Share your HTC One (M8) first impressions and personal reviews!

[jean15paul]

As of today, I've had the phone now for a month.

I'm a Sprint customer ( I know, my first mistake) and have been with them for 10+ years. I just upgraded my almost 3 year old iPhone 4S. I wanted something with more memory, a larger resolution camera, and hopefully something that would take advantage of the 4G LTE network that I kept seeing commercials for. I got tired asking if there was an open WiFi network everywhere.. and most of my family is on Sprint with some fancy schmancy phones.. so I thought here we go

Btw, this is my 3rd Android device.. I seem to keep switching back and forth. My first was an unlocked HTC Nexus One, then the Original Samsung Galaxy S phone. And now the HTC One M8 HKE.

The GOOD.
The sound is AMAZING. I crank mp3's at work before business hours all the time, and I love the fact that I don't need to hook it up to a set of speakers to hear it. The device itself is very responsive and snappy, animations and transitions are fluid, and overall pretty awesome. Battery life seems pretty solid when there's a steady signal, or I just put in airplane mode at work (big concrete building with lots of RF interference, no one gets a decent signal in there) and cruise the wifi. Overall construction is awesome, for such a large phone it fits my hand very well, and the UI is fast and responsive.

The BAD.
Sprint's Spark network. Apparently there was a massive outcry a few weeks back, so much so that Sprint sent out a patch OTA. I saw it, thought it was an Android update, and updated. Sucks to be me.. because where before I usually had a very solid 3G or moderate 4G signal, now my phone is constantly disconnected from the data network. I've made two trips to the store where I bought the phone, and have called Customer Service and Techical Services at least half a dozen times, asking that even though I'm over the 14 day period, I've been a customer for so long that I'd hate to go elsewhere.. can I exchange it for a different model that's non-spark? Apparently that's the last thing they want to do. I agreed to try using it regularly for a few more days, but am really considering jumping ship to go to Verizon.

Overall, I really like this phone. Too bad it's attached to a network that's still in it's infant stage of execution.

If you don't mind me asking, where are you located. I'm in New Orleans. We don't have Spark yet, but Sprint's LTE has gotten pretty solid for the most part.

Sent from my 831C using Tapatalk

 

[Jason McConnell]

jean15Paul, I'm in Syracuse, New York.

 

[jean15paul]

Also, i loved swiping back and forth between opened pages on IOS safari, does chrome or other browser have that? Would like a browser with address bar on the bottom too.

If you swipe across the address/new tab bar at the top, you can swipe between tabs in Chrome.

 

[jean15paul]

What bluetooth headswet do you use? My Blue Ant Q3 broke they sent me a replacement which took forever and i almost bought a plantronics. I used to hate that headsets never brought up Google now and just that voice dialer but now there starting too, I don't think voice quality is the greatest on the Q3 gonna give it a few more days and may get a new one. Glad you like the phone I still think it's the best phone ever.

I'm using the LG-Tone+ (730). I really like them. LG Tone + HBS-730 Bluetooth Stereo Headset - Bluetooth - ShopAndroid

Update: If I press the call button with the phone UNLOCKED it starts a Google Now voice search. If I press the call button with the screen locked it open the voice dialer app. I wish there was a way to make it always default to Google Now.

Sorry for any confusion. I'm still learning this phone.

 

[pnoozi]

I've had the phone for 2 days and would like to give my impressions. This won't be the same regurgitated spec sheet recital you've seen on YouTube. I will try to make this worthwhile. Also, I will not go out of my way to praise the phone. If you're looking for an ode to the phone, I can't help you.

^ Glamour Red from Verizon, with DuoMax aluminum bumper case

Build 9.0/10

Probably the best overall build quality of any leading Android device, but falls short of the iPhone. This may come as a surprise to HTC, but cramming as much aluminum as you can into the device doesn't automatically improve the build quality. As Apple has shown, it's less about which materials you use, and more about how you combine materials. It's hard to feel as though you have a secure grip when holding the bare M8. This is simply not a device for small-handed people. Points off for overly-rounded edges, power button on the top of the phone, and a loose volume rocker on mine. Overall, the negatives aren't too significant. The power button was the only con that couldn't be somewhat rectified with a case. The build quality is excellent overall.

