Review of HTC One (M8). Old-new flagship. Review of the HTC One (M8) smartphone: the most metallic All modifications of the htc one m8

Taiwanese HTC just two weeks ago released its 2014 flagship. The new model acquired the M8 index and became the successor to the relatively successful old One. Definitely, the new smartphone is the Asian manufacturer's last hope for a place in the sun among the world's largest brands. Knowing this, engineers and designers have worked wonderfully well, but there is still something to complain about.

The updated smartphone has updated and improved all the previous functions, and at the same time acquired new interesting features. There is an improved camera, even two at once, control of gestures and knocks, infrared port and much more - in general, everything that is in trend now.

I suggest starting the review with the first improvement - the design.

Certainly HTC One previous generation had an excellent and recognizable design, not to mention the materials of the case. With the M8, the manufacturer has gone further. The edges were rounded, the metal became more interesting, but the concept appearance identical to its predecessor.

At the choice of the consumer, the company presented its creation in gray, silver and golden colors. Restraint and special style - all this has been preserved from the previous version of the device.

The body remains entirely metal with rare plastic inserts. A barely noticeable side appeared around the screen, which in theory should protect the display from scratches if the smartphone is lying face down.

The aluminum surface has received a new roll-in with horizontal stripes. A similar technology is used in the manufacture of Parker handles or Bork kitchen housings. Smartphone accepted the new kind... The metallic texture plays nicely in the light and looks amazing. Nevertheless, the device turned out to be very slippery and it is sometimes difficult to hold it in your hands.

Apparently, the manufacturer took care of protecting the smartphone and therefore the kit includes a special silicone case with thick walls and special plugs for connectors. Thus, when using this accessory, the smartphone gets at least some kind of protection against drops and moisture. However, using the device in this case is even more difficult, since it instantly collects all the dust and dirt around, and it is impossible to get the phone out of your pocket without turning it out.

All the same, I would like to express my special gratitude to the manufacturer, since the cover in the kit is always a pleasant bonus for the buyer. For large market players this has not been observed for a long time - everything is aimed at reducing costs and maximizing profits.

In addition, a charger, a headset, a sync and charging cable, and a metal device for removing a SIM card are supplied with the smartphone.

Since the back cover is no longer removable, HTC One now has separate trays for nano-sim and a memory card.

You can get them out of the device case using a special pick from the kit or a regular paper clip. The latter enters the hole with difficulty, but it can still help out at the time of changing the SIM card.

Best the enemy of the good. With this in mind, the company decided to leave the idea with two speakers. Next to the upper speaker are the periodically flashing event indicator, proximity and light sensors. Even more to the right in its place is a camera of as much as 5 megapixels. It's funny that the front camera has a higher resolution than the base one (4 MP). This is a game of numbers, we will return to the essence later.

It is gratifying that the 3.5 mm jack is on the bottom, as is the micro-USB port. This arrangement of ports is always convenient in everyday use. Now, if the audio input was a little further away from the charging connector, it would be better, since users can use a variety of cables and plugs.

The touch buttons have been transferred to the display. There are doubts about this approach, but it seems to be trending now. A wide black frame with a flaunting HTC lettering remains on an empty spot. Apparently, the hardware architecture could not be optimized to remove this space and reduce the height of the smartphone.

On the upper streamlined edge there is a plastic insert that hides the infrared port and the Power button. It is slippery and sometimes difficult to reach, but you can live with it.

The volume rocker is located approximately in the middle of the side edge, which leads to frequent accidental presses. This is especially true when using the device in a branded case.

For the most part, the assembly does not cause complaints, but not everything is as smooth as we would like. Trays for cards are slightly buried in the body, which is why the feeling of solidity is lost. In addition, the transition is noticeably noticeable in the places where the glass and speakers meet. All this does not honor the assembly of the device. There is no way to compare the HTC One (M8) with the reference iPhone 5S. The latter is assembled much better. Of course, there is no backlash or squeaks, but the fit of the body parts still raises questions.

Despite the rather impressive dimensions, using the smartphone is very convenient. Affects the roundness of the edges.

	Length	Width	Thickness	Weight
HTC One (M8)	146,4	70,6	9,4	160
Apple iPhone 5S	123,8	58,6	7,6	112
LG G2	138,5	70,9	8,9	160
Samsung Galaxy S5	142	72,5	8,1	145
Sony Xperia Z2	146,8	73,3	8,2	163

Yes, the new One is not skinny, but the streamlined shape of the device gives the device an airy feeling. The weight of 160 grams does not greatly burden the pocket, but is quite consistent with the entire form factor and hence the perception of the device as a whole.

Display

The screen is covered with a protective Gorilla Glass 3 with an oleophobic coating. Under it is a 5-inch screen with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, made using Super LCD3 technology, which is simply an IPS matrix. Dots per inch density is 441 ppi. FullHD, good contrast, excellent color rendition - everything is at a high level here: no “eyeballs” of colors, excessive saturation and other things.

Of course, when tilted, the excellent brightness level is reduced, but the colors are not distorted at all.

In general, the industry has developed a certain level of minimum requirements for displays, which almost all devices meet with a slight difference in contrast and color reproduction. Boring. Of course, this does not apply to the brainchild of Korean manufacturers. It has its own path and its own rules.

For clarity, here is a comparison of the screens of HTC One and iPhone 5.

Of course, the display recognizes up to 10 touches at a time. This function must be activated separately from the menu.

The smartphone comes preinstalled with special drawing applications. Of course, there is no question of any pressure recognition, but the correctness and speed of touch processing is impressive. For example, in Sony Z Ultra it is implemented worse.

HTC One has the following specifications:

• Operating system Android 4.4, shell HTC Sense 6
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 Processor (Quad Core) 2.3 GHz
• Video accelerator Adreno 330
• RAM 2 GB
• Memory for data 16 or 32 GB (actually available about 9.5 GB)
• MicroSD card slot (up to 128GB)
• Display 5 inches, Super LCD 3, 1920х1080, 440 ppi,
• Battery 2600 mAh
• Cameras: main 4 MP (2688 × 1520 pixels), front 5 MP (2560 × 1440 pixels), video recording 1920 × 1080, 30 fps
• GSM, EDGE, WCDMA, LTE networks
• Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi (a / b / g / n / ac), IrDA, NFC, DLNA, GPS
• Sensors: accelerometer, position sensor, light sensor, gyroscope, barometer
• Connectors: microUSB (2.0, USB host), 3.5 mm, nanoSIM SIM card

Smartphone resources are sufficient for most tasks. The interface does not slow down at all, scrolling through work screens, menu lists and activation of applications is very fast and smooth, without any brakes. The same goes for playing FullHD videos and resource-intensive games - there are no delays anywhere.

In the AnTuTu rankings, the newest One is an underdog. However, the loss is not so great and it is impossible to feel the difference in common use cases. In addition, a lot often depends on software optimization and new firmware always add performance points to devices.

Two parameters of the smartphone are surprising, namely: USB 2.0 standard and only 2 GB of RAM. Of course, for most users, this amount of RAM will be more than enough, but the data transfer speed over the cable will not be what you expect from a modern device.

Camera

While testing the smartphone, I got the impression that the main function of the HTC One is the camera. Several features of the device contributed to this.

First, there are three cameras here! In addition to the front one, the One has a main one of 4 megapixels. It is called UltraPixel, since the size of one point is 2.0 micrometers, which is a lot. For example, one pixel size in the iPhone 5S matrix is \u200b\u200b1.5, and in the Sony Z1 it is even smaller - 1.1 microns. The main sensor of the HTC One is equipped with backlit matrix illumination (BSI). The aperture is set to 2.0, which produces pleasing blur and depth in the image. The second camera installed above also helps in this. Together, the two sensors are referred to as the HTC Duo Camera and allow you to capture photos in which you can change the focus point (UFocus). This function is reminiscent of the famous Lytro camera.

