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

[slb21]

My first smartphone was the HTC EVO and I've been loyal to HTC since (Thunderboldt, Rezound). However, I'm not "feeling" this phone as much as I want to...and I may be returning it because for everything I love about this phone, there are things I dislike immensely. I reallywant to love this phone...but I'm not so sure I can.

Positives:
1. Screen - Beautiful graphics, incredibly fast, and highly responsive. I love that you can turn the screen on by double tapping it!
2. Speakers - Incredibly clear. LOVE the stereo! Putting folks on speaker has never been better!
3. Metal Body - It's gorgeous - no doubt the best looking phone out there.
4. Shape - It fits SO nice in my hand!
5. On-Button Placement - I have always appreciated that the on-button is located at the top of the HTC phones. The Samsungs have the on-button on the side - every time I hold my boyfriend's phone (S4, then Note 3), I would accidentally turn it off because the on-button was on the side near where my index finger goes.
6. Battery Life - PHENOMENAL! I seem to be able to go for a day-and-a-half without a charge...WAY TO GO, HTC!!!!


Negatives:
1. Screen - I love big smartphones because it gives you more reading space - however, the home/back/app buttons are ON-screen - and unless you're watching a video or taking a picture, they don't go away. I feel like I'm HOLDING a large phone, but looking at the screen of an iPhone.
2. Speakers - The awesome-sounding speakers needed a place to go - and that's the reason for the home keys being placed on the screen itself - that black bar at the bottom hides the mechanics for the speakers, according to my sources.
3. Keyboard - Though you can change the font with the M8, the font on the keyboard does not change. The keys are long/tall and so is the default font - which makes it difficult to read - I feel like I'm reading a bunch of sticks and they all start to blend. This was a major change for HTC and I dislike it immensely - I downloaded a new keyboard to solve this problem for me.
4. Metal Body - Looks great, but is slippery...but I always use a case. However, the phone got HOT when I used it for a continual period of time and I felt the heat through my Otterbox Defender case! I'd be curious to know if others have had this problem, too.
5. Shape - Though it feels great in the hand, the curved design doesn't work well when I use the phone on a hard surface (i.e., as a calculator or entering information). It rocks back and forth...duh, it's curved! But until I took it home and used it as I normally do, it's not something I would have thought about as I tested it at the store.
6. Interface - HTC has always had a great and intuitive interface. But this was too far for me. I've heard folks say how simple and streamlined it is - and while I agree that it looks really sharp, and has very clean lines, the way things are organized is not for me. The white-on-black phone dialer is difficult to read, and I don't like the app organization in general.

 

[slb21]

Does anyone else with a Verizon M8 have barcode stickers on the back? Kind of feels like they don't want to come off. Never had this on a new phone before. Thnx.

I do, too. I took 'em off with Goo Gone.

 

[slb21]

I cannot find this. I dont have buttons option. Maybe this is missing too just like my extreme power saver.

Posted via Android Central App

I don't have a "buttons" option either. I've got Verizon...do you, hdradaza?

 

[slb21]

Pinch your home screen and that should show an option to add another "screen" to the right

You can also long tap on any page and you'll get a new window that pops up called "Home screen". From there, you can "manage home screen pages". You can add pages, as jev425 said, change the order of the pages or the placement of the apps on each page.

 

[taronba25]

Ok, I have directive buttons BUT only in portrait view, not landscape. Why not in landscape? Not enough space on a 5" screen? Seems like an iPhone thing so, whatever. I must get over it.

 

[taronba25]

I will say, it makes a difference in typimg if you rotate the phone so the volume key is on the button as you look. Watch out and be mindful of your sensors!

 

[Skyway]

My first smartphone was the HTC EVO and I've been loyal to HTC since (Thunderboldt, Rezound). However, I'm not "feeling" this phone as much as I want to...and I may be returning it because for everything I love about this phone, there are things I dislike immensely. I reallywant to love this phone...but I'm not so sure I can.

