In a world where Samsung and Apple are gobbling up market share, its surprising to see former smartphone juggernauts struggling to find a niche. Back in 2009, HTC was in the power position, and its Hero was one of the only worthy contenders against the iPhone 3GS. A year later, HTC's Evo 4G was the first WiMAX-enabled phone in the United States. But while Samsung gained momentum with its Galaxy family and Apple capitalized on iPhone momentum, HTC's presence steadily declined.
The HTC One (M7), introduced in 2013, turned the company's fall from grace back the other way. It was almost universally lauded as an exemplary Android-based flagship. But the company continues to work hard for successes. July 2014 marks the first quarter of profitability for HTC since it started losing money in 2013, and the gains are attributable to cost-cutting measures (rather than increased sales). The pressure has never been greater to deliver hardware that takes the success of HTC's One to the next level.
And this is exactly what the HTC One (M8) and newly-introduced/less-costly HTC One (E8) were designed to do.
Released at the end of March, HTC's One (M8) replaced the One (M7) as its premium Android smartphone. The improvements are many, but a larger 5" screen, a redesigned body with 30% more metal, a faster Snapdragon 801 SoC, a dual-camera system capable of creating depth-of-field blur effects after the shot is taken, the addition of a microSD card slot, and a higher-capacity 2600 mAh battery are among the most notable. You wouldn't call the product revolutionary. However, there's a lot to like compared with last generation's One.
The HTC One (E8) followed last month, enabling many of the M8's improvements in a lower-priced package. Intended for parts of Asia and Eastern Europe, it's essentially HTC's One (M8) in a well-built polycarbonate body. The M8's dual-camera system is exchanged for a single 13 MP sensor that isn't as responsive. The TV remote feature gets stripped out. Memory capacity is limited to 16 GB. But otherwise, the rest of the M8's goodness carries over, including the 5" screen and Snapdragon 801 processor with Adreno 330 graphics.
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| Operating System | Android 4.4.2 KitKat with HTC Sense 6 Interface | Android 4.4.2 KitKat with HTC Sense 6 Interface |
| SoC | Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 (MSM8974AB) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 (MSM8974AB) |
| CPU Core | Qualcomm Krait 400 (quad-core) at 2.3 GHz | Qualcomm Krait 400 (quad-core) at 2.3 GHz |
| GPU Core | Qualcomm Adreno 330 at 578 MHz | Qualcomm Adreno 330 at 578 MHz |
| Memory | 2 GB LPDDR3 | 2 GB LPDDR3 |
| Display | 5" IPS LCD 1920x1080 (441 PPI) | 5" IPS LCD 1920x1080 (441 PPI) |
| Storage | 32 GB | 16 GB |
| Battery | Li-Po 2600 mAh | Li-Po 2600 mAh |
| Front Camera | 5 MP | 5 MP |
| Rear Camera 1 | 4 MP Optical image stabilization, auto-focus, HDR, dual-LED flash | 13 MP AF |
| Rear Camera 2 | 2.1 MP (Depth information only) | N/A |
| LTE Bands | 4/13 | 4/13 |
| WCDMA Bands | 50/900/1900/2100 MHz | 50/900/1900/2100 MHz |
| CDMA Bands | BC0/BC1 | BC0/BC1 |
| GSM Bands | 850/900/1800/1900 MHz | 850/900/1800/1900 MHz |
| Dimensions | 146.4 x 70.6 x 9.4 mm (5.76 x 2.78 x 0.37 in) | 146.42 x 70.67 x 9.85 mm (5.76 x 2.78 x 0.39 in) |
| Weight | 160 g (5.64 oz) | 145 g (5.11 oz) |
HTC One (E8) pricing is not available in North America, but we understand that a One (M8) sells for over £500 in the United Kingdom without a contract. Compare that to the HTC One (E8), which should be in the £270 range, and you can see that the new budget-friendly implementation could be a real looker in its intended markets. Fundamentally, all the E8 gives up is the metallic case, dual-camera system, and storage capacity. The case is largely aesthetic, the single sensor might be slower, but it captures more resolution, and the built-in flash can be augmented through the use of a microSD card. With all of that in mind, we can't help but hope the E8 finds its way to North America at a relatively low price point.