Software and Features 9.0/10

HTC Sense is the most tolerable manufacturer UI in my experience. It's even... pleasant and useful sometimes. BlinkFeed is a nice touch. Everything is smooth. Nothing lags. Isis Wallet is very nice. The IR blaster and TV app are absolutely amazing. This completely blew my mind when I first tried it. The IR blaster won't work with a case covering it, though. Oh well. It will, however, work when pointed up to 90 degrees away from the TV (as you would hold a phone naturally), so that's a big plus.

The camera is fine... I'm not a big picture taker, and honestly... if you're doing pro-level photography... buy a real camera. What the hell are you doing using a cell phone. The 4MP rear camera will be just fine for pictures of your friends. The camera software is good, but the way it makes use of the depth sensor is gimmicky.

The speakers are good for a phone, but this is a pointless luxury. I play music and movies through earphones or external speakers, and I don't exactly need BoomSound to watch YouTube videos.

Now there are some serious problems on the software end, particularly with waking and unlocking. Motion gestures (which can be turned off, but not customized) wake the phone when you don't want them to. And the lock screen is completely pointless... in fact, it's not truly a lock screen at all. It's just a screen with a picture of a lock that you slide up to get to the real security screen (if you have one). It can't even be customized. And there is no option to wake directly to the security screen (I believe this is how it works on stock Android). So if you choose to have some form of security on your phone, you will have to go through this pointless "lock" screen every time you want to wake and use your phone.

They also shoehorned in some Amazon crap that you can't uninstall, and I've very occasionally been getting phantom screen presses.

But all things considered, it's way better than the non-Nexus competition.

Battery 10/10

I've only had the phone for 2 days, but the battery life appears to be excellent. For the last 1.5 days I've unsuccessfully been trying to kill it with moderate use. Right on.

Call Quality 10/10

They can hear me clearly, I can hear them clearly. No problems.

Final Score: 9.5/10

Not perfect, but still melted my face.

 

[Mooncatt]

...and a loose volume rocker on mine.

From what I've heard, that's more or less by design, but I haven't heard of any problems resulting from it yet.

The IR blaster won't work with a case covering it, though.

I have the Supcase II, and the IR Blaster works just as good as bare. Many cases do block it, but the Supcase has a translucent power button cover (plus two replacements in case it's damaged) that allows for the IR to pass through. I think some others allow it as well. The tv remote app is also cool itself.

Motion gestures (which can be turned off, but not customized) wake the phone when you don't want them to. And the lock screen is completely pointless... in fact, it's not truly a lock screen at all. It's just a screen with a picture of a lock that you slide up to get to the real security screen (if you have one). It can't even be customized. And there is no option to wake directly to the security screen (I believe this is how it works on stock Android). So if you choose to have some form of security on your phone, you will have to go through this pointless "lock" screen every time you want to wake and use your phone.

On mine, blocking the proximity sensor disables motion gestures. I've got to where I put my thumb over it when picking up from the top so the screen doesn't recognize a tap or swipe to wake. As for the lock screen, that's a settings issue. Go to settings > security and select the option to bypass lock screen on wake. That should fix your concern with it.

Otherwise a pretty objective review.

 

[whitelunchbag]

So if you choose to have some form of security on your phone, you will have to go through this pointless "lock" screen every time you want to wake and use your phone.

Settings>security> ✔bypass lock screen on wake

My M8 posted this

 

[pnoozi]

Thank you! That was bugging me so much. Turns out you can't even see that option in Settings unless you have a security screen enabled.

 

[ferniesp]

I have Verizon and the gun metal grey M8. Here are my thoughts after getting a replacement.

Build quality is great and looks good. Speakerphone is good but I don't use it that much so it's not that important to me. Camera could be better but for a phone, it's good enough. Phone is very very slippery. Call quality is average at best. The speaker is off center so it's a hit and miss when talking on the phone, lots of adjusting. The call volume is average as well. The OS is smooth for the most part but I find it to be too busy. In other words, for everyday usage, it seems that it takes me twice as long to do simple tasks. The browser is good but the fonts are too lite. In fact, all of the fonts are light. The volume button has got to go!! Every time I answer the phone I either lower the volume or increase it. Very annoying.

At the end of the day, the phone is going back. HTC has a nice idea but the phone needs work. I see this phone being a fun phone for games, music but not for a workday of lots of phone usage.