Secondly, there is no shortage of various shooting modes in HTC One. There are really a lot of them. Among them are panoramic shooting, and the ability to create spherical photos, and double photography, that is, when in addition to the main frame, there is a small image from the front camera in the picture. All kinds of photo effects and editing methods are also present by default. In addition, there is a curious application Zoe, thanks to which you can create your own diaries.

The number of all these settings is off scale and because of it the developers had to heap up a rather confusing interface of the photo application. We are all accustomed to the standard division of functions into photo and video. Here, in the main menu of the sensor, you can also select creative scenarios, which should place among all other modes and camera settings.

Of course, HTC wanted to put their, in their opinion, the most interesting features in noticeable places, but this only confuses the user. Most consumers need to take a photo quickly and occasionally edit it a bit with the tools at hand. Nobody wants to learn anything and remember every time: "Where did I see this regime last time?" And this is a minus.

Thirdly, about the pleasant. The camera starts up in less than a second and the frame rate is very fast. There are no freezes. All frames, quirks and other effects are opened and superimposed with lightning speed. Once the camera application crashed, but it was a one-time glitch and not a defect.

The quality of the photos lags behind the loud exclamations of marketers.

The smartphone is definitely not suitable for those who are looking for a powerful and modern solution with the ability to create beautiful frames.

Despite the fact that all modes, such as "HDR", "Night", "Text" in special conditions really help to achieve maximum quality, the overall picture is somewhat depressing. Beautiful pictures can only be obtained in sufficient lighting conditions. High detail is difficult to achieve. In cloudy weather, the machine makes a mistake and from two photos taken with the same settings, under the same conditions, one can turn out to be much better than the other.

Scenarios such as UFocus, changing the background of an image, overlaying photo frames, and others resemble more toys than really useful functions that consumers use every day. It is strange when a world-famous manufacturer focuses on some little-demanded opportunities and tries to forcefully teach customers to do and appreciate what they do not need. All this leapfrog took place at one time in Nokia with the function of using gloves to control a smartphone and 41 megapixel cameras.

Let's take a look at sample photos.

Obviously, the details of the images are at an average level. Colors are almost always natural and undistorted.

Of course, the frames created, for example, with the help of the "Photosphere" script are just cool tricks and, as One shows them, it will not be possible to view them on a computer.

In full manual mode (M), you can independently set the parameters of exposure, white balance, shutter speed and ISO (100-1600). Among other things, you can choose the depth of focus and get a beautiful and strong background blur. This is not necessary, as the device perfectly focuses on any object, even in auto mode and with a small amount of light. Yes, that cannot be taken away from him. By the way, for taking pictures in the dark, a dual LED flash can come to the rescue.

Video recording

Camcorder specifications are standard: 1920 × 1080 pixels at 30 frames per second and stereo sound recording. Tracking focus and stabilization work out their functions at the proper level. Additional settings include HDR mode, video recording at 60 frames per second, or SlowMotion scenario (slow motion). The latter is not accompanied by an audio stream and is recorded in silence. See examples of videos below.

Simple video shooting:

SlowMotion video recording:

60fps movie effect:

Sound

HTC One has two external speakers. Despite this, the volume of the melodies is not amazing. The playback quality is really good, but you still expect more from the loud praises in the press release.

The sound in the headphones is of high quality and pleasant. The BoomSound add-on really brings a pleasant change to the ear: it adds clarity and volume to the sound.

The playback quality is comparable to the competition, and, in my opinion, the One copes with this function slightly better than, for example, the iPhone 5. In reality, such nuances can only be found by direct comparison and nothing else.

Interestingly, there are no special Beats Audio settings in the device now. This is how HTC has been accustoming its users to one thing for several generations of devices, and at one point, once, as if nothing had happened.

Software

The smartphone runs out of the box on Adnroid 4.4 and is equipped with shell HTC Sense 6. The company has not abandoned its proprietary BlinkFeed desktop and other interface chips.

The device is preinstalled with an Internet browser of its own production, which is difficult to use. It is not stable, it can hardly load pages that launch almost instantly in Chrome. In general, a standard web surfing application resembles Internet Explorer.

The infrared port is equipped with a proprietary application and perfectly copes with the control of any equipment. You just need to download the appropriate profiles and train yourself to keep your smartphone close to the controlled devices.

Battery life

HTC One, as mentioned above, has a non-removable battery with a capacity of 2600 mAh. This is not much, but in practice the device has debugged power supply algorithms. There are many modes and settings here that activate the sparing mode of using the smartphone's battery and really help to squeeze the most out of a single charge.

Compared to the previous generation, the M8 has improved battery life. With intensive use of all functions, One is able to work late into the night. Unfortunately, nowadays this is quite a good indicator for a flagship.

With intensive use, the smartphone heats up quite noticeably. Surfing the internet, playing heavy games and the camera interface causes the HTC One to become very hot on the back. Of course, it's impossible to burn your hands, but for some it can be a critical moment.

Sensors and technologies

The smartphone implements a new interesting system called Motion Launch, the essence of which is that data from all sensors of the device are collected and stored in one place. Applications do not need to access sensors directly, they use information from a single database. This feature allows you to save battery power and implement new smartphone features.

You can unlock HTC One in a variety of ways. First, it is tapping on the screen. Secondly, swiping a finger across the display surface in sleep mode, which activates one or another function of the smartphone, depending on the direction of the gesture. Everything is configured by the user from the menu. During the time that I tested the device, I imperceptibly managed to get used to the function of unlocking the smartphone by double tapping on the screen. This is a really useful thing, not marketing nonsense.

In addition, if you turn the smartphone horizontally and press any volume key, the camera interface opens from sleep mode. This scenario is the only one that worked once, or even after two. Otherwise, the sensors of the device always work correctly.

Alternative cover for HTC Dot View

The company offers to purchase a sort of lattice case as an additional accessory for relatively little money (1,790 rubles). This plastic case protects the smartphone well and opens up new facets of using the device. The accessory is compatible with all the same Motion Launch gestures.

The smartphone, while in the case, displays various notifications through its holes. It looks really impressive. Of course, these effects work best indoors or when there is a lack of light. In the sun, these flickers dim noticeably.

Outcome

HTC has shown the tremendous speed with which a new device hits the market. The updated version of HTC One was announced on March 25, 2014 and the next, attention, the next day the smartphone could be purchased in the retail network. Such a trick cannot be cheap, as the price of the device indirectly tells us.

Of course, 32,990 rubles is expensive!

We all know the current rate of foreign currencies, in which all transactions of world brands are made. And it is no longer possible to maintain the same price level as in previous years. We can see this on the example of HTC and the hero of today's review.

Further. In the first month a smartphone is on the market, it will no longer be alone. Samsung Galaxy S5 has arrived on store shelves and Sony Xperia Z2 is on the way. And HTC One becomes the most expensive of the three newest flagships. And this does not mean at all that he has the best characteristics... Samsung Galaxy S5 has a camera with very decent image quality and the highest details, USB 3.0 and higher frequency characteristics of the processor (2.5 versus 2.3 GHz in the Taiwanese brainchild). Of course, the Korean is no match for the HTC One in appearance. However, there is also the Japanese novelty Z2, which, in addition to 3 GB of RAM, a larger display, 4K video recording, has its own distinctive design.

Should you buy the HTC One (M8)?

In my opinion, no. With a price of 25,000 - 27,000 rubles, the smartphone would have every chance of competing for some significant market share. At the moment, the device is interesting only to connoisseurs of the Sense brand and shell. It is also possible that users who are tired of apple design or the notorious Sony Style will find something new in One for themselves.