Since the M8 features a metal housing and the E8 is polycarbonate, there's a marked difference in available colors and finishes. Let's take a closer look.
As mentioned, the HTC One (M8)'s body is almost completely made of metal (about 90%, in fact). That leaves about 10% plastic, which is necessary in places where metal doesn't work, like the rings housing the antennas.

The premium M8 model is available in three colors with different finishes. Grey sports a brushed metal texture, while silver and gold are accompanied by an anodized look.
HTC's polycarbonate E8, on the other hand, ships in a variety of colors: Maldives Blue, Electric Crimson, Misty Gray, and Polar White.

It's naturally easy to spot the differences between the M8 and E8, then. Aside from their colors and finishes, the M8 has that dual-camera system on the back, while the E8's single sensor is apparent, along with screen glass that partially wraps around the side of the phone body.

The power button is up top, where I prefer to see it, but in a slightly different location on each model. The M8's button is on the right-hand side of that upper edge, leaving room for a hidden IR emitter to enable TV remote functionality. You don't get that feature on the E8, so its power button is centered up top.
On the right edge of both phones you find the volume rocker and nano-SIM tray. Last year's HTC One (M7) employed a micro-SIM tray, so if you're upgrading, you also need a new card. The microSD slot is on the opposite side of the device, also toward the top.
On the front of the phone, you'll find speakers at the top and bottom. There's a front-facing 5 MP sensor at the top-right edge of both models, and a microphone down below. HTC's One (M8) and (E8) do not expose hardware-based navigation buttons like the previous One, but instead rely on Android's software controls.
Other than the relocated power button, controls and trays are identical on HTC's One (E8). Its back side is naturally different due to the M8's two cameras and dual-LED flash versus the E8's single camera. Moreover, the E8's microphone is on the right side of the image sensor, whereas the M8 has a mic on the left.
The bottom of both models hosts a microUSB port and headphone jack.
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Compared to Nokia's Lumia Icon/930, the One (M8) is slightly longer, but also thinner and lighter. For a phone that weighs 160 grams with a 5" screen, HTC's One still surprises me every time I pick it up. It just doesn't convey bulkiness. Rather, the phone is svelte and nimble in my hand, despite sizable dimensions. Of the smartphones out there with 5" screens, HTC's One (M8) is one of my favorites because I never feel encumbered by it.
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| Read the Review | Read the Review |
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For as pleasant as I find the M8, HTC's One (E8) sheds even more weight. Its 145 grams will undoubtedly appeal to folks looking to lighten their pockets. As a comparison point, Google's Nexus 5 is specified at 130 grams. The Nexus should also be a proof point that whittling away bulk doesn't necessarily compromise sturdiness. The One (E8)'s polycarbonate chassis doesn't feel cheap. To the contrary, it actually imparts an impression of quality.
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Whereas last year's HTC One (M7) utilized Android 4.3 Jellybean with Sense 5 (HTC's custom interface), the M8 and E8 are both equipped with Android 4.4 KitKat and Sense 6. The updates are iterative, including a handful of tweaks, and nothing game-changing.
Android has never been as intuitive as it is now. In my opinion, it continues trailing iOS 7 and even Windows Phone 8.1 in an assessment of cohesiveness. However, it keeps getting better. Consistent white text and less fragmentation of the home screen improve useability, while the status bar and navigation buttons now hide in certain apps, easily retrievable with a finger swipe.
In addition, KitKat drops the Android messaging app in favor of Google Hangouts, which makes sense.

Most of the optimizations are under the hood, though. Android 4.4 is now able to run on devices with just 512 MB of RAM and has better memory management capabilities. The Caller ID feature is improved, prioritizing contacts based on usage. It can also link numbers to maps. Tighter integration with cloud storage services (like Google Drive) makes important information more easily accessible. To that end, the ability to open remote files without first saving a copy locally first was much needed. There's a new counter for pedometer apps, and KitKat also features support for Google's Cloud Print feature, which allows you to send documents directly to compatible wireless printers.
Of course, HTC differentiates its own products with the company's Sense interface, now at version 6 on HTC's One (M8) and (E8). You might notice subtle tweaks, such as a vertically-scrolling apps menu. However, Sense isn't a radical departure from "pure" Android.