Positives:
1. Screen - Beautiful graphics, incredibly fast, and highly responsive. I love that you can turn the screen on by double tapping it!
2. Speakers - Incredibly clear. LOVE the stereo! Putting folks on speaker has never been better!
3. Metal Body - It's gorgeous - no doubt the best looking phone out there.
4. Shape - It fits SO nice in my hand!
5. On-Button Placement - I have always appreciated that the on-button is located at the top of the HTC phones. The Samsungs have the on-button on the side - every time I hold my boyfriend's phone (S4, then Note 3), I would accidentally turn it off because the on-button was on the side near where my index finger goes.
6. Battery Life - PHENOMENAL! I seem to be able to go for a day-and-a-half without a charge...WAY TO GO, HTC!!!!


Negatives:
1. Screen - I love big smartphones because it gives you more reading space - however, the home/back/app buttons are ON-screen - and unless you're watching a video or taking a picture, they don't go away. I feel like I'm HOLDING a large phone, but looking at the screen of an iPhone.

Look up videos (there's actually a great comparison video of the iPhone 5s and m8 here on this site) and pictures, the m8 has WAAAY more screen real estate. Also on screen buttons fit more in line with android, it's actually what Google wants for android phones. I wouldn't be surprised at all if it becomes a necessity on future phones.

2. Speakers - The awesome-sounding speakers needed a place to go - and that's the reason for the home keys being placed on the screen itself - that black bar at the bottom hides the mechanics for the speakers, according to my sources.

Incorrect. The black bar hides antennas, circuitry, and other electronics. The electronics and chamber for the speakers are actually behind the speaker grills.

3. Keyboard - Though you can change the font with the M8, the font on the keyboard does not change. The keys are long/tall and so is the default font - which makes it difficult to read - I feel like I'm reading a bunch of sticks and they all start to blend. This was a major change for HTC and I dislike it immensely - I downloaded a new keyboard to solve this problem for me.
4. Metal Body - Looks great, but is slippery...but I always use a case. However, the phone got HOT when I used it for a continual period of time and I felt the heat through my Otterbox Defender case! I'd be curious to know if others have had this problem, too.

You might have something wrong with your device if you can feel the heat through a case. Mine only gets warm (not even close to hot) when charging.

5. Shape - Though it feels great in the hand, the curved design doesn't work well when I use the phone on a hard surface (i.e., as a calculator or entering information). It rocks back and forth...duh, it's curved! But until I took it home and used it as I normally do, it's not something I would have thought about as I tested it at the store.

This still happens in a case? I don't use a case so I really can't comment on it.

6. Interface - HTC has always had a great and intuitive interface. But this was too far for me. I've heard folks say how simple and streamlined it is - and while I agree that it looks really sharp, and has very clean lines, the way things are organized is not for me. The white-on-black phone dialer is difficult to read, and I don't like the app organization in general.

Have you tried other devices? Imo their ui's are waaay worse. A lot more cluttered than Sense, and I'm definitely not the only one who thinks so.

You are completely entitled to your own opinion, I'm just trying to help out

Posted via Android Central App

 

[slb21]

Thanks for your replies, Skyway!

In terms of screen real estate - I agree with you on the videos... but that's not my main use for my phone - reading is. So those buttons staying on-screen interfere with my ability to be able to get more on a page.

Fair enough on the speakers comment - the point is that it's extra height added to fit stuff into the phone that you can't see.

On the heating - I'll have to stop by the Verizon store on this one. Thanks!

On the case - I haven't found one that isn't curved. I've contaced the major case manufacturers by email and they all say that the cases are fitted to the phone.

On other devices UI - Droid sucks, Windows is nice (but is not an option until their app store gets some necessary-to-me financial apps). Samsung is very workable...and their phones are flat...which is a major problem.

Skyway...I'm really torn. Like I said in my original post - there are SOOOOOO many reasons to love this phone, but some key things are getting in the way. I want to be a form-over-function person, but I tend to be a function-over-form person.

 

[Skyway]

Thanks for your replies, Skyway!

In terms of screen real estate - I agree with you on the videos... but that's not my main use for my phone - reading is. So those buttons staying on-screen interfere with my ability to be able to get more on a page.

Fair enough on the speakers comment - the point is that it's extra height added to fit stuff into the phone that you can't see.

On the heating - I'll have to stop by the Verizon store on this one. Thanks!