HTC announced its new flagship on March 25 in London. It was decided not to change the name of the novelty, since the brand One already well known. The previous HTC One was a pretty successful device, if not for two little things: firstly, its camera had a low resolution, so it, despite successful shots in low light, was inferior to other flagships. And secondly, the One M7 lacked a memory card slot, and this frightened off some potential buyers. What has changed in the updated version?

First of all, HTC has slightly changed the look. In our opinion, the new smartphone began to look "more brutal", however, due to the type of aluminum used, the company could not avoid comparing the novelty with an iron thermos. In addition, there was also a slot for a memory card, and the volume of internal storage was reduced to 16 GB. But the camera has remained the same: HTC is stubbornly unwilling to give up its "ultrapixels". In addition to the main rear camera, this flagship has an additional 2 MP camera, which allows you to blur the background in the photo.

Fortunately, in addition to the unchanged resolution of the main camera, the main advantages of the device remained the same: excellent stereo speakers, one of the best screens among all smartphones, comfortable HTC Sense shell and excellent performance with Qualcomm 801 chipset. We consider HTC One M8 to be one of the best smartphones on Android, we can safely recommend it to those who would like a device with an emotional component of iPhone, but on Android.

Equipment

In addition to a cable for connecting to a PC and a charger, the device comes with a good wired earplug headset and a silicone case.

Dimensions - 4.0

We compared the dimensions of the HTC One M8 with other popular devices with a similar diagonal, and we can note that the One M8 outperforms the Sony Xperia Z2 in width and (70.6 mm versus 72.5 mm for the Galaxy S5 and 73.3 mm for Xperia Z2) but in terms of weight and thickness it loses to both (9.35 mm and 160 grams for the One M8 versus 8.1 mm and 145 grams for the Galaxy S5 and 8.2 mm and 158 grams for the Xperia Z2). The main material used in the body is aluminum. Most of the smartphone is made of it. Thanks to the use of aluminum, HTC One M8 is very pleasant to hold in the hand, it looks great and is resistant to dirt.

Screen - 4.4

Display diagonal - 5 inches, screen resolution - 1920 × 1080 pixels, matrix type - SLCD3 (a kind of IPS matrix). The screen is covered with Gorilla Glass 3, there is an oleophobic coating. Although technically the display characteristics of the new One have not changed compared to the previous model, we would like to note that the brightness and clarity of the image have increased significantly. The screen has maximum viewing angles, good brightness, excellent picture clarity and natural colors. We tested the One M8's display in sunny and semi-dark conditions. In the first case, the display fades, but you can still read information from it, and in the second, the minimum brightness level was sufficient for comfortable reading. In our opinion, the HTC One M8's screen is currently one of the best among all smartphones.

Camera

The phone has a main 4 MP camera with LED flash and an additional 2 MP camera, which allows you to change the focus on the picture after shooting. The camera has a large number of settings, so in automatic mode you can adjust the ISO value, change the exposure, and also the aspect ratio of the frame. In addition, there is a built-in photo editor where you can quickly crop an image or apply one of the preset filters. In our opinion, the key disadvantage of the new One's camera is its low resolution. While other manufacturers install 13 MP modules, HTC decided to limit themselves to a 4 MP camera. And this, despite the large number of settings, is its significant disadvantage. The maximum resolution for video shooting is 1920 × 1080 pixels, the recording speed is 30 frames per second, the sound is recorded in stereo mode, there is tracking autofocus and focus on pressing.

Working with text - 5.0

The standard keyboard of the HTC One M8 is one of the best keyboards for Android smartphones. It has a swype function for entering text, as well as the ability to enter numbers and most special characters (,!? # -_) without switching to additional characters mode. To switch the language, just press one key. Thanks to the large screen width and letter sizes, typing with the One M8 is a pleasure.

Internet - 5.0

The built-in browser on HTC One M8 is one of the best pre-installed. In our opinion, its key advantage is the automatic adjustment of the text when the page is enlarged. This allows you to comfortably read articles at any scale, the text will automatically adjust to the width of the screen. Another nice feature is a separate "reading mode", which removes all unnecessary information from the screen and leaves only text.

Interfaces

The smartphone has the following interfaces: Wi-Fi (b / g / n) (dual-band Wi-Fi support is present), Bluetooth, GPS and NFC. It is also worth noting the presence of LTE, which works great in Russia.

Multimedia - 4.2

We tried to play various video files on HTC One M8: the smartphone supports playback of common formats and codecs, and in addition to them there is support for the MKV format. Video resolution can be up to 1080p inclusive. The audio player in the smartphone only plays MP3, AAC, WAV, FLAC formats. In our opinion, you can use the One M8 as a portable video and audio player.

Working hours

The smartphone has a non-removable 2600 mAh lithium polymer battery. Compared to competitors, we note that the Samsung Galaxy S5 has a battery capacity of 2800 mAh, while the Sony Xperia Z2 has a 3200 mAh battery. Despite the fact that the battery capacity of the One M8 is slightly inferior to competitors, the smartphone demonstrates excellent battery life in our tests: when watching HD video at maximum brightness, the device is discharged in 7.5 hours, and when listening to music - in 32 hours. The model has a high power saving mode, in which the smartphone disconnects all network connections and leaves only the ability to make calls, check mail and sending SMS... Such restrictions can significantly extend battery life if you need to conserve battery power.

Performance - 3.7

The device uses the Qualcomm MSM8974AB Snapdragon 801 platform with a quad-core processor operating at 2.3 GHz, the graphics subsystem - Adreno 330, the amount of RAM - 2 GB. At the moment, Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 is one of the most productive chipsets, it can handle any workload without problems, from watching Full HD video to "heavy" games. We tested the chipset in daily use as well. Thanks to the optimization of the shell and powerful hardware, HTC One M8 works very quickly, this applies to both built-in applications and any third-party programs. You can consider this smartphone as a gaming one without any problems.

Memory - 4.0

The built-in memory of HTC One M8 is 16 GB or 32 GB. Of the 16 GB, 10.5 GB is available to the user. Unlike the original One, the updated version has a memory card slot, which is a big plus. The device easily supports cards up to 128 GB.

Features:

The HTC One M8 has several features. The first of them is the presence of two powerful stereo speakers on the front panel, delivering high-quality and loud sound. A smartphone can easily replace a portable speaker. The second feature is the HTC Sense shell. The company has completely redesigned all standard applications: browser, dialer, desktops, audio and video players, gallery. All the replaced applications are very convenient in everyday use and are designed to facilitate the user's work with a smartphone.

We also note an interesting branded accessory HTC Dot View, which does not come with the smartphone. This is a folded case made of plastic. However, its main feature is that the front cover has a lot of through holes through which notifications are displayed from the smartphone screen in a special "pixel" style. This solution looks unusual and very impressive. Separately, we note that in the sun the screen brightness drops and you can only see notifications from Dot View covers in dark colors (black, dark blue or gray). In addition to simply displaying notifications, you can also quickly accept or reject a call without opening the case.

Competitors

The main competitors of the HTC One M8 are Samsung Galaxy S5 and Sony Xperia Z2. All three smartphones are similar in many ways: they all have high-quality large displays, all are built on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 platform. However, each of them has its pros and cons. So on the side of the Galaxy S5 is a huge battery life in video mode, waterproof and a good camera. Sony Xperia Z2 will delight the user with an excellent design, good photos and, again, waterproof. And on the HTC One M8 side there are excellent body materials, loud stereo speakers and a comfortable HTC Sense shell. It is important to note that, in addition to the camera and the lack of water resistance, the One M8 loses to competitors and the price. On April 21 it is 33,000 rubles, while the Galaxy S5 costs 30,000 rubles, and the Z2 (as of April 21) has not yet appeared on sale. To summarize: if you are looking for a flagship with an excellent screen, high-quality body, interesting design and comfortable shell and are ready to forgive him a mediocre camera, then we can safely recommend One M8 for purchase. If the camera plays an important role for you, then you should take a closer look at the competitors.