Blinkfeed, a news and social media aggregator, is HTC's showcase app for Sense. You choose the type of content you want to see, and the software automatically populates the scrollable widget. This is somewhat like a robust Windows Phone 8 live Tile screen.
Exclusive to the One (M8), and not included with HTC's E8, is an IR blaster, which allows the smartphone to serve as a remote controller for televisions and set-top boxes. The Sense TV app also displays available local TV channels and operates your PVR. The functionality is convenient. As far as value-adds go, this is one of the more useful inclusions I've seen.
There's plenty more bundled software, include Zoodles' excellent Kid Mode utility for defining restrictions based on profiles, HTC's Music app for playing back locally-stored tracks, and Fitbit activity-tracking fitness software that makes use of the One's built-in pedometer.
Of course, one of Android's strengths is a colossal library of available apps. So, regardless of what comes installed on the One, you should have little trouble satisfying your mobile software needs with Google's Play store.
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Let's talk about one of the phone's most basic and essential functions: audio quality during a call. I did some testing with an iPhone 5 and Lumia Icon, and found that the HTC One (M8)'s microphone is about as good as its competition. When it comes to the speaker element, though, there seems to be a smaller sweet spot your ear needs to be over if you want to hear the person you're talking to at an optimal volume. Once you're accustomed to this, it becomes second nature. However, it's an idiosyncrasy unique to the One.
HTC sent over the Dot View case to go with our One (M8). There's also a Dot View case available for the E8. If you're not familiar with this accessory, it's a thin cover that protects the smartphone from scratches. But it also has a special ability, illustrated below:
The perforations allow the One's screen to display blocky 8-bit-style data when the cover is closed. HTC's hardware senses the accessory and changes modes accordingly. Touch input is recognized in this configuration. You can double-tap to see time and weather information, or swipe to accept (or reject) incoming calls. The feature is undeniably cool, simultaneously delivering on its promise to prevent scratches.
Fun though it may be, the case isn't perfect. First, it's not designed to open all the way. You're prevented from taking pictures unless you make sure the cover doesn't obstruct the camera; to do that, you have to fold it at an odd angle. It doesn't lay flat on a table with the case attached. Instead, it flops around at about a 20-degree angle. There's a cut-out for the front-facing camera, but the camera turns off with the case closed, so I haven't figured out a way to use it that way.
On one hand, those weaknesses are almost a deal-breaker. On the other, it's such a cool accessory that owners of the One (M8) and (E8) are going to want to at least try the Dot View case out. I'd recommend you give it a shot.
I also want to bring up the One's speakers, even though they're neither accessories nor options. HTC redesigned its drivers, and I have to say this is one of the best-sounding, loudest phones I've heard, as a result. Obviously, there's not enough room to generate meaningful bass. But the volume, clarity, and depth are impressive for a pocket-sized device. I watched the Guardians of the Galaxy trailer at full volume, and my wife came in from two rooms away because she heard my test so clearly. This phone isn't going to replace a nice discrete wireless system. However, it might replace entry-level Bluetooth-connected speakers.
In North America, the One (M8) is available from all major carriers, including Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T. Two-year contract pricing ranges from free to $200, depending on your provider. Or, the hardware can be purchased outright for $450 to $670. Again, I'm hoping the One (E8) makes its way to North America as well; it costs almost half as much as the One (M8)'s MSRP in some markets.
The phones are compatible with a wide range of cellular bands, but are configured differently depending on your geographic location. The options include LTE (700/800/850/900/1700/1800/1900/2100/2300/2600 MHz) and HSPDA (850/900/1700/1900/2100 MHz).
In addition to cellular connectivity, HTC's One (M8) and (E8) are equipped with Bluetooth 4.0 and 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi radios. I used a Bluetooth-attached mouse and keyboard with the phone and both worked flawlessly.
The only accessories included in the M8's box are an AC-to-USB adapter for charging, a USB-to-microUSB cable, earbud-style headphones, and documentation.
As for options, most are determined by whether you go with the M8 or E8. Again, the M8 comes with 32 GB of storage capacity, a metallic body, the dual-lens camera system, and an IR blaster. The E8 has 16 GB of flash, a polycarbonate chassis, one rear-facing image sensor, and no IR blaster.
