The HTC One (M8) is now official surprisingly exactly nobody thanks to the volley of leaks surrounding the handset, but don't let that put you off as the new HTC One is still a very promising device. We've rounded up all the key information on HTC's latest flagship smartphone right here for you to digest, and if you want to know what we make of it check out our hands on HTC One (M8) review.
The HTC One (M8) is now official surprisingly exactly nobody thanks to the volley of leaks surrounding the handset, but don't let that put you off as the new HTC One is still a very promising device.
We've rounded up all the key information on HTC's latest flagship smartphone right here for you to digest, and if you want to know what we make of it check out our hands on HTC One (M8) review.
- Must read: HTC One (M8)
With top of the range specs and a sultry design the new HTC One is going head to head with the big boys of the mobile arena, with the Samsung Galaxy S5 and Sony Xperia Z2 firmly in its sights.
We can't forget about the LG G3 or the iPhone 6 either, but with both handsets yet to actually be announced it's currently a three way battle at the top of the mobile market.
HTC One (M8) release date and price
HTC has pulled a real trump card out of its pocket when it comes to the HTC One (M8) release date, as it has put the handset on sale in the UK on the same day as it was officially announced - March 25.
In the US you can purchase the new HTC One online from March 25 with Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile all having it on their websites. The phone is expected to hit stores in the States by April 11.
Although it's only available from around 30 selected stores, wider availability almost everywhere in the UK will start on March 27 - but that's still an impressively quick turnaround which has only been matched in recent times by BlackBerry with the Z10.
From April 4 the HTC One (M8) will roll out across Europe, the Middle East and Africa and in total the new One will be available worldwide from over 230 operators in over 100 countries.
This speedy turn around from announcement to the handset landing in stores comes as welcome relief, as the HTC One last year took an age to go on sale - Samsung managed to launch the Galaxy S4 and get it in shops between HTC's announcement and sale dates.
The new HTC One price comes as no surprise, this is a high-end smartphone with the latest tech under the hood and thus it commands a high price tag.
HTC One (M8) screen
You'll find a slightly larger screen on the new HTC One, with the Taiwanese firm bumping if from 4.7 inches on its predecessor to 5 inches on the latest model.
While screen size has increased, resolution remains the same at 1080 x 1920, which means the HTC One (M8) has a slightly lower pixel density of 441ppi versus the 469ppi on the original One.
That said, you're unlikely to see and real difference between the two handsets in terms of quality and the Super LCD3 technology ensures colors are bright and viewing angles are generous.
HTC One (M8) camera
Possibly the most interesting feature on the new HTC One is its camera setup. On the front the snapper has been boosted to a 5MP offering to capture the ever growing Snapchat and selfie trends.
That's up from 2.1MP on the original One, and it's also capable of recording full HD video and comes equipped with HDR too.
It's round the back though where the biggest difference is, with the HTC One (M8) sporting two cameras instead of the traditional one.
The larger, main camera is a 4MP (or 2 ultrapixel if you listen to HTC's marketing) snapper - the same rating as the camera on the HTC One, but the pixels themselves have been enlarged to let in even more light.
For the camera buffs among you the main camera's vital statistics are a sensor size of 1/3", f/2.0 aperture and a 28mm lens.
HTC claims this improves the low-light performance of the One (M8). The second camera is actually a sensor which collects additional information on each shot that you take.
Data such as depth and focus are recorded and this allows for some rather clever post-capture editing.
One of those editing options is U-focus, which allows you to re-focus your image after taking it - allowing you to select a particular object in the near, mid or background to highlight.
There are similar features on the Galaxy S5 and LG G Pro 2, but the new HTC One does it better.
HTC One (M8) power
HTC hasn't skimped on the power for the new HTC One, and that's a relief as we were rather disappointed when the HTC One Max launched with Qualcomm's aging Snapdragon 600 chip rather than the 800 last year.
The HTC One (M8) falls in line with both the Galaxy S5 and Xperia Z2 as it sports the new 2.3Ghz quad-core Snapdragon 801 chip and 2GB of RAM. There's also an Adreno 330 GPU to provide extra muscle for graphical intensive activities such as gaming.
HTC One (M8) OS
There's no surprise when it comes to the operating system hidden inside the new HTC One, it's Android - and the latest flavor at that.
You don't get the stock Android 4.4.2 KitKat experience on HTC One (M8) however, with the Taiwanese firm sticking a new version of its user interface over the top - Sense 6.0.
It's not hugely different to Sense 5.5 which arrived with the One Max, but HTC has made some minor improvements for better control and smoother navigation.
The Blinkfeed news aggregator has been streamlined, gesture controls for quick screen wake, unlock and app launching have been added when the handset is in sleep mode and various stock apps have had slight visual makeovers.
HTC One (M8) Design
We lauded the HTC One last year for its beautiful metal body and the new HTC One has managed to go one better this year with an even more desirable metallic finish.
This time the unibody design hugs the sides of the handsets and meets the sheet of Gorilla Glass 3 on the front of the handset for a really premium finish.
HTC has also managed to engineer a microSD slot into the design without the need to break up the unibody design, while the IR blaster remains on top of the One (M8) along with the power key.
The rear of the device is more curved than its predecessor, allowing the new HTC One to sit more snugly in the palm and its corners have been rounded more to give a slight more Galaxy S4-esque finish.
