about the phone slipping about have been observed. Though the rounded sides add to the look, we still don’t think they provide the best grip, even if the narrow profile certainly helps with this. The black bar at bottom of the display housing the HTC logo remains a point of contention for many users, even if HTC insists that the bar is necessary in order to accommodate crucial internal components.
The improved HTC Sense is a pretty different take on the stock Android experience, but it is also one of the easiest to navigate. A vertical app drawer felt odd for a little while, but BlinkFeed was still a nice way of getting the general headlines from the news or social media feeds, and is still considered a better second homescreen addition than what we get from competitors. Though adding contextual colors to sections of the interface sounded like a good idea, I preferred to have everything be monotone or black. Personally, I felt this matched the general dark look of the Sense UI better.
The one area that fell under heaviest criticism was the camera, an iteration from HTC that still included the Ultrapixel construction. While low light performance is always an issue with Android flagships, HTC hoped to alleviate their smaller megapixel pictures by trying to remedy this very problem. While in some cases it proved to be true, my biggest gripe with the One (M8) was its jumpy exposures. Often, I would get pictures that were simply not of accurate color reproduction or of proper exposure, opting for either blown out or darker images, depending on where your focus and exposure were tapped in the viewfinder. While getting good photos was definitely possible, it just didn’t happen as often as we would have liked. For a phone that tries to be easier to use across the board, having to fiddle around for a nice picture didn’t seem to align with that philosophy.
This brings us to the capabilities of the Duo Camera. In short, getting depth information for every single photo was a very nice idea, but the execution didn’t do it justice. When shooting a proper subject in a photo, the Duo Camera effects would definitely find the spot and try to stitch it out for a nice bokeh effect, but unfortunately, this effect would often bleed into the wrong parts of the picture. With this fundamental first step already causing some issues, trying to put extra effects on top of the bokeh seemed pointless, not to mention the fact that many of the effects were just impractical. One aspect we did like about the camera experience was the highlight reel made possible by Zoe in the Gallery. Though you might sometimes forget that you can use the Zoe camera to get short clips or even burst shots of your scene, doing so could result in a really nice recap of an event or day in your life. And when done well, it was a nice little surprise to come back to.
In revisiting the HTC One (M8), it still looks like the phone everyone wants because of its nearly flawless design. It certainly is different from all other phones in the space, and if you’re the kind of person that wants to get a bit of attention for your phone choices, the One (M8) was certainly the best bet. It was just a disappointment that HTC couldn’t get the camera right, and even today, it is overshadowed by other cameras that forego tricks and gimmicky additions in order to provide an easy to use and effective photo taking experience.
While the day to day user experience of the One (M8) was one of the best upon its release, ultimately the phone was let down by a poor camera experience that would turn off many users who would have otherwise considered the device. All of that hopefully changes in the HTC One M9, which has a further refined design, a sign that HTC knows where their flagship line has its strengths, along with a much more powerful 20 MP camera. The Ultrapixel camera again makes a return, but this time as a front facing shooter. Furthermore, the Sense UI continues to evolve, without trying too hard to change what makes it so accessible.
As good as the One (M8) was, we are certainly very excited to put its successor to the test.
HTC One M8 owners apparently not feeling the urge to upgrade to the HTC One M9
With every flagship release from smartphone manufacturers, those loyal to the particular manufacturer will often switch from last year’s flagship to the latest model. However, it looks like the HTC One M9 might be the exception to the rule as it’s been suggested that owners of the older HTC One M8 flagship aren’t feeling the […]
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HTC One M8 receives unofficial Sense 7 ROM from SkyDragon
HTC has recently announced its new One M9 handset, and with it came the company’s new Android overlay, Sense 7. Those who invested in an M8 instantly began wondering when their devices would receive the update. At MWC, HTC confirmed that the phone would in fact get the update, though they didn’t provide any sort of timeframe. But, if you don’t mind rooting your device and doing a little work, you may be able to get your hands on the Sense 7 software unofficially. The team at SkyDragon has ported the latest Sense 7 software to their custom ROM, which is now available for download.
So what will you get with the new ROM? Sense 7 on the One M8 (shown off in the preview video above) brings HTC’s new Sense Home widget, which suggests frequently-used apps to you based on your location. Additionally, you’ll get an all new camera UI, theming options, Blinkfeed improvements, a fourth softkey button option, Dolby Audio surround sound and much more. If you’d like to see our hands-on comparison between the One M9 running Sense 7 and the One M8 running Sense 6, you can do so here.