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Before we test camera performance on the HTC One (M8) and (E8), consider the company's previous-generation product. Last year, HTC went a unique direction with the One (M7)'s camera. Instead of making its focus larger sensors, light-gathering and fast response time were prioritized instead. A photographer will tell you that those both needed more work in the mobile space, and HTC's UltraPixel camera consequently did a solid job capturing photos. I tend to agree that this is the right direction to take customers.
Now, what changed with the M8? The rear-facing camera carries over the same UltraPixel hardware from last year's M7, leveraging a 4 MP sensor. It has the same light-gathering ability (thanks to a large f/2.0 aperture) and fast response time (attributable to fewer, larger 2.0 micrometer pixels). So, its basic strengths and weaknesses don't change.
To that platform, HTC adds a second rear-facing 2.1 MP sensor to capture depth data. This is actually the front-facing camera from last generation's One (M7). Together, both sensors enable HTC's UFocus feature, which lets you alter bokeh after a picture is taken. I adjusted the effect in the images below; the shots that follow reflect UFocus applied to foreground, mid-range, and long-range objects:
UFocus is a practical capability able to add drama to any image you may want to adjust later, and the phone processes the effect almost instantaneously. Notable limitations apply, though. It can't be used in low-light conditions. It doesn't work in conjunction with the flash. And it isn't usable with HDR enabled. At least for me, this isn't a must-have feature. But there will be those who discover it, play around with it, and spend time getting more artistic about the way they shoot pictures. An amateur at a wedding might have fun setting up cool shots, for example.
As for the lower-priced One (E8), it sports one 13 MP sensor instead, so UFocus isn't available. The E8 employs a single LED, rather than the M8's dual-LED flash, and the camera's response time is slower than HTC's flagship, too. Still, it's in line with what we've come to expect from smartphones. If you covet high-resolution shots, it might even be preferable.
The One (M8) and (E8) share the same 5 MP front-facing camera, offering more than twice the resolution as last year's HTC One (M7).
HTC streamlines the One's Camera app to further drive home its speed-of-service directive. Open it and you're presented with a simple screen highlighting the button used to capture pictures, another button for picking a camera mode, flash status, and a settings option.
Press the mode button, and you're able to choose between the standard camera, Video, Zoe camera, Selfie, capture from the front and rear cameras, and a Pan 360 option. Only the Zoe camera (short for zoetrope) necessitates explanation: it lets you shoot 3.6 seconds of video or 20 photos at six frames per second from the same interface. Zoom is disabled in this mode. However, HTC claims the result is a more complete memory than just capturing stills.
You can assign zoom functionality to the volume rocker buttons, or you can use them for taking pictures. The settings are accessible once you dig deeper into the normal camera mode, where you'll find a plethora of scene options, including HDR. There's even a manual mode for the enthusiasts who place value on dialing settings in as precisely as possible.
I took some comparison pictures with the One (M8), and really appreciated its fast response time and strong low-light performance. The camera does have a tendency to bias toward overexposure, though. Let's compare the device's quality compared to Nokia's Lumia Icon/930.
The first shot tests low-light response. HTC's One (M8) gives us a brighter image, while the Lumia delivers finer detail.
With their flashes enabled, both cameras fare much better. The Lumia again facilitates crisper detail at a warmer color temperature, while the One (M8) tends toward green.
Shooting another poorly-lit subject, HTC's One (M8) outputs a darker image compared to the Lumia Icon/930, which, again, better reproduces fine detail.
The One (M8) lacks vibrancy in the above comparison.
Shooting outdoors on a cloudy day exposes lots of difference between these two devices. At least to my eye, the Lumia wins, capturing more detail (best seen when you blow the image up), whereas the One (M8) appears muted and under-saturated.
Although the One (M8) shows off its light-gathering abilities in this nighttime shot, it also suffers from more noise, less detail, and a yellow tint compared to the Lumia Icon's version. What you can't see in these examples is how quickly each camera works. The One (M8) is simply faster than Nokia's offering, imparting more confidence that we'd be able to capture a brief moment. It's an important consideration that detracts from many otherwise-strong smartphone cameras.