And yes, waking up in your pocket is annoying. I use Strava while I run and more often then not, it gets screwed up because the comes alive and stops the program.

Good phone, not a great phone.

 

[MDMcAtee]

My initial thoughts on this device.

Holy cow is it fast.......

This is my first evening with my M8 it came in tonights mail.

Swapping the new Sim with my old one dropping in my class 10 SD card syncing my emails downloading my tablets apps( forgot it would do this... Lol) and downloading a few others took a little over a hour and was the easiest I have ever had before.

My TV app. I never realized that this was there and have it set up too.Very nice bonus.

Double tap to wake is awesome

The opening and closing the apps unlocking the phone scrolling through anything is unreal in no lag and so silky smooth

I have found a new favorite phone so far.

I'll be adding to this as the days, weeks goes by but I am genuinely impressed with it so far even coming from a 6" flagship phablet

Posted via Android Central App

 

[specialsk]

Long story short, yesterday I switched from GS4 to M8 after spending many hours debating between G3 and M8.

Short story long, I really wasn't looking for a new phone, but really liked what I was reading on G3, especially since my son has a G2 that I envied. G3 launch day, went to VZW store and played with G3 for a while. Seemed nice, BIG, comfortable, BIG, and for my aging eyes, BIG! A red M8 caught my eye, only because I haven't shopped for phones since last year's S4 acquisition. Messed around with it, liked it, but still thought the G3 was my destiny. Got home, researched, and researched....and researched. Mixed reviews. G3 lag. G3 best ever. G3 rocks it. M8 vs. G3? G3 vs. S5. Godzilla vs. Mothra. I hate the internet sometimes.

But I love the internet othertimes. Someone posted something worthy of a fortune cookie, "There's no such thing as a perfect phone, choose the one that most meets your needs." Hmmmm.....more than anything, I'm a music lover. BoomSound, Extra loud volume (something I always hated about my GNEX and to a lesser degree, my GS4) . I think I found my new love.

Long story short again, back to VZW for one last deathmatch. Couldn't validate the G3 lag posts....found 0 lag issues with the G3 contrary to popular internetz belief...but thought the M8 was definitely the "snappier" (overused term), better looking (see also: build) albeit smaller (compared to G3, same compared to my S4) phone for an audiophile like me.

Long story shorter, got the phone home last night and 24 hours later have observed the following:

* BoomSound is all of that.
* But then, no equalizer...BoomSound on, Boomsound off, really???
* I really haven't played around with camera so no comment at this time.
* Marginal call quality, specifically, LOW volume (pls. don't ask"Did you check your "in call" volume setting?)
* M8 is like a bar of soap in my hands, beauty be damned, this bad boy needs a case....ruining 33.33% of why I bought it.
* Display is gorgeous, I like it more than my S4 (even though I've been told that Super AMOLED is perfect).
* UI is simple, but you know what, I guess I'm a sucker for gimmicks.
* Battery life is very good, but no battery usage stats tied to screen use (usually the #1 killer of batteries)???
* Blinkfeed is slick, but I feel a little misled from the demo phone. Particularly, the inability to "sort" my tiles (unless of course I missed a setting or something)
* Stock dialer/apps/fonts have a clean look to them, much nicer than the Samsung stock.
* The help and setup functionality is the best I've seen in any device I've owned.
* Not sure if this is a known issue or not, but mobile data seems very slow to "handshake" with. Apples to apples with my G4 in the same exact location, not even a close contest...the M8 takes forever to refresh data. Defective unit/antennae?

So this is all after one day's worth of use. I'm seriously considering swapping to the G3, the phone that motivated me to upgrade in the first place. Will give this a few more days while in the 14 day window and report back where I ultimately land.

 

[Mooncatt]

* Display is gorgeous, I like it more than my S4 (even though I've been told that Super AMOLED is perfect).

* Not sure if this is a known issue or not, but mobile data seems very slow to "handshake" with. Apples to apples with my G4 in the same exact location, not even a close contest...the M8 takes forever to refresh data. Defective unit/antennae?

Load a white image (like the Google homepage or whatever you can) on the M8 and GS4. Look at them side by side and you'll see just how far from perfect Super AMOLED really is.

As for the data issue, sounds like a defect to me. Either software, hardware, or network related. I also have Verizon red and it locks on almost instantly. The only time I have issues is the rare case I swap between 3/4G. Even then it's not always an issue and not something I'm bothered by.