Since this is a brand new ROM, we can’t vouch for its stability. Though, SkyDragon ROMs have proven stable in the past, so it might be worthwhile to try it out. And just like when you’re flashing any other ROMs, be sure to read the XDA thread in its entirety before flashing, including FAQs and other notices. Also, the developer notes that if you’re on the latest Sense GSM Lollipop firmware, the only thing you’ll need to flash is the new ROM. If you’re interested in trying out the ROM for yourself, you can find everything you need on the XDA thread. Just keep in mind that you are doing so at your own risk.
Any One M8 owners out there willing to try out the new Sense 7 ROM?
Robert Downey Jr returns in a HTC ad, reminds us that “We’re all One”
Remember the time HTC paid Robert Downey Jr $12 million to feature in their ad campaign? Well, looks like he still owed HTC some work, so is back to advertise HTC’s latest flagship, the HTC One M9. Unlike the first set of ads, Robert Downey Jr returns in a HTC ad titled “HTC Oneness”, narrating a […]
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Verizon HTC One M8 Android 5.0 Lollipop rolling out
In a perfect world when a manufacturer had a software update ready for a specific device, it would just become available. Unfortunately we don’t live in a perfect world. Simply put, that means highly anticipated updates can sometimes be staggered between carriers by weeks and even months. For those of you on Verizon with a […]
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Can HTC “sell” the M9 to casual customers?
Honesty speaking: can you actually tell which One is which?
Back in January, we asked our staff and readers about the looming realization that the HTC One M9 would look just like the M8; based on leak-after-leak, the unthinkable seemingly became more plausible. As of March 1st, it became reality. Hopes of HTC pulling the most epic case of trolling the tech world had ever seen were dashed in the presence of what looks to be the same device from last year, minus a Duo camera. In this piece, we’re going to take a look at what this means for HTC and why it’s not all bad.
The Build-Up:
As a quick refresher, leaks in earnest for the HTC One “Hima” began a short while ago via renders from case manufacturer Spigen. In the days leading up to MWC 2015, these leaks had expanded to promotional videos to carrier promotional material. Still, there was the image that so many were convinced was the real M9, or at least hopeful enough to suspect Taiwan’s most famous smartphone OEM was trolling us all by releasing the so-called “M8s” pics.
With the official unveiling now done-and-dusted, we all know the leaks were legitimate, and HTC wasn’t stoking the flames of countless potentially burned bridges in the form of businesses around the world who had bought into a fake promise.
A Costly Creation:
There is one very large problem with the M9’s existence, and arguably this isn’t so much an opinion as it is a sad reality: customer confusion and apathy. We all know the difference, granted. But think about the hundreds of millions of casual customers in the world; it could be your parents, your children’s teachers, the people who deliver your newspaper (assuming anyone reads physical paper these days), anyone really. Think of them, and then consider the following three scenarios:
A. You don’t care about phones nor do you follow them. They are a tool and nothing more. Your 4-year old model isn’t working well these days, so you go to a carrier store to get a new one.
B. Your family member needs a new phone. A casual/mainstream user at best, they don’t care about specs at all.
C. You bought a phone a few months ago and it just broke. You didn’t get insurance and are thus out the money.
Now imagine any given carrier store: The HTC One M8 is available for free on a two-year agreement. The HTC One M9 costs $199 for the same. You look at both; the cheaper One has two cameras, the other has a single One.
So you’re in the store and have both devices in hand…
Decision: Which do you chose? As much as some might deny it, the demands of life dictate that people will chose the free model, hands down, especially if the so called “new” model doesn’t look the slightest bit different. Make no mistake, this isn’t Apple wherein a casual consumer might be tempted to get the newer model just because they know Apple. This is Android, there are dozens of devices, and HTC is just one of the many companies selling one from a country far away. Money is always an issue to all but the most extreme enthusiast.
These are but three scenarios; imagine an infinite number more. Now consider what are, arguably, the only two wherein someone might actively buy an HTC One M9:
1. You love HTC. Money is irrelevant.
2. You must have the latest and greatest. Money is irrelevant.
Granted there can be numerous variations of these situations as well, but there is one key factor here: extreme minority. The specific “niche” needs of those with cash to burn don’t match those of the masses, and therein lies the problem HTC faces: it has just started to recover from a prolonged period of financial dismay, and the last thing it needs to do is alienate mainstream customers, the very individuals who can “fix” its cash flow troubles. Were the M9 to look different, it would immediately be taken as a “legitimate” new product by all those who don’t care about the difference between a Snapdragon 800 and an 810; the consumers who don’t snap photos constantly.
The Samsung Situation:
While not so different from the front, just a few seconds comparing the two will reveal night-and-day build differences.
