Red and Gold HTC One (M8) heading to Verizon

Verizon is officially adding two color versions of the HTC One (M8) to its selection – Glamour Red (exclusive to Verizon) and Amber Gold (which was available though HTC). Those will be available starting on June 5.

The carrier currently only has the Gunmetal Grey and Glacial Silver options, but the new additions will be available in time for Father's day. Verizon's announcement offers a hint of a $100 discount off the usual $200 price, but the One (M8) is already available at $100 from both Verizon itself and Amazon.

The Amber Gold version for Verizon was available briefly from HTC itself at $100 but it's now back at $200. You do get a $100 gift card, but if it's the gold one you're after you should wait a few days when you'll probably get it straight at $100.

The Glamour Red version is the first red One (M8) available, though considering we've seen spy shots without Verizon branding so non-US carriers might get a taste of it too. It's possible Verizon neighbors will hit back with exclusivity on the Aqua Blue version (it was shortly available in the UK).

Source

New HTC One (M8): Unboxing & Review

Detailed unboxing and complete feature walkthrough of the all-new HTC One (M8). Camera samples appear at the end of the video.

Basic Specs:
CPU: 2.3Ghz Quad-Core Snapdragon 801
GPU: Adreno 330
Storage: 16/32GB + 128GB MicroSD
RAM: 2GB
Display: 5" LCD IPS (1080p @ 440 PPI)
Camera Main: 4 UltraPixel Duo Camera
Camera Secondary: 5MP (1080p @ 30fps)
Battery: 2600 mAh
Software: Android 4.4.2, HTC Sense 6.0
Includes: NFC, 802.11ac, GPS/GLONASS, Stereo Speakers

So it's all the more impressive that HTC, fresh from making the best-looking phone of 2013, has managed to make the HTC One (M8), a phone crammed full of power and great features while improving the design that won it so many accolades.
The poor naming aside, the One (M8) is a phone that takes the superb DNA of last year's device, improves it in nearly every area and then packs it full of all the latest technology...and still finds space to pack in a microSD card slot.
On top of that the chassis has been retooled to now be made of 90% metal, up from around 70% last year, and the result is a brushed aluminium design that seems compelling the second you lay eyes on it.

Let's go back in time a little bit here: when it launched the HTC One X - let's not get into the fact that this company needs to employ a whole new team dedicated to naming products - the company was in a nosedive

From the heights of the HTC Desire, the world's first true iPhone competitor, it had fallen dramatically, and sales were in the toilet.

The brand needed a reboot, and the HTC One was just that. It wasn't a commercial success in the same vein as the iPhone 5S or the Samsung Galaxy S4, but it was critically superior.
So HTC had a tough choice: make a sequel that was mere evolution, an HTC One S (wait... that's been done) if you will, which would make the world realise it truly believed in its design trajectory, or reinvent the wheel again, try and different kind of impressive phone and run the risk of offering up a flop?

Somehow the company has managed to navigate these choppy waters and create something that stands astride both categories.
The HTC One (M8) is an even better designed device that takes the principles of the original One, expands them in the right places and adds in some more HTC sauce here and there.
The result offers up something that can compete with Samsung on the technological front yet still stand toe-to-toe with Apple, arguably the producer of some of the best-looking devices of all time.
Of course, the One (M8) isn't a phone that's going to be to everyone's tastes. It's expensive, coming in at least £500 SIM free (AU$899, around US$820), but that's to be expected from a flagship phone like this.

You'll need to be ready to pay top dollar for the HTC One (M8), but once you hold it you'll accept that it deserves to command such a premium.
There are other things that will put off some too: the fact that the screen is now 5 inches mean this is a larger device, one that can take two hands to operate at times, and it's even bigger than the 2013 version as a result.
HTC needs to sort out its efforts in the mid-to-low smartphone arena, but that's a topic for a different day. The HTC One (M8) is a phone that's supposed to offer the best of the smartphone market, one that will survive the onslaught of the iPhone 6 and the Galaxy S5, while preserving HTC's heritage and bringing the bottom line closer to something more healthy.
Through a clever combination of technology and design, it appears the company has managed to just do that - and in today's impossibly congested smartphone market (especially at the high end) that's something to be applauded.
Design

As you can guess from the introduction, the HTC One (M8) is a phone that is as much about premium design as it is about packing in the latest version of Android and a decent processor.
The brand took great pains to point out that the One (M8) is a phone that builds on the heritage of last year's One, but improves in just about every arena. The metal chassis is still there, and the aluminium casing now makes up 90% of the frame, up from about 70% previously.