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Benchmark Suite
Our current Android test line-up is composed of six key sections: CPU, GPU, GPGPU, Web, Display, and Battery.
| CPU | AnTuTu X, Basemark OS II Full, Geekbench 3 Pro, MobileXPRT 2013 |
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| GPU | 3DMark, Basemark X 1.1 Full, GFXBench 3.0 Corporate |
| GPGPU | CompuBenchRS |
| Web | Browsermark 2.0, JSBench, Peacekeeper 2.0, WebXPRT 2013 |
| Display | Brightness (Min/Max), Black Level, Contrast Ratio, Gamma, Color Temperature, Color Gamut Volume (sRGB/AdobeRGB) |
| Battery | Basemark OS II Full, BatteryXPRT 2014, GFXBench 3.0 Corporate |
Test Methodology
All handsets are benchmarked on a fully-updated copy of the device’s stock software. The table below lists other common device settings that we standardize to before testing.
| Bluetooth | Off |
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| Brightness | 200 nits |
| Cellular | SIM Removed |
| Display Mode | Device default (non-adaptive) |
| Location Services | Off |
| Power | Battery |
| Sleep | Never (or longest possible interval) |
| Volume | Muted |
| Wi-Fi | On |
Comparison System Specs
The table below contains all the pertinent technical specifications for today’s comparison units:
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| SoC | Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 (MSM8974AB) | Apple A7 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (MSM8974VV) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (MSM8974AA) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (MSM8974AA) | Samsung Exynos 5 Octa (5410) | Nvidia Tegra 4 (T114) |
| CPU Core | Qualcomm Krait 400 (quad-core) at 2.3 GHz | Apple Cyclone (2 Core) @ 1.3 GHz | Qualcomm Krait 400 (4 Core) @ 2.15 GHz | Qualcomm Krait 400 (4 Core) @ 2.26 GHz | Qualcomm Krait 400 @ 2.26 GHz | ARM Cortex-A15 (4 Core) @ 1.6 GHz + ARM Cortex-A7 (4 Core) @ 1.2 GHz | ARM Cortex-A15 (4 Core) @ 1.8 GHz |
| GPU Core | Qualcomm Adreno 330 at 578 MHz | Imagination PowerVR G6430 (4 Cluster) @ 200 MHz | Qualcomm Adreno 330 (32 ALU) @ 450 MHz | Qualcomm Adreno 330 (4 Core) @ 450 MHz | Qualcomm Adreno 330 (32 ALU) @ 450 MHz | Imagination PowerVR SGX544MP3 (3 Core) @ 532 MHz | Nvidia GeForce ULP (72 Core) @ 672 MHz |
| Memory | 2 GB LPDDR3 | 1 GB LPDDR3 | 2 GB LPDDR3 | 2 GB LPDDR3 | 3 GB LPDDR3 | 2 GB LPDDR3 | 2 GB LPDDR3 |
| Display | 5" IPS LCD 1920x1080 (441 PPI) | 4-inch IPS @ 1136x640 (326 PPI) | 5-inch AMOLED @ 1920x1080 (441 PPI) | 4.95-inch IPS @ 1920x1080 (445 PPI) | 5.7-inch SAMOLED @ 1920x1080 (386 PPI) | 5.1-inch IPS @ 1800x1080 (412 PPI) | 5-inch IPS @ 1920x1080 (441 PPI) |
| Storage | 32 GB | 16/32/64 GB | 32 GB | 16/32 GB | 32/64 GB | 16/32/64/128 GB | 16/64 GB |
| Battery | Li-Po 2600 mAh | 1560 mAh (Non-removable) | 2420 mAh (Non-removable) | 2300 mAh (Non-removable) | 3200 mAh (Removable) | 2400 mAh (Non-removable) | 3050 mAh (Non-removable) |
| Optics | 4 MP Optical Image Stabilization, AF, HDR, Dual-LED Flash | 8 MP, 1/3-inch, 1.5um, AF, HDR, Dual-LED Flash | 20 MP 1/2.5-inch, 1.12um, AF, Dual-LED Flash | 8 MP, AF, HDR, LED Flash | 13 MP 1/3.06-inch, 1.12um, f/2.2 wide, AF, HDR, LED Flash | 8 MP, 1.4um, AF, LED Flash | 13 MP, AF, HDR, Dual-LED Flash |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, microUSB 2.0 | Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, Lightning | Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, microUSB 2.0 | Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, microUSB 2.0 | Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, microUSB 3.0 (MHL 2.0) | Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n, microUSB 2.0 (MHL) | Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB 2.0 |
| Size | 146.4 x 70.6 x 9.4 mm, 160 g | 123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 mm, 112 g | 137 x 71 x 9.8 mm, 167 g | 137.84 x 69.17 x 8.59 mm, 130 g | 151.2 x 79.2 x 8.3 mm, 168 g | 139 x 71.9 x 9.1 mm, 143 g | 144 x 73.6 x 8.1 mm, 145 g |
The iPhone 5s represents ARM v8, Meizu's MX3 represents the Exynos 5 Octa, Xiaomi's Mi3 represents Nvidia's Tegra 4, Google's Nexus 5 represents Snapdragon 800 performance on Android, and the Lumia Icon represents the same chipset in Windows Phone 8.1.