The familial feature of the HTC flagships is an amazingly durable metal case. Many other manufacturers on the market were chasing megapixels and gigahertz, forgetting about the reliability of the phone. But not HTC. And there's no cheating in the One M8 either: 90% aluminum. However, engineers have not forgotten about megapixels with gigahertz either. The second striking feature of the HTC One that active young people might decide to buy it for is the loud, clear sound of its front speakers.

Secret weapon of HTC One M8

Loud sound is achieved using the stereo speakers located on the front panel. Ever noticed the sluggish and dull sound of smartphones with one rear speaker? Buy NTS VAN M8 and forever forget about finding the correct location of the phone case when watching videos or listening to music. HTC has named the technology of its speakers BoomSound, hinting at the unprecedented sound volume.

So that nothing slows down, the manufacturer has installed 2 GB of RAM. For Android smartphones, this is a critical indicator, especially with a large number of applications running simultaneously. Displaying Full HD footage on a 5-inch Super LCD 3 SoLux with a resolution of 1920 × 1080 is no big deal for Qualcomm's Snapdragon 801 processor. Everything goes smoothly and beautifully. Including animation in modern games, which is HTC One M8 complemented by a bright juicy sound that many competitors cannot.

HTC One M8: who are the competitors?

In competitors HTC One M8 many worthy solutions. Sony's Galaxy S5, LG G3 and Xperia Z2 are perhaps the most important ones. The price niche of these smartphones is such that there cannot be any faded models here. Everyone should stand out with something, but at the same time demonstrate high performance and user-friendly interface that competitors provide. This is not surprising, since all of these solutions have almost identical processors.

In numerous positive reviews about HTC One M8 users note as the main trump cards of the smartphone a reliable metal case and a loud juicy sound of its extraordinary front speakers. Fans of the company undoubtedly saw in it the breed of the beloved HTC One line. But fans of other manufacturers will also see in this balanced solution an excellent combination of a modern smartphone and a reasonable price.

Live photos of HTC One

Positioning

If we evaluate things like design and 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 positive and negative sides the use of an aluminum unibody case in the new flagship of the company and the work of engineers in favor of design. We will also talk about the hardware of the new HTC One, the camera, display, sound and the branded case. And about the updated HTC Sense and all the interface features will be a separate article.

But you should start with the name of the smartphone. Yes, for some, even for many, the company's move to keep the HTC One name seems incomprehensible, illogical and simply wrong. Personally, I am on HTC's side in this matter, and I will try to explain why. Like any other more or less well-known manufacturer, even despite a very compact lineup, HTC once faced the problem of naming its devices. Simply put, there are a lot of smartphones, ideas, how to call them, and concepts, too, and as a result, all this began to turn the lineup into a mess, the same that has been observed for many years in the line of phones and smartphones of Nokia, Samsung, LG and other manufacturers. ... There are almost no exceptions here, except that Apple more or less successfully keeps the simplicity of names, and this applies only to smartphones, in the tablet segment the company once stepped on the same rake, calling the next tablet “The New iPad” instead of the usual addition 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 clear and simple name. Then the X box 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 "spade" One Max. Perhaps, from the point of view of the convenience of finding accessories for the previous model, searching for other information, communicating with people when discussing the HTC model, the choice in favor of keeping the HTC One name seems strange, but from the point of view of name recognition it is the right step. The efforts spent on promoting HTC One are now being converted into recognizability of the new flagship with the same name, especially since the company has been advertising the One series for the last 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 something else, it's just the new HTC One. However, I cannot but agree with those who believe that simply adding a number would not spoil the new HTC One either.

By the way, the HTC One of the last generation has become a successful model for the company in general, and although one device cannot bring the manufacturer to the pedestal where Samsung is "sitting", the 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 intentions of the Taiwanese company are - it is a very balanced, well-cut and quality device. But enough general words, let's move on to the details.

Contents of delivery

The device is delivered in a flat box, already familiar for some new models of the company, in exactly the same box as the previous HTC One. 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 the key for answering or canceling a call is located, the format is plugs, there are replaceable nozzles. They look like the simplest inexpensive headphones, I can't say more.

A silicone case is useful from the point of view of protecting the case, but impractical - it quickly becomes covered with dust particles and generally gets very dirty. In addition, the smartphone does not look as cool and impressive in it as without it. However, I am sure that there are those who will find this accessory useful.

Design

The main thing to know about the design of the new HTC One is that it is completely different from the previous generation model. Yes, HTC One (M7) and HTC One (M8) look almost the same in comparison photos, but they are not. To appreciate the difference in design, namely in design, and not in dimensions, metal texture, and so on, you need to pick up your smartphone. Such is the paradox.

The main difference in design between new and old HTC One lies in the integrity of the case - if in the M7 the case was, albeit aluminum, it looked like assembled from several parts, then in the M8 it seems more monolithic. This effect is achieved due to the base, in the M7 it was completely aluminum, but with plastic inserts not only in the antenna output points, but also along the edges of the case, in the M8 there are only thin plastic strips in the antenna locations, and that's it. The shape of the body in the new HTC One has become smoother and rounder, due to which the device, despite its dimensions, fits relatively well in the hand.

Comparing the HTC One (M8) with the company's steel thermos, I suppose, is nowhere to go, it just so happens that with a certain viewing angle and lighting "from the back" the device really resembles this simple and useful object.

HTC One is available in three colors (there are two colors in Russia so far): light silver, gray (pictured in the review) and gold. When we will have a version in gold, it is not yet known. I must say 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 case looks expensive and noble, and a well-chosen color plays an important role in this.

To summarize only the design, that is, the most subjective part of the review, I like it very, very much. And the point is not only and not so much in the materials, because we are now considering the appearance of the smartphone, but in the shape of the case, in how it looks on the table, in the hand, how it is felt to a large extent precisely because of the design.

Body materials

The main body material is aluminum. The base of the smartphone is made of it, it houses the electronics, the display and other elements, above and below the screen there are plastic inserts for aluminum. Also made of plastic is an insert on the upper end, where the power button and the IrDA window are located.

The task of placing antennas in the device is 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 case is made of metal, yes, it looks very well knocked down and assembled, but you need to understand that small scratches on the aluminum surface will still remain. Exactly the same situation is observed among the owners of "iPhones": if you want to feel the metal in your hand and not the silicone case (which comes with the HTC One, by the way), you will have to pay for it with the wear of the case.

The positive point of using aluminum is the complete absence of visible marks and prints on the case. More precisely, they are there, but they are completely invisible, no matter how you twist your smartphone and try to spy them out. The smallest scratches are also almost invisible, so from the point of view of appearance, the HTC One is good - looking like new, this smartphone will last a long time if you do not throw it on the asphalt.

Assembly

The use of a unibody case without removable elements (except for trays for a nanoSIM card and a memory card) makes the new HTC One very good in terms of build quality. There are no loose and creaking parts, any backlash individual elements, before us is a metal bar that inspires confidence. The disadvantage of this design is maintainability, but that's a completely different story.

Dimensions

For the first time, I will defend a smartphone with huge, spade-like 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, of smartphones with a 5 "" screen diagonal, this one is one of the largest, that is, one might think and say that the company's engineers, unlike Samsung or LG engineers, for example, did not manage 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 slightly. In practice, things are a little different.

In terms of one of the most important parameters affecting the comfort of grip and holding a smartphone in the hand, width, HTC One is even slightly better than LG G2 and SGS5. The new One is 70.6mm wide, the LG G2 is 70.9mm and the Samsung Galaxy S5 is 72.5mm. The thickness of the case, which is larger in the One than in its competitors, in reality does not play a special role for the comfort of the 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 of a sheet of paper, almost 5 mm, but is it so convenient - a big question. Besides, HTC One is slightly thicker than its competitors, the thickness of the case is leveled by its smoothness and the absence of sharp corners.

