Few questions for a new user

Rakkety

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I bought the phone a week ago from Costco. The kiosk dude told me that a lot of people were returning the phone. When I asked why he said the three reasons were:

1) The camera was inferior compared to other flagship phones.
2) Built-in battery
3) No file manager.

I personally don't care about the camera. I'm no Ansel Adams, I hardly take pictures if ever. The quality of the camera on the One is good enough for me. The built-in battery is my real concern. I know that the phone hasn't been out that long but have there been reports of any big issues? Will the battery last 2 years? As for the file manager, I don't really understand what that is. What I really want to know is how has the HTC One been doing since its release?

I have about 4 more days to decide whether I want to keep the phone or return it for another (either S5 or G3).
 

B. Diddy

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Welcome to Android Central! Unless you have a Samsung phone or an LG G3, most phones out there have non-removable batteries. Batteries will typically last about 2-3 years, depending on usage patterns, before there is any noticeable decline in battery life, and the average smartphone user upgrades his or her phone after 2 years anyway, so the absolute lifespan of the battery tends not to be a major issue. If you're the type of person who uses the device nonstop for heavy-duty activities like gaming, then a removable battery may be advantageous, because you can carry one or two extra charged batteries. But for the typical user, it shouldn't matter.

A file manager is just an app that allows you to explore the local folders and move, copy, or delete files. Some devices come with a file manager preinstalled, others don't. My Nexus 5 doesn't have one preinstalled. Not a problem--just install one of the many good file managers from Google Play Store. This would be a baffling reason for people to return a phone.

The M8 camera is quite good. It's not the absolute best out there, according to reviewers, but it's still good.

I can't be sure, but I would bet that guy was trying to steer you towards a device that perhaps they have sales quota for. Those reasons are not good reasons.
 

Mooncatt

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I haven't heard of any issues with the battery yet, but it's still a relatively new device. The thing to remember about lithium based batteries is they don't like heat or being held at full charge. To maximize battery life, try to keep it cool and unplug it once it's fully charged. It doesn't really matter how far you drain it either as long as you try to stay above 20% or so (they don't like deep discharges either). Cycle counts are based on a full discharge, so discharging to 50%, then charging to full only counts as a half-cycle. This means you don't have a "memory loss" concern like in older style rechargeables.

The issue about the stock file manager has to do with Kit Kat. In older versions of Android, you could use any file manager to move and change files on the external sd card if you had one installed. Due to security issues, Kit Kat implemented a change that only allows apps to manipulate files in their own pre-determined area of the external sd card (not an issue with the phone's internal storage). One of the major drawbacks of this change is 3rd party file explorers could no longer write, change, or delete files on the external card. They could read it, just not manipulate it. The only way you could "fix" this was to root your phone or make changes by tethering to a computer and using the computer's file explorer. I.e. Windows Explorer.

Many manufactures now include a stock file explorer that does allow you manipulate the external sd card files like we're used to again. The M8 originally didn't include a stock explorer, but the Android 4.4.3 update (4.4.4 for the Verizon versions) included a new stock file explorer. I'm guessing this was due to consumer demand. If you don't currently have an app called "File Manager" like in the attached screen shot, your phone likely isn't up to date. Updating to the most current version should give you the app.
 

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Rakkety

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Thanks for the reply. I wasn't sure if I should switch phone but I've decided to stick with the One.
I have one more question. My last phone was an HTC MyTouch. It had the Swype function which was amazing for typing. I had to do a little searching on the One for the same ability but it doesn't feel as responsive. Does the One use a different program?

Sent from the Pony Express
 

dty06

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I recommend SwiftKey over the stock keyboard. SwiftKey has Swype as well as regular typing and is all around a better keyboard.
 

Mooncatt

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The M8 has a swipe function for typing, but I had already bought the full paid version of Swype for my last phone and just prefer it over the others. I've tried the stock keyboard, Swift Key, and I think one or two others. They all had their quirks that I didn't like, but Swype's quirks were the easiest to deal with and I like the punctuation handling on it best.