Although we benchmarked the HTC One (M8), the One (E8) offers identical performance as a result of its identical internals.
AnTuTu
AnTuTu is an Android system benchmark designed to test the performance capabilities of four major aspects of mobile devices: graphics (encompassing 2D, UI, and basic 3D), CPU (fixed, floating-point, and threading), RAM (read and write), and I/O (read and write).
HTC's One (M8) performs almost identically to Google's Nexus 5, losing a little ground when it comes to RAM and CPU speed, but gaining back points thanks to a faster GPU. The Xiaomi Mi3's Tegra 4 chipset does well in this benchmark.
Basemark OS II
Rightware is an experienced multiplatform benchmark developer. The company leverages this experience with Basemark OS II, an all-in-one tool designed for measuring the overall performance of mobile devices. The test is available on all major smartphone platforms, including Android, iOS, and Windows Phone 8. Basemark OS II uses a similar approach to Geekbench, but focuses on more application-specific areas, particularly User eXperience (UX), Web browsing, and rendering performance.
Once again, the One (M8) comes close to the Nexus 5. Check out that memory benchmark result, though. Google specifies the Nexus' memory subsystem at 800 MHz, while HTC doesn't publish the One's clock rate. Once again, a higher GPU frequency helps push the One (M8)'s aggregate score to a near-tie.
Geekbench 3
Primate Labs' Geekbench is somewhat of an industry standard due to its long-standing database and wide cross-platform compatibility (Windows/OS X/Linux/iOS/Android). This simple system benchmark produces two sets of scores: single- and multi-threaded. For each, it runs a series of tests in three categories: Integer, Floating Point, and Memory. The individual results are used to calculate category scores, which, in turn, generate overall Geekbench scores.
This test is run on one core of each phone's SoC. We see the One move ahead with a higher memory score than Google's Nexus, which contrasts with the previous two benchmark results. Lets see what happens when multiple cores are utilized.
HTC's One (M8) loses ground to the Nexus, but still registers a superior memory result. Apple's iPhone 5s performs better in this test, pulling slightly ahead of HTC's entry.
MobileXPRT 2013
Principled Technologies' MobileXPRT 2013 is a modern SoC benchmark for Android. It consists of 10 real-world test scenarios split into two categories of testing: Performance and User Experience. The Performance suite contains five tests: Apply Photo Effects, Create Photo Collages, Create Slideshow, Encrypt Personal Content, and Detect Faces to Organize Photos.
It's interesting to see HTC's One (M8) trail slightly behind the Nexus again, particularly since its advertised CPU clock is slightly higher.
The User Experience suite also has five tests: List Scroll, Grid Scroll, Gallery Scroll, Browser Scroll, and Zoom and Pinch. These results are measured in frames per second. The category scores are generated by taking a geometric mean of the ratio between a calibrated machine (Motorola's Droid Razr M) and the test device for each subtest.
Although these results are all pretty close, HTC still ends up in the back of the pack. A slightly lower gallery scroll and zoom/pinch result is responsible for that position, even if we didn't notice any subjective sluggishness during our time with the One (M8).
CompuBench RS
CompuBench RS is somewhat unique, as it's the first professional RenderScript benchmark. It tests the compute performance of heterogeneous multi-core systems on Android devices that support the RenderScript API, meaning it tasks both the CPU and GPU to perform compute-oriented calculations. The physics workload is a particle simulation, the throughput workload is composed of ambient occlusion and fractal calculations, the image processing load is a combination of Gaussian blur and histogram equalization filters, the face detection workload is its own algorithm, and the graphics test renders a scene dubbed 'Province'.