Let's compare the dimensions of different smartphones with 5 "" screens, and also take several smaller devices for clarity of 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 a bit more compact, and the closest to the new HTC in terms of 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, which, in my opinion, prevents from calling HTC One convenient in general, given its huge dimensions, is the body height. Here I have nothing to say in defense of the new One: holding the device with one hand, I cannot reach the upper elements of the screen without intercepting the smartphone.

In conclusion, in terms of dimensions, I will say that for now, we, users, just have to get used to the increase in the size of smartphones. Sooner or later, this diagonal race 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-end products, and HTC is no exception.

Control elements

Last year's HTC One differed from HTC One X in the control system, the number of keys and their function, the new HTC One also differs from last year in terms of control. Let's see what has changed.

HTC One (M7) had two touch-sensitive 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 these are three onscreen 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, by holding it down, you can call the Google Now service.

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 the transfer of buttons to the screen is part of the new style, and also that the place under the display (where there were just 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. Yes, HTC has partially listened to users who noted its inconvenient and illogical location on the top left, and placed it on the top right. It became, as it was, in any 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 (the top right is still better for a right-handed person) only compensates for the increased height of the case. Also on the top there is an IrDA window for using HTC One as remote control control your 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. HTC One (M8) implements technology Motion launch... According to HTC, in the new One, information from all sensors is transmitted to a special coprocessor and any application receives this information immediately, without polling each sensor. Firstly, it allows you to save a little more battery power, and secondly, to implement all the things that HTC One (M8) has. The main feature of Motion Launch is different ways of unlocking the screen without the power key. If the LG G2 had a double tap on the display surface, HTC went further. Double tap on the display will take you to the lock screen, "swipe" your finger 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 the device was locked (game , application menu, some running program, and so on). All of these actions are best distinguished by the device when you hold it in your hand in a vertical orientation, although if you turn it to portrait mode, they will also work, albeit not so clearly (everything except the double tap, it works fine). Another convenient feature is to turn on the camera from a locked state - just turn the device into horizontal mode and press any volume key.

The volume button is located on the right edge, I can't say anything special about it - it is quite a convenient button with the usual 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 complete piece, an analogue of an "eye clip" for the Apple iPhone).

On the top left edge there is a tray for a nanoSIM SIM card. As you can see in the photo, the tray is wide, about 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 backlog 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 put a 3.5 mini-jack on top of the case in its smartphones (HTC Sensation, HTC One X, HTC One first generation). This is certainly better than the connector located on the side edge, but still not very convenient. If you listen to music on your smartphone and carry it in a pocket of trousers, jeans or even a jacket, then put it in your pocket with the top end (with a 3.5 mm jack) up. Therefore, taking out the device, you must then intercept it, because you have to pull out the device holding on to the upper part of the case. The new HTC One has a connector at the bottom, and rightly so. Taking this device out of your pocket, you hold it the way you will then use it, that is, you do not need to intercept the smartphone after you pulled it out of your pocket. It seems like a trifle, but such trifles add up to the overall convenience of daily use of the device.

On the front side, the speakers are located above and below, there are also light and proximity sensors on top, a light indicator inscribed in the speaker grill and a 5 MP wide-angle front camera peephole.

Screen

The new HTC One has a Super LCD3 display, which is the same in most of the specifications as in last year's model, which is good in my opinion. Screen diagonal - 5 "", resolution - 1920x1080 pixels (FullHD), dot density - 441 ppi.

Display with maximum viewing angles: no matter what angle you tilt it, diagonally, edges or ends, the picture is not distorted. There is a good margin of brightness, the display remains readable in the sun. The color rendition is close to natural, the colors are moderately saturated and juicy, but not overly contrasting and not acidic.

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

One of the innovations of the display compared to last year's One is support for touching with a stylus, the ability to use the display with gloves and a good response to pressing with wet fingers.

It seems to me that it makes no sense to compare the display in HTC One with the screen of Samsung Galaxy S5. Both screens are good, but in different ways. In HTC One, the display is quieter and more traditional, whereas in Samsung Galaxy S5 it is bright, juicy, contrasting, with very high brightness, but poor readability in the sun. I like the HTC One screen better, but this is just the opinion of a person who is used to calm colors.

Below you can take a look at the comparison of the HTC One screens of the old and the new generation, for example, the Meizu MX3 smartphone is also taken as 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 is equipped with a 4MP camera, and this is the most important thing to know about the camera in the HTC One (M8). In fact, there are two cameras here - the main one, the company calls it HTC UltraPixel, with the following characteristics: backlit matrix, pixel size 2.0 micrometer, sensor size 1/3 "", f / 2.0 aperture, 28 mm lenses - and additional to collect information about the depth of the scene, it is necessary to be able to change the focus point on the frame after you have taken a photo. Together, the cameras are called the HTC Duo Camera and offer the user, according to the company, many new possibilities 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 of editing images. I'll tell you about them in order.

The camera has a menu for choosing different scenarios, and the main one is called “Camera”. This is standard shooting in automatic mode or any of the selected ones.

Auto shooting mode (Auto)... In Auto mode, you can adjust the ISO value, exposure (EV), white balance and choose from 15 applied effects. The camera settings also set the aspect ratio of the frame: wide (16: 9), normal (4: 3) or square (1: 1), grid for easy shooting, saving geotags, self-timer, contrast values, saturation of image sharpness and retouching strength for pictures. All settings can be saved in a separate profile with your own name and included if necessary. There can be several profiles.

The frames made in the "Auto" mode lend themselves 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 an additional camera. In an already taken picture, you can move the focus point from the main subject to some other, in the background, for example. Alternatively, you can simply blur the background of the scene while keeping the original subject in focus. Ufocus-related modes - blend effects in the background (Foreground), create animation (Seasons) and turn the image into volume (Dimension Plus).

UFocus is best suited for shooting portraits and further blurring the background, in my opinion, and in general, if you take a frame with a pronounced object in the foreground and a more or less monochromatic background, in such scenes, the background blur is correct and accurate. The option with the choice of a new focus point after shooting, in my opinion, is almost inoperative. Of course, you can shift the focus to some object in the distance, but in most situations it will still remain a little “out of focus”, and the object on which the initial focus was made will be blurred too unnaturally.

Therefore, I repeat, in my opinion, Ufocus and the entire HTC Duo Camera system are best suited for portraits with beautiful background blur, and in this capacity this mode works well.

Below are the photos taken in Auto mode:

Here's an example of a photo with UFocus series effects applied, the first shot is the original, then three frames with the 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 are too grainy, although this is not required. However, judge for yourself, above - two pictures of the text in the "Auto" mode, below - in the "Text" mode:

Separate modes "macro", "night" work, in general, not bad, they can sometimes get good shots, especially in "macro".

There is also an HDR mode, panoramic shooting and a "Photosphere" mode, in which you can take photos of everything that you see around you, standing in one point. You will not be able to view it on a PC using standard programs, 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 the manual shooting mode. Yes, today many devices have manual settings for exposure, ISO, brightness, and more, 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 \u200b\u200bin 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 rather choosing a fixed distance at which focusing will take place. That is why now on the new HTC One you can take pictures of any objects close-up, and not just those on which the device can focus in Macro mode.

The following are examples of manual focus shots:

Notice how easy it is now to get close-ups of subjects, such as hair or fishing line, for example. On HTC One of the previous generation it is almost impossible to get such frames (some of them), on the new One it is a matter of a couple of seconds and correct focusing.

Naturally, for most users the manual shooting mode will be useless, but in some situations it allows you to get images of very high quality compared to those that the same device will take in the Auto mode. Here is a good example of such a situation - shooting a close-up of a figurine in low light (in a dark, unlit room).