 

[thecaringkind]

Greetings all! I have had my new Verizon HTC One M8 for a few days now and I'd like to share some early thoughts and impressions.
First off I must admit that I only very recently made the switch back to Android as I still own and love my Nokia Lumia Icon Windows Phone. It has a great Super AMOLED screen, tremendous camera, good battery life, is built like a TANK and I really enjoy the WP 8.1 aesthetic. Being a gadget geek and a restless one at that, I just couldn't stop myself from pulling the trigger on the new M8.

At first I had concerns about how 'tall' the device is and it is TALL, however the phone's phenomenal design and premium materials make it feel really good in the hand despite its tall aspect. As far as the brushed gunmetal aluminum finish and build, is it slippery? Yes. However if you are mindful and apply a sufficient amount of grip on the phone it shouldn't be a problem. That being said I absolutely purchased a SLIPCASE for the phone because there's no way I ever want any physical blemished on such a beautifully crafted and designed phone. EVER. The phone's profile is slim and the weight feels just about right. Despite the phone's tall aspect it doesn't feel top heavy or unbalanced in any way. This is a phone that can fit nicely into most pockets out there without feeling like you're carrying a brick, (looking at you Lumia Icon--but I love you anyway).

I also need to take a moment to gripe about Verizon branding...ITS SO ANNOYING. nuff said about that.

Next up, the screen.

Simply put, the Super LCD screen on the M8 is bright, crisp, and vibrant. It is just a beautiful panel that performs extremely well as far as touch sensitivity and overall display quality. I also appreciate what seems to be a very nice oleophobic coating to go along with the toughness of Gorilla Glass 3. Great, great display overall!

Next, the Boom Sounds speakers.

I must admit that often times I have headphones plugged in to listen to podcasts and music, however for causal You-Tubing and music listening the experience is superior to anything else available right now. The sound is loud and also clear without sounding too 'tinny' at all. A person can really get spoiled with such a media device and HTC deserves a lot of credit for implementing the speakers so well. Also, the sound coming fromt he speakers makes gaming with the M8 an IMMERSIVE experience that very few if any can match.

Next: LET'S TALK ABOUT SENSE...BABY.

I have always liked the clean, minimalistic feel of HTC's Sense and the 6th iteration is no different. Some people gripe about the vertical scrolling in the app drawer but I actually find what I am looking for quickly by snapping up and down in alphabetical order. Custom folders also help but you have some options when it comes to OS look and feel with a third party launcher not being the least of them. I have used Nova, Go and other launchers in the past but inevitably I always come back to Sense just because I like it and it works for me.

Interesting note: 'Kid's Mode' is a nice thoughtful touch THAT WILL NEVER BE USED BY ANY PARENT WITH A BRAIN ANYWHERE.

There's no way anyone in their right mind would let their toddler get their greasy little mitts on the sculpted aluminum beauty that is the One M8, case or no case.

Ahem. I digress.

Next up, the elephant in the room: THE Duo Ultra pixel 4MP Cam.

I feel like I must preface my thought on the camera with this: ITS A CELL PHONE.

My Nokia Lumia Icon has the following:
Main camera sensor: 20 MP, PureView .
.ZEISS optics: Yes .
.Sensor size: 1/2.5 inch .
.Main camera f-number/aperture: f/2.4 .
.Camera focal length: 26 mm.
.Camera minimum focus range: 10 cm.
.Camera image formats: JPEG/Exif .
.Flash type: Dual LED flash .
.Flash operating range: 3.0 m.
.Flash modes: Off, Automatic.
.
.Main camera features .Main camera - other features: 6-lens optics, Backside-illuminated image sensor, High resolution zoom 2x, Optical image stabilization, PureView.

IMPRESSIVE hardware to say the least for a phone camera and I must say that the device takes outstanding photos all around. Nice to have? Absolutely. A necessity? Absolutely not. At least for me.