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3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited
Futuremark has become a name synonymous with benchmarking, and the company's latest iteration of 3DMark offers three main graphical benchmarks: Ice Storm, Cloud Gate, and Fire Strike. Currently, the DirectX 9-level Ice Storm tests are cross-platform for Windows, Windows RT, Android, and iOS.
Ice Storm simulates the demands of OpenGL ES 2.0 games using shaders, particles, and physics via the company's in-house engine. Although it was just released in May of last year, the on-screen portions of Ice Storm are already outpaced by modern mobile chipsets; Nvidia's Tegra 4 and Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 easily max out the Extreme version (1080p with high-quality textures). However, Ice Storm Unlimited, which renders the scene off-screen at 720p, is still a good gauge of GPU-to-GPU performance.
3DMark favors the One's newer Snapdragon 801 SoC, and HTC's flagship boasts the highest Adreno 330 GPU clock rate, so it walks away with a clear win.
Basemark X 1.1
Basemark X 1.1 is a benchmarking tool by Rightware that utilizes the popular Unity game engine, allowing for device comparisons across a wide range of platforms, including Android, iOS, and Windows Phone 8. This also has the advantage of making the benchmarks correlate well with the real-world performance of numerous games available on the market.
Basemark X 1.1 is known to favor newer iOS-based devices. But the One (M8) manages to come close to Apple's iPhone 5s using the medium detail preset. When high details are dialed in, HTC's device loses a bit of ground and ties for second place with Samsung's Galaxy Note 3.
The Basemark X 1.1 on-screen tests closely mirror what we saw in the overall scores.
With output resolution factored out as a variable, the One (M8) and its Snapdragon 801 SoC take first place in the medium quality Dune test, but fall to second in with high-quality details enabled. There, Apple's iPhone makes a comeback.
GFXBench 3.0
Kishonti GFXBench 3.0 is a cross-platform GPU benchmark supporting both the OpenGL ES 2.0 and OpenGL ES 3.0 standards. It comprises game-like scenarios, as well as lower-level tests designed to measure specific subsystems. See GFXBench 3.0: A Fresh Look at Mobile Benchmarking for a complete test-by-test breakdown of this suite.
In the GFXBench 3.0 On Screen tests, Apple's iPhone 5s benefits greatly from a relatively low-resolution display. HTC's One (M8) comes closer in the off-screen Manhattan benchmark, though, and it takes first place in the T-Rex test.
The Driver Overhead metric highlights one of iOS' strengths, while the Fill tests show the potential of Qualcomm's Adreno 330 GPU. Strong graphics is simply inherent to the processor HTC chose for its One (M8) and (E8).
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The tests on this page are JavaScript- and HTML5-heavy selections from our Web Browser Grand Prix series. Such measurements are extremely meaningful to mobile devices because so much of the in-app content is served via the platform's native Web browser.
These benchmarks offer a view of each device's Web browsing performance. But because they're traditionally CPU-dependent as well, browser-based workloads (especially JavaScript-heavy tests) are also a great way to measure SoC performance among devices using the same platform and software.
In order to keep browser versions even across all Android devices, we employ a static build of the Chromium-based Opera on that operating system. Due to platform restrictions, Safari is the best choice for iOS-based devices, while Internet Explorer is the only game in town on Windows RT.
Browsermark 2.0
Rightware's Browsermark 2.0 is a synthetic browsing benchmark that tests several performance metrics, including load time, CSS, DOM, HTML5 Canvas, JavaScript, and WebGL.
JSBench
Unlike most JavaScript performance benchmarks, JSBench could almost be considered real-world, since it utilizes actual snippets of JavaScript from Amazon, Google, Facebook, Twitter, and Yahoo.
JSBench gives what is arguably the most accurate depiction of Web performance based on our experience. Apple's iPhone 5s completely dominates the field with a 54.1-second result. Every Android-based device takes more than six minutes to finish.
Peacekeeper 2.0
Peacekeeper is a synthetic JavaScript performance benchmark from Futuremark.
The iPhone 5s continues to humble its competition, while the HTC One (M8) falls toward the back of the Android pack.