Auto mode, shutter speed 1/11, ISO 3200

Mode "M", shutter speed 1, ISO 320 (sensitivity is set automatically)

Auto mode, shutter speed 1, ISO 200 (sensitivity is manually set)

It is clear that to get such a picture at such a long exposure, 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 increases even for such an outstanding image in terms of final shots in Auto »Cameras, as in HTC One.

The front camera in HTC One (M8) allows you to take ordinary pictures, as well as pictures in two windows, when the main frame is given 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 has multiple modes and can also be used as a flashlight.

Video recording... Video in standard mode is recorded at a maximum resolution of 1920x1080 pixels, the recording speed is 30 frames per second (variable), the bit rate is 20 Mbps, the sound is recorded in stereo, the recording quality is 192 Kbps. During recording, you can manually change the focus point, there is also tracking autofocus, the work of optical stabilization, albeit slightly, is noticeable if you write a video at the maximum degree of magnification. I would also like to note the very high, in my ear, the quality of sound recording in video. There is no sound mess, individual sounds are perfectly distinguishable, while the wind noise (it was during the recording) is minimal.

In addition to the 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 (MP4, 99 MB) \u003e\u003e\u003e
• Video sample in recording mode at 60 fps (MP4, 35 MB) \u003e\u003e\u003e

Comparison of cameras (Roman Belykh)

I will make a reservation right away that the comparison will be small, since we will soon prepare a detailed material where we will put the lens to the lens of the main smartphones that can boast of their camera modules.

It seems to me that at the 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 the frames with 100% crop. In fact, there is practically nothing to tell, since the camera module remains the same. In the M8, we fixed the white balance (it became, in my opinion, a little more correct), worked on the anti-aliasing and sharpness algorithms (there was noticeably less noise), and slightly added saturation. HTC may have used a different lens in the M8 (or maybe that's how the software works), as there is less perspective distortion in the shots of buildings due to the wide-angle lens. Focusing speed has increased, focusing is now more accurate, even in difficult lighting conditions. Part of the image blur is also removed.

Next, we compared the photos taken with 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 nutshell about the pictures.

Naturally, if we consider photographs from the point of view of resolution, then the undoubted outsider is HTC One (M8). But if this parameter is not taken into account, the smartphone shoots well: accurate white balance, natural colors (against the background of SGS5 and Nokia 1020), clear contrast, wide angle and high shooting speed.

In general, comparing HTC One (M8) with Galaxy S5 and 1020 from Nokia, I think, is not entirely correct, since the last two devices have much higher resolution, and it is simply impossible to bring frames one to one (or increase the photo to 16/38 MP, or reducing 16/38 MP to 5 MP is wrong). Only 100% crop. You will learn more 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) the shortest possible description of the sound in 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 its processing are their own. Secondly, the sound is slightly louder than in the previous generation HTC One. Third, with BoomSound on by default, the new HTC One sounds worse than without it. And it is without him that the smartphone sounds great, to my ear.

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 just here 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 writes the voice with high quality and cleanliness, without extraneous noise, even if they are present near the sound source. At the same time, the voice is clearly distinguishable on the dictaphone recording, even if the interlocutor was at a distance of 2-3 meters from the smartphone during the recording.

Autonomous work

The smartphone uses a non-removable Li-Pol battery with a capacity of 2600 mAh, that's 300 mAh. The company also states that the operating time of the new HTC One, in general, has significantly increased due to many new solutions both in the hardware part (using an overclocked version of the processor, a coprocessor for collecting data from all sensors), and in the software (new saving mode, in particular).

The HTC One (M7) tested a year ago lasted 8 hours when playing a 720p video in a circle, while HTC One (M8) showed 10 hours in this test. If we talk about daily use, then my M8 sample lasts an average of 20-22 hours, that is, the whole day. The load is as follows: 40-60 minutes of talking, 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 mobile Internet (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, browser). In general, in terms of battery life, the new HTC One is better models of the previous generation. Of course, I don't see an increase of 30-40 percent here, but a couple of hours from above is also not bad, because last year's model was far from being an outsider among top-end devices.

The smartphone has a normal power saving mode, enabling it, you can save battery power by lowering the screen brightness level, turning off transmission, vibration.

New HTC One 9M8) - critical power saving mode. In this mode, the processor operates at a reduced frequency, most of the sensors and sensors are turned off, when the screen is off, no data transfer is carried out, vibration is turned off and the screen brightness level is reduced. But the most important thing is that in this mode you have access to a limited set of applications, namely phone, mail (so far only configured through the corporate client), messages, calendar and calculator. It is impossible to launch other programs or add new ones to the list of allowed for work in this mode.

Platform, memory

The smartphone is built on the latest platform Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 (MSM8974AB) with a quad-core 2.3 GHz processor, graphics subsystem (GPU) - Adreno 330. 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 internal memory may seem insufficient, there is a slot for a memory card (guaranteed support for cards up to 128 GB), so there is no point in talking about a lack of memory.

The most important thing to know about the speed of this device is that the device is very fast: it lags nothing, there are no delays, there is no slowed down animation, there is no “thoughtfulness” of the interface. The smooth operation of the new HTC One can be compared with the Apple iPhone 5 / 5S, here it is about the same level.

Below are screenshots of testing the new HTC One in Antutu Benchmark X.

All "heavy" games, demanding on the hardware component of a smartphone, run smoothly on HTC One, without any problems, there are no difficulties with video playback, if we are talking about speed. The only thing I had a problem with was the lack of sound on some test videos running in a standard player. It can be solved by installing MX Player or Dice Player.

Interfaces

The smartphone works in GSM (850/900/1800/1900), HSDPA (850/1900/2100) and LTE (800/900/1800/2600) networks, LTE networks are also supported for Russia. Turn on and off wireless interfaces you can through the settings or by adding one of several widgets to the home screen, as well as using the notification curtain, 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, a complete microUSB cable is used. Smartphone specifications indicate USB 2.0 version, but when HTC One is connected to a computer (Windows 7), the system will notify you that the device may run faster if connected via USB 3.0. However, the difference in the time of transferring 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 through a USB 2.0 port on a computer and 35 seconds through USB 3.0.

The smartphone has support for USB On-The-Go (USB OTG) - you can connect a flash drive and other storage devices to the device via an adapter, for example, a camera for transferring 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 the FAT / FAT32 file systems, but the NTFS flash drive on my device was identified as empty.

A strange point should be noted here, which HTC, apparently, is not going to fix. You can view pictures, videos and music in a USB flash drive connected to your smartphone 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 (802.11а / 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 maximum performance mode (unchecking the "Wi-Fi Optimization" checkbox), as well as enable or disable automatic connection to the last saved active network. The device does not heat up during operation of the module.

Wi-Fi router... HTC One has the ability to share 2G / 3G / 4G Internet connections via Wi-Fi. On the menu wireless networks the option “ General access to the mobile Internet ”and then“ Wi-Fi router ”. Here, when you first start, you need to select a network name and password (WPA2). You can also set the maximum number of connections to the smartphone (1-8) or separately prohibit or allow each new connection. When the utility is turned on, you can connect to the Internet, "distributed" via Wi-Fi by a 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, to output sound or video from the device directly to the TV. HTC One also has HDMI support, the connector is combined with microUSB (MHL), so in order to use HDMI, you first need to buy a special cable.

NFC... Like the previous flagships, the second generation HTC One has NFC support, but 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 analogs), you can check the number of remaining trips in the metro pass on your smartphone.

Navigation

HTC One has GPS / Glonass support, it takes a minimum amount of time to search for satellites, from 5 to 15 seconds. The device comes with Google Maps and Google Navigation preinstalled. Google Navigation is used as the main navigation program.

For convenient work with a smartphone when it is in the car in the mount, there is a special mode "In the car". When you turn it on, you see large icons on the desktop, there are also special enlarged versions of the main applications: 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 is worth paying attention to this program if you are going to use HTC One behind the wheel, it really works and recognizes commands well if you speak them more or less loudly and clearly.