This is probably the most significant change, along with the fact the back and sides are now more curved, as it brings a really impressive feel in the hand. If the original One was characterised by first-time users saying 'Wow, that feels lovely' the next iteration takes that message further.
There will be very few brand-agnostic people that wander into their local phone emporium, pick up the HTC One (M8) and a couple of competitors, and find that the Taiwanese brand's new device is streets ahead in the design stakes - and I'd bet that most would be unable to resist a purchase after that.

The difference here between the One (M8) and the iPhone 5S - the two phones that lead the way in the design stakes - is weight and screen size. Having something that feels premium is incredibly important when you're spending so much on a phone per month, and while the iPhone is beautiful in its metal casing, it's too light to feel like you're getting something really premium.
There's a subconscious reaction when you pick up something for the first time, a natural expectation of how it might feel in the hand, and the HTC One (M8), with its 9.35mm thickness and 160g weight, marries those two very well.

It's no coincidence that smartphones are packing on the grams a little bit these days. Where around 120g was the fashion a couple of years ago, now we're seeing heavier phones as designers try to meet a new paradigm (plus all that new technology needs to go somewhere, after all).
146.36 x 70.6 x 9.35 mm
Let's look at the actual design of the HTC One (M8) - and it's definitely equal parts evolution and revolution.
The flagship version will be this metallic grey, although a silver version that evokes the previous model and a champagne / rose gold option will be both available too. However, this brushed metal effect is stunning, and helps distance the One (M8) from its predecessor.

Holding it in the hand is a really pleasant experience, one that makes you feel like you're holding something you should spend a lot of money on.
Quite rightly some will baulk at the larger chassis, mostly down to the decision to include the Boomsound speakers above and below the screen, but once you've heard them in action you'll struggle not to agree that they're not a worthy trade-off.

The iPhone 5S and even the Galaxy S4 / Galaxy S5 have a more compact design language than the One (M8), which is larger thanks to the speaker addition, but overall I don't think this detracts from the overall effect.
The headphone jack has been moved to the bottom of the phone, which will anger some users. I still think this is an unintuitive place to add the port, as I've become used to having it at the top. Arguments that it makes it easier to slip in and out of the pocket don't hold water, and it makes the phone hard to hold in portrait when listening to music.

But I've got some really good news for you phone-lovers out there: the HTC One (M8) comes with a microSD slot! I thought this would never happen after the brand did away with the expansion last year, citing design reasons and a general lack of need thanks to the ubiquity of cloud storage (which is clearly still not true).

To hammer home that last point, HTC told me that it re-introduced the expandable memory as it was a) able to do so without compromising the design and b) it had heard from so many consumers that this was a real sticking point for not buying the original One.
It's always good to see a brand climb down when consumers ask for something, and now this means that there are no issues about filling your phone up with photos and home videos as well as music and movies.

The slot isn't that easy to access on the fly, as like the nanoSIM port it needs a small tool to pop open the drawer. That might be annoying for the more hardcore photographer, but most people will rarely, if ever, hot swap cards, so it just offers a cheap and easy way to increase the 16GB / 32GB onboard storage by up to 128GB.
The top of the phone is all plastic still, and this is to with antenna technology as well as allowing the infrared signal to control home theatre devices.
This, combined with the thin plastic strips on the rear of the phone, allow for phone and Wi-Fi signal to permeate through the chassis... when you hear engineers talk about how hard it is to make a metal phone that can still connect to other devices, the design language of the One is even more impressive.

The phone isn't perfect on the One (M8) though - although the following points are more little irritations than anything that undoes the work of the overall design ethos.
One area I'm really happy about is the button travel, as the original One has very flat keys that were hard to find and press. The One (M8) improves on that massively, making everything easier to find in the pocket or bag and tap.