On the case - I haven't found one that isn't curved. I've contaced the major case manufacturers by email and they all say that the cases are fitted to the phone.

On other devices UI - Droid sucks, Windows is nice (but is not an option until their app store gets some necessary-to-me financial apps). Samsung is very workable...and their phones are flat...which is a major problem.

Skyway...I'm really torn. Like I said in my original post - there are SOOOOOO many reasons to love this phone, but some key things are getting in the way. I want to be a form-over-function person, but I tend to be a function-over-form person.

No problem at all! Just trying to help out and clarify a little.

As far as reading goes, what app are you using? In Google Play Books, the buttons disappear so you have the full 5" for reading.

The height was a trade-off for making the phone thinner. Unfortunately you can't have the best of both worlds

I had a feeling the cases would be curved as well, I just haven't seen one in person.

Do you mean Droid as in Motorola Droid? If so, they have other phones with better ui's (Moto x). Don't forget about Sony or LG, both make some really nice phones.

I am totally function over form. Usually when you have something that functions really well, form follows it (f1 cars or exotic sports cars are what comes to mind for me).

With that said the m8 is definitely not for everyone, and you know what? That's completely fine! In the end, you are the one using and paying for it. You should definitely have a device that you like and can use efficiently. If this phone isn't what you need, you should definitely find one that is

Posted via Android Central App

 

[yuppicide]

I've had this phone since last Friday. I found it by accident. Every store I searched did not have them in stock. I was beginning to think my only choice was to order one online, but I hate to wait. So, I found a Sprint store on my way home from work. I figured I'd go in and fill out the paperwork rather than do it online. They just happened to have one in stock in Gunmetal. Cha-ching! I wanted Sprint because I get unlimited voice, text, and 1GB data for $25 a month. I previous had an HTC EVO V on Virgin Mobile (which uses Sprint) so I'm fine with their coverage.

The good: Love it. It seems very well made. It's not as heavy as people lead you to believe. I love it's size. Screen is beautiful. Sounds awesome. Can play any type of song at loud volume with no distortion. Connecting this to my WiFi at home/work and then running a speed test it's much faster than my old phone. You can control a television from the phone and it will remind you when shows are on if you want. If you previously had an HTC phone you can use the same house charger so I now have one at work and one at home. As for a car charger, make sure you buy one that is 5V and 1 Amp. Don't buy one with a higher amperage. It may work at first, but there's a few reports on the internet of people's phones getting damaged.. either freezing up or bricking them. I think battery life is very good. I use mine all day at work, browsing the internet, checking email, Twitter, playing games, and watching video. The day is almost over and I still have 54% of my battery left.

The bad: Hard to find accessories in a store. But really, what do you need besides a case and a screen? I'm waiting for the Spigen ones to come out. In the mean time I bought a case by Speck at Best Buy.. it's all they had. It's crap. Plastic that scratches easy, and came pre-scratched in the packaging, and the case blocks the Infrared thing that controls TV's.

Tips: You can go into power in the settings and turn on a setting to see exactly how many % of life your battery has.. so rather than the little battery indicator it will also say like 50%, 52%, etc.

Another tip.. you know how you swipe a finger down the top of the screen and in the top right corner you can open some quick settings? Well, instead of that.. you can just use two fingers to swipe down from the top and go right into quick settings.

 

[roflwaffleton]

On the case - I haven't found one that isn't curved. I've contaced the major case manufacturers by email and they all say that the cases are fitted to the phone.

I know the UAG cases are flat. But they also turn your phone into a brick. Those things are huge. They're solid cases but they just add too much bulk for me. I had one on my M7 for a couple of months.

 

[slb21]

I know the UAG cases are flat. But they also turn your phone into a brick. Those things are huge. They're solid cases but they just add too much bulk for me. I had one on my M7 for a couple of months.

Thanks for the note...I had never heard of UAG. I checked them out - definitely leave a lot to be desired with the tire tread-like design - but they serve their purpose!