Case HTC Dot View

A brilliant idea, born on the wave of the popularity of the pixel theme or just like that, I don't know. In addition to the HTC One (M8), there is a dedicated Dot View case. It looks like an ordinary plastic case in the form of a book with a silicone cover perforated with blind holes. There are five colors to choose from: dark gray, dark blue, mint, bright orange, cherry. On renders and in reality, covers may look different, but I think they will soon become available in stores and everyone will be able to evaluate them live. The cost of the cover in Russia will be 1,790 rubles. Here's what the HTC One (M8) looks like packed in this case.

Now for the coolest! 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 already through the lid perforated with holes. It looks amazing, while, which is important, 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 your finger from top to bottom during a call - hang up, from bottom to top - answer the call. It also displays a notification about a timer or alarm, an icon for a new text message or a missed call, and the call time if you have already answered the call.

Indoors or in the evening, the information from the cover is perfectly readable, and the accessory itself "in action" looks very impressive and cool. This is such an unexpected wow effect from such a simple idea that at first I did not even expect it every time I showed my smartphone to friends and acquaintances. Not a single person remained indifferent, and everyone perceived the cover with delight and positive surprise. Yes, HTC Dot View will hardly be very convenient on a bright sunny day outdoors, but in other situations the text reads well 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 already been exhausted, you can do something very cool, spectacular and unusual, but at the same time simple and elegant. It seems to me that the HTC Dot View cover will be very popular, and for sure many owners of the new HTC One will want to buy a cover not because of its protective properties, but because of the wow effect and the indescribable coolness of the accessory, forgive me such words.

By the way, HTC has not announced any plans for the future Dot View yet, but it is likely that the company will want to increase the popularity of the accessory, and the opening of the SDK for developers would be a logical step for this. In this case, in addition to standard notifications, Dot View will "learn" to show notifications for various third-party applications, it may well be some kind of twitter client, music and video players, email clients, and so on.

Conclusion

I had no complaints about the signal reception quality for a week of using the new HTC One. The device catches the network well, the sound in the conversational dynamics is clear, without wheezing and extraneous noise, with a small, but still volume margin. The vibration alert is relatively strong, it is felt despite the dimensions and weight of the device in most situations. The volume of the ringing loudspeaker is above average, it cannot be said that it is "ultra-loud" here, approximately at the level of its competitors, but what distinguishes HTC One from other devices is the high sound quality in the ringing loudspeakers, 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 bought in the company's store in Moscow, the cost of a model with 16 GB of internal memory is 32,990 rubles. Yes, against the background of 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 offers 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 do this. Five years to return to what they were loved by a narrow circle of true fans of the brand, technologists, 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 HTC's last 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 a lot of childhood sores and problems. Then the company slowly began to re-find the direction it was strongest in, and last year with the release of the first generation One, it seemed like HTC was about to regain its identity.

The HTC One (M8) smartphone is the final step. The new device is a combination of all the best that HTC can do - recognizable, cool design, unlike competitors, expensive body materials, a convenient, clear and simple interface that allows you to easily get used to the new device. For a week of using HTC One (M8), I did not notice glitches, lags or software problems, problems with the telephone part, excessive heating of the case and other things, sometimes characteristic of the company's past smartphones. I will not vouch for all the batches of the novelty and say that the device is 100% stable and bug-free, but with my specific sample the situation is like this - it works perfectly.

For the first time in a long time, I used the device with such enthusiasm and inspiration, as if I came to work on the site just a couple of weeks ago and they immediately gave me the coolest and most expensive toy that I had dreamed of before. Yes, the new HTC One has its drawbacks, in particular, a camera with a low resolution of images (no joke, at home on a monitor with a resolution of 2560x1440 I practically cannot enlarge an 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 in terms of specifications and changes in comparison with the M7, you can see the work that the company has done: the new HTC One is better in terms of battery life, it has a slot for a memory card, the inconvenient position of the power key is leveled by a gesture system. and a 3.5 mm mini-jack has taken a logical place at the bottom. All this is a huge work, in fact, and it shows that the company, in addition to trying to create a beautiful and effective smartphone, was solving current problems, and successfully.

Therefore, if you ask me if it is worth changing last year's HTC One generation to a new one, the answer is unequivocal: yes. The new One is a completely different level, and not only against the background of the previous model from HTC, but also just against the background of all Android smartphones. This is a device that shows what a real modern smartphone should be - 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 of this is the new HTC One.

Specifications

• Class: company flagship
• Form factor: candy bar
• Body materials: aluminum unibody-body
• 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
• Memory for data storage: 16/32 GB, slot for a microSD memory card (128 GB and above cards are supported)
• Interfaces: Wi-Fi (a / b / g / n / ac), Bluetooth 4.0 (A2DP, aptX), microUSB (USB 2.0) connector for charging / synchronization, 3.5 mm headset, HDMI (via microUSB), DLNA, NFC , Infrared port
• Screen: 5 '', capacitive, 1920x1080 pixels (FulldHD), automatic backlight level control
• Camera: dual camera HTC Duo: main camera 4 MP (maximum image resolution 2688 x 1520) with UltraPixel technology (using "ultrapixels" with a size of 2 micrometers), 1/3 "" sensor, f / 2.0, 28 mm, optical stabilization. Additional camera to capture scene depth data. 1080p video recording (1920x1080 pixels), dual color LED flash (works as a flashlight)
• Front camera: 5 MP, f / 2.0, wide-angle (no autofocus), video recording in 1080p
• Navigation: GPS / Glonass (support A-GPS)
• Sensors: accelerometer, position sensor, light sensor, gyroscope, barometer
• Battery: non-removable, Li-Pol, 2600 mAh
• Dimensions: 146.4 x 70.6 x 9.4mm
• Weight: 160 grams

Related links

He badly needed a successor who would not lose face. In the updated HTC One (it somewhat awkwardly differentiates it from its predecessor HTC by adding the internal model designation - M8), the emphasis is again placed on appearance, body materials and thoughtful software in terms of both design and functionality. For almost a month we have been using HTC One M8 as our main smartphone and are ready to tell you how it outperforms competitors' products, and where it is inferior to both them and 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, support for microSD cards (up to 128 GB)
• Interfaces: DLNA, Wi-Fi 802.11 b / g / n / ac, Bluetooth 4.0, infrared port, microUSB (USB 2.0) for charge / synchronization, 3.5 mm for headphones
• Screen: Capacitive IPS, diagonal 5 inches, resolution 1920 by 1080 pixels (FullHD), density ~ 441 ppi
• 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 did not succeed in impressing the press and potential buyers with the appearance of the HTC One M8 - firstly, the official announcement was preceded by 1000 and 1 leaks, and secondly, although the design of the device has changed, it is only evolutionary. The user is looking at the same black rectangle of the screen, to which metal panels with perforated BoomSound speaker grilles are "attached" above and below, unexpectedly it turned out to be very similar to an inverted back panel 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, especially in length, increased the size.

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

The volume rocker and power / lock button are slightly tighter than the 2013 model and are more comfortable. But the lock button is still on the top, every time you have to train your fingers to stretch with unnatural movements to turn off the screen of the device. Well, at least you can unlock HTC One M8 with gestures on the screen, we will tell you more about them in the chapter on software.

The smartphone requires a nano-format SIM card (like the iPhone since the iPhone 5, Motorola Moto X or Nokia Lumia 1520), it fits into the slide out of the case. Similarly, on the other side of the device, you can insert a microSD memory card with a capacity of up to 128 GB.