However, the keys still feel a little plastic and have a little bit of wiggle when rocked back and forth. This is the same criticism I had with the first One, and it got sorted after a couple of months, but I'd expect a phone of this calibre to have every part of the device locked into place - a rattle ruins things a little bit.
The power button is still on the top of the phone, which I can live with, but it's been moved from the left to the right side. I've argued with a few people about this, as it seems that some people prefer this orientation where others find it incredibly hard to hit.
I'm in the latter camp, as my finger naturally sits on the left of the phone and I found it very easy to unlock the first One. Now not only do I have to shuffle along to find the power button, but whenever I do so I accidentally engage the volume key, meaning I always keep turning the ringtone up and down.

This was probably the most infuriating part of the HTC One (M8) - which isn't a bad thing to have at all, but is a poor thing to happen over and over again.
I'm also a bit perplexed about the fast HTC decided to drop the capacitive buttons (understandable given Android 4.4 KitKat's love of on-screen keys) yet keep the same big black bar that contains the HTC logo. This feels like a lot of wasted real estate on the front of the phone, and could have allowed the brand to keep the same footprint as the previous model if it had found another place to chuck its name.
The reason for this is probably due to the need to pack in the necessary internal components while maintaining the Boomsound speakers, but given the level of intelligence on show here when it comes to packaging the device, it seems like a missed trick.

But before you get too downhearted, here's the upshot: the HTC One (M8) is one of the most beautiful phones ever made, and that's a statement that's even more impressive given we were saying the same thing about the device this time last year.
The improved use of metal in the chassis really works, and the shape is updated without losing any of the heritage of last year's popular model. The addition of a microSD slot is inspired, and while I can't say I'll ever get on board with the headphone jack being on the bottom, it's something that you can live with.
In short, if you want a phone that looks the absolute business in the smartphone world, AND builds in some top-end components, I'd wager you won't do much better in 2014 unless Sir Jony Ive has something absolutely spectacular up his sleeve.

Source techradar | Via youtube

Sony Xperia Z2 vs HTC One (M8)

Introduction
Over the past couple of years, Sony has struggled against the forces dominating the high-end smartphone scene. Its top handsets, although good, all lacked that extra mojo needed for a phone to truly stand out. Now, however, it looks like Sony may finally have a winner on its hands, namely the Xperia Z2. Long story short, it is an awesome smartphone, and if you're not convinced, feel free to read our in-depth Sony Xperia Z2 review.

But now that the Sony Xperia Z2 has finally launched, it has to compete against a number of flagships from other well-known companies, and one of its rivals happens to be the HTC One (M8). There's a lot to love about the latter – it looks great, runs flawlessly, and those front-facing speakers sound pretty darn amazing. Yet is the HTC One (M8) better than the Sony Xperia Z2? Read on to learn more.

Design
Both the Sony Xperia Z2 and the HTC One (M8) rank near the top of the “awesome” scale with their outstanding designs, and picking a favorite isn't as easy as it seems. That's probably why having them side by side for a comparison makes us feel as if we're in the middle of a clash between Thor and Superman.

Sony's flagship is a gorgeous, flat piece of glass and metal that gives us a solid, reassuring feel when held. Its rectangular shape will not appeal to everyone, but we think that it doesn't look bad at all. What really bothers us a bit, on the other hand, is that the phone feels quite large when gripped, partly because Sony's trademark OmniBalance design relies on straight lines instead of curves, and partly because, well, the phone is pretty big in size.

As for the HTC One (M8), it is an awe-inspiring phone encased in a beautiful, metal-made body, and we can't help to think that the general audience would find it more attractive, at least visually, than the Xperia Z2. What's more, although HTC's top model is about as wide, as tall, and as heavy as its rival, it fits better in the palm thanks to its curvy corners and back side.

True to its design traditions, Sony has placed the power and volume keys on the right side of the Xperia Z2. They are easy to reach, but somewhat lacking in feedback. Below them resides the 2-stage camera shutter key, which is used for taking pictures and for launching the camera from any screen. HTC has chosen to place the power key on the top edge of the (M8). Reaching it is a bit difficult since there's quite a bit of stretching that an index finger has to perform. To remedy the situation, HTC has added the option to activate the phone's screen with a double tap. The volume key is on the right side and could have had a little bit more travel to it.