 

[Skyway]

I've had this phone since last Friday. I found it by accident. Every store I searched did not have them in stock. I was beginning to think my only choice was to order one online, but I hate to wait. So, I found a Sprint store on my way home from work. I figured I'd go in and fill out the paperwork rather than do it online. They just happened to have one in stock in Gunmetal. Cha-ching! I wanted Sprint because I get unlimited voice, text, and 1GB data for $25 a month. I previous had an HTC EVO V on Virgin Mobile (which uses Sprint) so I'm fine with their coverage.

The good: Love it. It seems very well made. It's not as heavy as people lead you to believe. I love it's size. Screen is beautiful. Sounds awesome. Can play any type of song at loud volume with no distortion. Connecting this to my WiFi at home/work and then running a speed test it's much faster than my old phone. You can control a television from the phone and it will remind you when shows are on if you want. If you previously had an HTC phone you can use the same house charger so I now have one at work and one at home. As for a car charger, make sure you buy one that is 5V and 1 Amp. Don't buy one with a higher amperage. It may work at first, but there's a few reports on the internet of people's phones getting damaged.. either freezing up or bricking them. I think battery life is very good. I use mine all day at work, browsing the internet, checking email, Twitter, playing games, and watching video. The day is almost over and I still have 54% of my battery left.

The bad: Hard to find accessories in a store. But really, what do you need besides a case and a screen? I'm waiting for the Spigen ones to come out. In the mean time I bought a case by Speck at Best Buy.. it's all they had. It's crap. Plastic that scratches easy, and came pre-scratched in the packaging, and the case blocks the Infrared thing that controls TV's.

Tips: You can go into power in the settings and turn on a setting to see exactly how many % of life your battery has.. so rather than the little battery indicator it will also say like 50%, 52%, etc.

Another tip.. you know how you swipe a finger down the top of the screen and in the top right corner you can open some quick settings? Well, instead of that.. you can just use two fingers to swipe down from the top and go right into quick settings.

The m8 has a snapdragon 801 processor which supports quickcharge 2.0. You can use a 2 amp charger, we are all waiting on HTC to come out with a wall charger that will use this feature because the wall unit that came in the box is a 1.5a charger.

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

 

[slb21]

No problem at all! Just trying to help out and clarify a little.

As far as reading goes, what app are you using? In Google Play Books, the buttons disappear so you have the full 5" for reading.

The height was a trade-off for making the phone thinner. Unfortunately you can't have the best of both worlds

I had a feeling the cases would be curved as well, I just haven't seen one in person.

Do you mean Droid as in Motorola Droid? If so, they have other phones with better ui's (Moto x). Don't forget about Sony or LG, both make some really nice phones.

I am totally function over form. Usually when you have something that functions really well, form follows it (f1 cars or exotic sports cars are what comes to mind for me).

With that said the m8 is definitely not for everyone, and you know what? That's completely fine! In the end, you are the one using and paying for it. You should definitely have a device that you like and can use efficiently. If this phone isn't what you need, you should definitely find one that is

Posted via Android Central App

I appreciate the help...truly!!!

When it comes to reading, I'm talking about online reading, or apps like this Android Central - open an article and the buttons stay put.

You're right - you can only shrink things so much.

I did check out the others you mentioned...the HTC and Samsung stuck out to me more.

We'll see... it's still a love-hate relationship!!! LOL

 

[Cyberdelia]

So far, I'm really enjoying this device.

I've been an iPhone user (since the 4), and before that, a diehard BlackBerry addict. I have been waiting for an Android phone that felt good in the hand. A premium phone, so to speak; I use the iPhone as a benchmark, because to me, it's one of the best built phones out there. Even as of a year or so ago, most Android phones were all cheap feeling plastic, the interface was laggy, the battery life sucked, etc. Most are still plastic, and I understand from a cost standpoint, it makes sense. But other companies should be embarrassed after looking at this phone.

I've tried switching over to Android several times, couldn't find anything that fit my needs, and this is the first Android phone that I can really say I really, really like. It feels great, it looks great, the build quality is excellent. It's on par with the iPhone if not better in some areas.

That being said, I can't imagine why they installed a crappy camera in such a nice device. I know megapixels aren't everything, but if you want to zoom in, they mean a lot. Colors are off as well. If you want to take time to correct everything then sure, you can get an OK picture. I could just point and shoot with my iPhone and it would be a relatively accurate representation of what I was looking at. Other Android phones have good cameras in slim cases, I'm sure they could have figured it out. Also, they may need the extra black bezel on the front of the phone, but remove the HTC logo. We know what phone we're using, and their logo is large enough on the back for someone to see a mile away. It's irritating and takes away from the good looks of the phone.