In the body of the smartphone, 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 is less matte, yet has an imperceptible yet visible texture, like brushed soft aluminum. It has no immunity to scratches; when used without a cover (with it, the dimensions go beyond all reasonable limits) they appear after a week of use. However, the color and texture are selected so 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 this kind of concern is welcome. Optionally, you can purchase a Flip Case with a hinged lid, a fun multi-colored Double Dip Case bumper or, most interestingly, a Dot View case with rows of small transparent holes on the lid. It allows the smartphone to display basic information such as time and weather, highlighting individual dots. HTC claims that battery life is not significantly affected.

Both connectors - for a USB cable and for headphones - are located at the bottom of the device. On the back is the main camera, complete with dual flash to ensure natural colors in any light, and the secondary camera to determine the distance to objects in the frame. Why you need it (if you need it at all) - in the next section. A brief summary of looks and usability: the latter is clearly brought by the developers in favor of the former.

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 margin. In the bright sun, the image, of course, fades, but at the same time remains no less readable than indoors.

With a diagonal of 5 inches, the HTC One M8 screen has a Full HD resolution - 1920 x 1080 pixels, the pixel density is not a record, but it fully guarantees the "invisibility" of individual points at 441 ppi. The newest HTC smartphone uses Gorilla Glass 3, which protects the screen from most scratches and damage. At the same time, if (like us) you do not take special care of its protection, then small scratches visible upon close examination of the surface nevertheless 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 cover, or rather, a protective film.

Camera, sound

Let's start at 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 size of the matrix has practically not changed (from 1 / 5.8 to 1/5), so there is no need to talk about a significant improvement in the picture quality.

HTC One M8 is the only smartphone ever released in the world with a higher resolution front camera than the main one. HTC engineers are still convinced that pixel size is more important for image quality than the number of light-sensitive 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 counterparts.

Traditionally, in recent years, smartphone manufacturers have increased the number of pixels - the light-capturing elements of the sensor - and users are used to thinking that the more the better. However, the size of the sensor matrix itself and its elements affects the final image quality, contrast and color saturation much more strongly, how we see it on the monitor (with a resolution, as a rule, not higher than Full HD, that is, two megapixels) or on the smartphone screen. ... In addition, the algorithms for processing data from the matrix are important, which are responsible for the correct color rendition and contrast.

Yes, 4 megapixels versus 16 for the Galaxy S 5 or even 8 for the iPhone 5s can be discouraging in a flagship smartphone. But this does not prevent the HTC One M8's camera from taking noticeably better pictures than most Android smartphones. Pixels will be missing only in one case - if you want to crop a photo in the editor by selecting and enlarging one part 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 from another supplier and the manufacturer promises increased color accuracy and saturation. However, there is also a difference - the second camera, located just above the main one. The task of this sensor (technically this is the same 2-megapixel module that was used for the front camera in last year's One) - working in conjunction with the main camera, determine the distance to various areas of the image.

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

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

So far, the results from using the Duo Camera look like this. For most users, the new technology will just be an excuse to play around with a couple of shots, rather than revolutionize mobile photography:

Here the result is a little better, but the system still could not perceive the girl in the center of the frame as one object, part of the hair and elbow were in the background and were processed by the effect:

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

Sample photos, comparison with iPhone 5S. Full-size images are available by clicking:

HTC One M8	Apple iPhone 5s

The pictures show that HTC is less accurate in determining the required shutter speed - the first two frames differ in overexposed areas, while the third one is underexposed. On the other hand, subjectively, the grass and flowers in the second frame turned out to be more pleasant in the Taiwanese phone. This is invisible in the thumbnails, but due to the higher resolution, more details can be seen in the iPhone 5s image (for example, in the third frame, the pattern on the girl's dress in the foreground). Finally, the iPhone introduces less geometric distortions into the cityscape - HTC's lights at the edges of the frame and the State Duma building on the left are more "drunk". In general, the quality of images from HTC is excellent, but the automatic algorithms that determine the required exposure and white balance sometimes work a little roughly.

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

There is another problem with shooting videos as well as photos in low light - HTC One M8's camera lacks optical stabilization. Most likely, the manufacturer decided to save money, or the OmniVision supplier did not manage to produce the required number of modules on time. In any case, the HTC One M8's image stability when shooting handheld or on the move is noticeably lower than its "optically stabilized" predecessor.

It is worth mentioning that the HTC One M8's camera is extremely fast - autofocus takes a split second to work, saving is done instantly. In addition, in burst mode, it is possible to shoot up to 99 frames in succession at a speed of about 12 frames per second. If desired, the selection of the best one can be entrusted to an automatic function. The camera application itself looks very thoughtful, all settings are at hand, but do not get in the way unnecessarily. Unfortunately, HTC refused to display the photo and video buttons at the same time, so to quickly jump to the video you will have to go into the shooting modes menu.

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

Filling, performance

Like its main competitors - the Samsung Galaxy S5 and Sony Xperia Z2 - the HTC One M8 is built on the most powerful chip available to manufacturers today, the 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 has 0.2 GHz more, but it probably uses up the battery faster. In any case, the result is one of the best:

For gaming, the device is also ideal, except it could be lighter. The frame rate at maximum quality hardly differs from that at minimum, that is, the graphics performance margin is huge:

The HTC One M8 has 2 GB of RAM - the engineers considered it irrational to put more. The built-in memory of the device is 16 or 32 GB, but the presence of a microSD slot with support for cards with a capacity of up to 128 GB makes it unnecessary to purchase a 32 GB model. A little over 10 GB is available to the user out of the box:

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

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

This means that even with active use, it will be possible to "kill" the battery a working day before returning home only by trying it - for example, playing 3D games for several hours or continuously watching a Full HD movie at maximum brightness. With the brightness set to 2/3 of the maximum, the HD Ready movie in .mp4 format ran the HTC One M8 without stopping until the battery was completely discharged for just over 11 hours. This is a phenomenal result in comparison with its predecessor - HTС One of 2013 model could work continuously "in the palm of your hand" for no more than 6-7 hours. In the case of web surfing on 3G / LTE with automatic installations brightness, you can count on a result of 7-9 hours of continuous operation, over Wi-Fi - more than 10 hours. And the 2014 One also charges significantly faster than the 2013 model - an average of just over 2.5 hours versus 3.5.

HTC One M8 has no problems with data transfer rates (3G and LTE networks), LTE flies faster than other Wi-Fi. In addition, it was noticed that at points where the iPhone 5s received data over 3G hesitantly or even switched to EDGE, HTC One M8 perfectly and quickly enough transferred data over the 3G network. The disadvantages of the communication capabilities of the device include a thoughtful gPS work... At least in Google and Yandex maps, after waking up the device, the location marker usually appeared in the right place after 10-25 seconds. Most other smartphones find themselves "waking up" much faster. Hopefully, this is a flaw in the software and it will be promptly fixed.

Another feature of every self-respecting flagship smartphone recently there has been a built-in motion sensor. Both the iPhone 5s and the Galaxy S5 have a pedometer, as well as the new HTC flagship. The devices are preinstalled with one of the best of its kind FitBit application, capable of analyzing data from the One M8 built-in sensor. There will be another reason to force yourself to leave the chair and go for a short walk. HTC One M8 and iPhone 5s, being in different jeans pockets during the day, record almost the same number of steps.

Features of the software

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

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

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

In it, the device essentially turns into an ordinary "dialer" -communicator with access only to the most important: calls, SMS, e-mail (the inbox will have to be updated manually), a calculator and a 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 disabled, all applications are unloaded from memory. In this mode, 5% of the battery charge, according to HTC, can last 15 hours, and 20% - for 60, that is, 2.5 days.

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

Purchase, conclusions

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

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 a camera, which is great for Instagram and other social networks, as well as sending by mail, but not much 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 full-fledged support for microSD cards 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 body materials
• High, although not a record, performance
• Long battery life
• Loud and clear sound from the built-in speakers
• Thoughtful, functional and stylish software

Minuses:

• Slow GPS
• Inconvenient size, especially vertically
• Inconsistent camera