Most of the ports on the Sony Xperia Z2 are protected by flaps, and for a good reason. The handset boasts an IP58 specification, which means that it is resistant to dust and water damage, unlike the great majority of the smartphones around. It is not invincible, however, so don't dip it in the hot tub just to see how much abuse it can take. The HTC One (M8) should also be able to withstand a light water splash, but a dip in a pint of lager could be fatal.

Sony has placed the Xperia Z2's SIM card and microSD card slots on its side where one of the aforementioned flaps keeps them safe. The cards placed there shouldn't be hard to eject if that is needed – all it takes is a fingernail or the tip of a pen. With the HTC One (M8), however, you'll need a pin or a similar tool to get its SIM or microSD card out as they both are placed in their own slide-in trays.

Both smartphones sport a pair of front-facing speakers, which is a perk you won't get from another maker's flagship. That produce high-quality stereo sound, but we'll save our comments for when we get to the multimedia part of this comparison

Display
The Sony Xperia Z2 sports a 5.2-inch touchscreen with a resolution of 1080 by 1920 pixels, while the HTC One (M8), despite being about as large as its rival, packs a slightly smaller, 5-inch 1080 by 1920 pixel panel. Not that a difference of 0.2 inches is a deal breaker, but it still counts as an advantage for the Z2. Details in images shouldn't be a concern regardless of which phone you pick. Both smartphones have more than enough pixels per inch stuffed in their screens, which explains why high-res images displayed on them look amazing.

You'll be bombarded with buzz words when reading the description for the Sony Xperia Z2 display and the technologies thrown into it. First of all, the panel is of the IPS LCD variety. It also touts Sony's Triluminos display tech with Live Colour LEDs, which work in tandem to deliver a broader range of displayable colors and a more uniform brightness across the screen, according to the manufacturer. On the software side, the X-Reality image enhancement engine adds extra sharpness and contrast to photos and videos viewed in the phone's gallery. To put things in plain words, the Z2's display is a beauty that produces lively, eye-catching color hues even when viewed at an angle. Color accuracy isn't perfect, as our measurements demonstrate, but the screen is better in that respect than Sony's previous flagship models. We got a color temperature of 6900 kelvins, which is very close to the reference point of 6500K – whites are displayed very faithfully because of that. Overall color vibrancy is increased by a notch, and whether you like that or not would depend on your personal preferences.

The HTC One (M8) comes with a Super LCD-3 display that delivers the goods. Next to the Z2's display, however, it is clear to see that M8's panel has a blueish tone to it, visible when displaying white or shades of grey. Our measurements confirm its presence as HTC's flagship has a display color temperature of 7150 kelvins. It is close enough to the desired reference value, but not as close as the Z2 gets. At the same time, colors don't look as vibrant as they do on the screen of the Z2, but technically, they are represented more accurately, and that is, again, evident from our display benchmarks.

Outdoor visibility isn't an issue with any of these two phones. That's partially due to their adequate brightness output – the Z2 clocks in at 454 nits while the (M8) gets to 490 nits – but also because their screen surfaces manage to filter out some of the sunlight that hits them. Still, if we had to pick a favorite, that would be the One – its screen is a bit easier to see in broad daylight. When set to minimum brightness, both phones get down to 16 nits of brightness, which is tolerable, but probably not good enough to ensure a comfortable viewing experience at night. The Galaxy S5, in comparison, can reach a figure of 2 nits with its screen.

Source: phonearena

Want a 24k gold plated HTC One (M8)? Here's where you can buy one

Remember that 24k gold plated HTC One (M8) that was presented to T-Mobile CEO John Legere by the Taiwan based manufacturer? Did you feel a pang of jealousy when you saw the picture of the executive holding his gold plated HTC One (M8)? The good news is that you don't have to have that green monster living inside you anymore.

Goldgenie is offering a trio of plated SIM free HTC One (M8) models, including the 24k variant we just mentioned. To walk around like you're the CEO of T-Mobile, it will cost you $2,560.95. If platinum makes you feel richer, you can get an HTC One (M8) plated in that instead, for $2830.95. A rose gold plated model is also available for $2695.95. No matter which version you select, your phone is shipped to you inside a luxury Cherry Oak box. Hey, it deserves nothing less.

John Legere was given his gold plated handset directly from HTC. You might not be as lucky, and it will cost you some dough to be sure. But just imagine how special you will feel whipping out of your pocket any of these three plated HTC One (M8) models . And when you have a chance, you can look up Conspicuous Consumption on Google.