The floating navigation buttons to me are trivial. The rest of the screen is far larger than what I'm used to, and I like how they shift when you rotate the screen, and they don't stay lit up when you are watching videos like other phones.

I'm pleased to have an LED notification light back, which brings back good memories of my BlackBerry phones. I can tell at a glance if I have notifications waiting for me without picking up my phone.

Battery life, for me, after disabling the stock crapware, is fantastic. My phone today has been on battery for 15 hours, and I'm at 52% still. I use it quite a bit through the day, but I'm not the heaviest of users. Right now my iPhone would probably be around 15%.

Overall, I plan to use this phone for at least 6 months to a year, depending on when HTC releases a new version of the One, or the iPhone 6 comes out. If iOS 7 is still a steaming turd then, I'll stay with this phone until HTC releases their next model.

Anyone putting this phone down is nitpicking or a fanboy of another brand. I think it's great.

 

[yuppicide]

Well, HTC tells me all their chargers are the same.. 5V, 1a. But you are right.. I do see 1.5a on this charger.

Now that I remember those people were using a 2.1a charger. One guy said his phone got really hot, then froze up completely. He took it back to the store. Another said he experienced similar issues with a 2.1a charger.

The m8 has a snapdragon 801 processor which supports quickcharge 2.0. You can use a 2 amp charger, we are all waiting on HTC to come out with a wall charger that will use this feature because the wall unit that came in the box is a 1.5a charger.

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

 

[jev425]

Well, HTC tells me all their chargers are the same.. 5V, 1a. But you are right.. I do see 1.5a on this charger.

Now that I remember those people were using a 2.1a charger. One guy said his phone got really hot, then froze up completely. He took it back to the store. Another said he experienced similar issues with a 2.1a charger.

The M8 will default to quickcharge 1.0 when using any charger including the one that came with it. It's the chipset inside the phone that decides that. To be able to use the quickcharge 2.0 feature the wall charger has to support it so that the phone(chipset) recognizes it. Which is why HTC is suppose to release one down the road.

I did use my 2.1A charger the other day and I noticed the phone got warm. Not sure if it's normal or not but it doesn't get warm with the stock charger so i've been using that since.

 

[Skyway]

Honestly my phone charges plenty fast now, I'm constantly surprised how much charge it has after so little time being plugged in. Charging a battery slower will also benefit it in the long run

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

 

[jev425]

Honestly my phone charges plenty fast now, I'm constantly surprised how much charge it has after so little8 time being plugged in. Charging a battery slower will also benefit it in the long run

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

Indeed. All these new chips(800,801) charge super fast compared to before with these size batteries phones have.

 

[Harime]

My early review after having it 1 day.

I come from a Sony Xperia Z1.

Positives:

- Much better screen than the Z1, viewing angles are very good and the color is fantastic.
- Sound is a huge improvement, the stereo speakers blow away the Xperia Z1.
- Sense has been improved hugely since I had the HTC Desire HD, I find Sense 6 much cleaner and smartly thought than its earlier stages.
- Performance is even snappier than in the Z1 (Snapdragon 800 vs 801), that is probably because of Sense being much cleaner than the Xperia customization.
- It is thinner and ligher than the Z1.
- The design is absolutely astonishing. Everyone I showed it to said "wow".
- The camera app and the second rear camera allows you to play with a lot of possibilities, very nice indeed.

Negatives:

- Tap to wake sometimes doesn't work.
- A grid of 4x5 is insufficient for a 5" screen, and cannot be changed. There is plenty of unused space and Sense should give the option to expand it up to 6 (both row and column).
- Camera should have been improved further from the M7, although it is still quite nice.
- No mode like the Stamina Mode of the Sony, that allowed the phone to last 2 days. However, the battery of the One M8 is lasting for a day and a half, which is still quite good.


Overall my satisfaction is 9/10, very satisfied and would recommend it over the Z1.