I am pragmatic when it comes to certain features that a phone may or may not have. A SUPER deluxe megapixeled up monster snapper is simply not that important to me and when you add the fact that the Duo cam on the M8 actually takes very nice, crisp, colorful images in most situations with a little tweaking, (which you can do since the camera interface and settings are plentiful and useful), you have a device that takes great selfies, instagram, snapchat, Google + and Facebook photos that 90% of the general populace can actually enjoy. Overall its a good camera that gets the job done and gives the user a lot of features and control over their images. Will you be able to blow the images up for professional treatments and such? Nope. But that's not what the camera was designed to do. Period. The features baked into the camera experience may the camera fun to use for snapshots and it can improve image quality with future software tweaks and updates and a little effort to better understand composition.
Overall a nice camera that I like to use and that's all I need.

Other bits:

Battery life and performance.

I owned the M7 for a while and that thing overheated and sucked down battery like someone was chasing it. The M8 however has shown VERY good overall battery life as I have been able to use the phone throughout the day doing everything from texts to email, gaming, talking, web browsing, etc. At the end of one day I managed almost 15 hours of use/on time once disconnected from charging and that is very good indeed.
performance has been SUPER SMOOTH and fast. Nothing really phases the Snapdragon 801 chipset and it showed. Despite that fact I am a bit of a tweaker so I decided to enable developer mode and switch from Dalvik run time over to ART.

So far I have seen little to no compatibility issues with apps, performance is as smooth as ever, the phone has not heated up appreciably and battery life continues to be very good. I can't wait until Android L is released for general consumption but until then my M8 is functioning quite well.

One gripe: the tap-to-wake feature is spotty and could use some calibrating with a future software update.

Overall the HTC One M8 is a FANTASTIC piece of hardware married to an equally impressive OS. The phone is fluid and smooth and sexy and it beats the pants off the cheap stutter crap-tastic plastic Samsung churns out year in and year out. The LG G3 has a great overall design and feature set with a good camera however when I visited my local Verizon store to compare, the highly touted QHD screen was a cold, washed out and DIM mess!

To me, the decision was a good one and not even close. HTC builds damn fine phones and I am 'One' happy user!

 

[MDMcAtee]

Almost 3 weeks with mine now.

Nothing to detract from my original post.

My wife decided she wanted a new phone and chose last years m7 instead of the m8. She wasn't happy with her Nokia1020 and WP os too glichy and not customizable enough for her and a whole bunch of other things she dropped on me . After seeing my m8 she said enough was enough. She just liked the feel and looks more of the m7 ...gotta keep them happy

Posted via Android Central App

 

[Creed1989]

I was in a doubt Samsung galaxs S5 or HTC one m8 and i now i see that i did a good call by buying HTC. I'm impressed with design and everything, good work HTC.

 

[Flow39]

If I ever ended up switching to an Android phone, this is definitely the phone I'd switch to. These reviews don't do it justice (no offense previous reviewers haha). This is an amazing phone, no doubt

 

[the tall guy]

I can't fault this phone, I have tried to find something wrong with it but I just can't! I go through phones as fast as the next person, but the M8 is the only phone that has managed to keep my phone addiction under control. The premium build, Sense 6, 4.4.3, camera, sound, display, battery life, they all come together to make the perfect device imo. Roll on the M9

 

[msm0511]

I can't fault this phone, I have tried to find something wrong with it but I just can't! I go through phones as fast as the next person, but the M8 is the only phone that has managed to keep my phone addiction under control. The premium build, Sense 6, 4.4.3, camera, sound, display, battery life, they all come together to make the perfect device imo. Roll on the M9

Speaking of the M9, I haven't really seen any rumors online about it. Shouldn't it be about time for those to kick in gear?

 

[msm0511]

If I ever ended up switching to an Android phone, this is definitely the phone I'd switch to. These reviews don't do it justice (no offense previous reviewers haha). This is an amazing phone, no doubt

I'm about to switch from iOS to Android myself. At least for a little while. The M8 has grabbed my attention that much. I've owned every iPhone since the 3G in 2008. The funniest thing is I see a lot of people on forums saying they're gonna check out iOS again when the larger iPhone is released. That's why I'm thinking of trying Android. If the newer iPhones are gonna be as large as Android phones, why not give Android a try.

 

[the tall guy]

Speaking of the M9, I haven't really seen any rumors online about it. Shouldn't it be about time for those to kick in gear?

Yeah the M8 is about 5 months old lol, so in tech world that's ancient! I don't think we will hear much about the m9 until Nov / Dec. Everyone is too busy concentrating on the next batch of phones to come out this year a think