Rumored HTC M8 Prime to feature WQHD display, Snapdragon 805, 18 megapixel camera

The prospect of cheaper, plastic HTC M8 Ace is appealing for many on a limited budget, but HTC is hoping to bring even more excitement to its high-end range with the HTC M8 Prime. While last year’s HTC One max came across of cumbersome and dull, a new rumor suggests that the HTC M8 Prime will overshadow the company’s main flagship smartphone.

The new rumor claims the HTC M8 Prime announced or released in September, equipped with a 5.5-inch WQHD (2560×1440 pixels) display, a 2.3 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 (APQ8084) SoC, 3GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage and support for Category 6 LTE. The HTC M8 Prime is also expected to feature an upgraded DuoCamera which sports a 5 UltraPixel sensor accompanied by a secondary 18 megapixel depth sensor.

It’s OK; we’ll give you a second to catch your breath.

We knew HTC would use the Qualcomm 805 and adopt WQHD displays eventually, but we’re astonished to hear that HTC would be changing up the sensors used in the DuoCamera this quickly. Pairing a 5 UltraPixel sensor and 18 megapixel depth sensor together should result in dramatically improved image quality and may go a long ways in silencing those who have criticized HTC’s imaging approach. Since the HTC M8 Prime would have quite a few more megapixels to work with, the Duo Camera may get more features similar to that dual-sensor camera from Corephotonics which we highlighted earlier in the year.

HTC projects sales of One (M8), Desire 816 to lead to a profitable Q2

HTC shared its projections for the quarter today, revealing a positive outlook despite some mixed numbers. Even with sales of the HTC One (M8) meeting the company’s expectations, HTC is projecting that revenue for the second quarter of 2014 to come in slightly lower than it did in 2013. HTC is forecasting NT$65 billion ($2.16 billion) to NT$70 billion in revenue from April through June - a number that could be 2-8% lower than hat HTC was able to pull off in 2013.

While HTC’s projected revenue for the quarter isn’t that impressive, the company’s projecting net income between NT$923 million ($31 million) and NT$3.46 billion ($115 million), exceeding analysts’ expectations. If HTC hits the upper end of its projection, Q2 of 2014 could be the most profitable quarter for the company since 2012.

HTC CFO Chialin Chang revealed that the HTC One (M8) is already selling better than last year’s One (M7). Chang also expects “more effective and efficient marketing” will allow HTC to regain a portion of the market share that HTC lost in the past two years. He also stated that the company is increasing its media buy in 2014 which should give the HTC One (M8) a better fighting chance since the competition will most likely not be backing down their media presence.

The HTC One (M8) may be the phone which grabs all of the headlines, but HTC focusing has plans to “dominate the mid-tier” smartphone segment with the HTC Desire 816 which has already grabbed a lot of attention in China and is already making its way to Europe.

“We are aiming for incremental market share gain at all levels. The (M8) volume this year is better than last year, so if the market stays the same then our market share will grow.”
- Chialin Chang

HTC’s stock price jumped another 3.5% to before the projection numbers were released. We wouldn’t be too surprised is the stock picks up a few more percentage points when the market opens in Taiwan tomorrow.

HTC One M8 Leaked In Pink, Because Why Not

It seems that even when our phones are covered in metal and marketed as the pinnacle of mobile hardware design, we can't get away from manufacturers who want to make them pink. HTC apparently thinks there are at least a few consumers who want a blush-colored One M8, because Evleaks just posted a promotional shot of said phone in pink. Every millimeter of the M8's aluminum shell is covered in the rosy hue.

The pink HTC One (M8) we told you about a few days back finally have a picture to go with it. As it turns out, our poor attempt to show what a pink HTC One (M8) would look like was a bit far off. Rather than going with a bold magenta, it looks like HTC has chosen a much softer pink from its color pallet to adorn the One (M8).

We’re still in the dark in regards to when the pink HTC One (M8) will be available and we don’t know if it will be offered by any service providers here in the US. It would be nice if T-Mobile picked up the pink variant of the phone since the only color option they currently offer is the Gunmetal Gray.

It’s nice to see so many color options available for the HTC One (M8). How many more colors do you think HTC will introduce before next year’s M9 is unveiled?