Now on the other hand, let’s revisit the same carrier store and take a look at say, the Galaxy S5 vs the Galaxy S6. The difference is night-and-day to say the least. While one might argue the S6 isn’t as beautiful as the M8/M9, it doesn’t have to for people to notice. The fact that the S6 has a QHD SAMOLED screen is a major sales point, as could be other elements like the fingerprint sensor, bio-metric reader, and more. Even if customers don’t understand what these mean or how to use them, marketing trumps sensibility more often than not.
This post’s second riddle: try to guess *these* two apart.
Ah yes, the final thing Samsung has going for it, ironically speaking: The Galaxy S6 looks a bit like that phone. You can bet your britches that at least some mainstreamers will actively seek to purchase the S6 for its similarities.
Could-Have, Should-Have
Many of you will recall the infamous real HTC One M9 picture that @evleaks published, and which was subsequently used by case manufacturers in their own leaked renders. Here’s a reminder:
While engineering and manufacturing limits might have rendered this pair of concepts an impossible concoction, at the very least, they look different from what the real M9 ended up looking like. Heck, they arguably look different from just about anything out there, yet still have that HTC feel to them. In an effort to determine just how many people liked this (now) fake design better, I ran a small survey on Google Plus. The question: was the evleaks render preferable to the real product.
https://plus.google.com/+MatthewBenson321/posts/a8jCDy2hW4h
As of the time of publishing this story, 135 people responded and 75%, an overwhelming majority, said yes, they liked the fake render better. Is this a massive sample size? Obviously not, but at the very least it is one way of substantiating a belief that even fans aren’t necessarily happy with the design choice.
Don’t write-off HTC yet!
This dual-tone color combination definitely is eye-catching to say the least!
While this opinion has been of a largely negative tone, there are a few important things to keep in mind. For one, the M9 is by no means an ugly or underwhelming phone. The body may be recycled, but it’s still a stunning piece of design in 2015, and with the Duo Ultrapixel camera set up now gone, the phone need no longer be plagued by rampant criticism of the picture potential. In fact, here’s a checklist of just why the M9 is such a significant improvement as compared to the M8: better CPU and graphics, more RAM, better camera, bigger battery, more LTE bands, new colors, Lollipop out-of-the-box, and it’s even slightly smaller/lighter.
HTC also has the benefit of possibly drawing in customers who were on the fence about the Galaxy S6. Maybe Samsung’s decision to remove microSD support or replaceable batteries has irked them. Perhaps the S6 doesn’t look different enough from the S5. This could be said about other OEM’s offerings as well.
Truth be told, just about the only thing (arguably) not good about the HTC M9 is its reused design: with all the improvements contained inside the premium build, there is absolutely no question this is a brand new, state-of-the-art flagship that can hold its own among rival products.
For the full break-down of spec comparisons between the M8 and M9, please see our comparison coverage here.
Let us know your thoughts!
Android 5.0 Lollipop update now rolling out to Verizon HTC One M8
Not too long ago, HTC announced that it would fail to update all carrier variants of the One M7 and M8 handsets to Lollipop within the company’s self-imposed 90-day guarantee. We’ve seen the update roll out to most other carrier variants in the US since that announcement, but one carrier that always seems to be the straggler of the bunch is Verizon. We heard a few weeks ago that HTC anticipated the arrival of Lollipop to the Verizon One M8 in early March, and it seems as though they didn’t disappoint. Verizon is now pushing out the update to Android 5.0 Lollipop to HTC One M8 owners.
Just like all the other One M8 variants, your phone will run Sense 6 atop all of the beautiful Material Design enhancements that Android 5.0 Lollipop brings to the table. Among others, you’ll get a slew of new security features, new notification improvements, a redesigned recent apps panel, and many, many more. Specifically for Big Red customers, the Lollipop update brings the addition of Band 4 LTE roaming and enhancements to 3-way calling.
If you don’t want to wait for the update to hit your phone, you can check for it manually by heading to Settings>Software update>Check new. Any Verizon One M8 owners receive the update yet? If so, how are you liking it?
Verizon starts updating HTC One (M8) with Android Lollipop
HTC One (M8) users on Verizon may be glad to know the carrier has finally started to roll out Android Lollipop to the device on their network. The update just started rolling out this evening, so it may be a few days before you receive a notification letting you know it is available in you have an HTC One (M8) on Verizon. You can check for the update manually by going into your Settings and checking for updates.
The new version of Android brings the standard fare we know about for Lollipop, like the new notification panel and lock screen notifications. Verizon notes that World Clock Globe has been removed for “memory considerations.” In addition to Lollipop, the Verizon update includes a couple other enhancements. Band 4 roaming has been enabled on the HTC One (M8) and the 3-way calling feature has been improved.
For more information you can hit the source link below for Verizon’s announcement regarding the update.
source: Verizon
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