WebXPRT 2013
Principled Technologies' WebXPRT 2013 is an HTML5-based benchmark that simulates common productivity tasks that are traditionally handled by locally installed applications, including photo editing, financial charting, and offline note-taking.
Our final Web test continues solidifying Apple's dominance, while the Nexus 5 and One (M8) finish near each other for second and third place.
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Brightness
Brightness (also known as white level) measurements are taken by recording the luminance output of each device displaying a full white pattern, with the device's brightness slider set to both minimum and maximum values.
HTC's One (M8) has a high minimum brightness level, though it looks downright fantastic next to the Lumia Icon's three-stage brightness selection range. Separately, I've heard that an upcoming update to Windows Phone will address this with more configurable controls. In any case, the One (M8)'s maximum brightness level is second only to Apple's iPhone.
In order to make device comparisons possible, the rest of our display measurements (along with our battery testing) are performed with the screen set to a standardized 200 nits.
Black Level
Our black level measurement reflects the reading of a full black pattern after dialing in our 200-nit brightness. AMOLED displays always register zero, since their pixels simply turn off to render black. That's why the Galaxy Note 3 and Lumia Icon don't appear on our chart.
Traditionally, Samsung's AMOLED-equipped devices dominate, since AMOLED displays offer the best black levels. HTC's One (M8) delivers the best non-AMOLED result, though.
Contrast Ratio
Contrast ratio is the difference between a full white and full black patterns. Due to their zero reading on the black level tests, AMOLED displays are said to have an infinite contrast ratio.
The outcome isn't surprising, then. But HTC's One (M8) does perform excellently, demonstrating one of the best black level/contrast ratios we've seen from an IPS-based screen.
Gamma
A gamma curve of 2.2 is what we're looking for. The reason for this is that images captured in the sRGB color space are encoded in a gamma of about 1/2.2. A gamma curve of 2.2 allows the resulting images to be viewed at the ideal brightness and contrast.
The One (M8) falls shy of an ideal gamma reading, which could be surprising after seeing how much attention went into the exceptional black level and contrast.
Color Temperature
Color temperature is a measurement in Kelvin, which is used to describe how “warm” or “cool” a given display is. Ideally, as long as you're not viewing your device in direct sunlight, this should be in the 6500 range. Higher color temperatures result in a cool, bluish hue, while lower temperatures deliver a warm or reddish tone.
HTC's One (M8) appears in the middle of the pack. It's cooler than we'd like, but only one position away from Apple's lauded iPhone 5s, too.
Color Gamut
Our volume measurements are compared against both the sRGB and AdobeRGB color gamuts. A reading of 100 percent on sRGB and 72 percent on AdobeRGB is the optimal reading for viewing the vast majority of digital consumer content. A lower reading is typically accompanied by an overly red or yellow image, and a higher reading is usually too blue/green.
HTC's One (M8) does well in this metric, approaching the gamut volumes we'd like to see.
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The 2600 mAh battery in HTC's One (M8) and (E8) is larger than last generation's by 300 mAh. That's not a huge difference, particularly if the newer device uses power faster than its predecessor. But to ensure battery life actually does improve, the company adds a power-saving mode, too. This setting throttle back the SoC, lowers brightness, disables the vibrate feature, and slows your data connection. Consequently, the phone uses little power in standby.
Based on our time with the One (M8), HTC appears to have a not-altogether elegant, but still-effective solution for road warriors who can't get their mobile devices to last long enough. At times, this phone's battery seems to last forever.
Basemark OS II
The Basemark OS II battery test scores are derived by repeatedly running the devices until enough data has been collected to determine a drain rate.
The Basemark battery test mirrors the experience we just described, going so far as to appear over-optimistic. Let's move on to the other benchmarks for confirmation.
BatteryXPRT 2014
BatteryXPRT 2014 is a specialized battery testing application for Android devices that provides users with an "expected" Lifetime score, as well as an overall Performance score. The test has two variations: Network-Connected and Airplane Mode.
We had trouble getting the airplane mode test running on a number of devices, but HTC's One (M8) at least performs well in the networked benchmark.
GFXBench 3.0
GFXBench's battery test measures battery life and performance stability by logging frame and battery discharge rate as the on-screen T-Rex test runs for 30 consecutive iterations. The results are given in two scores: estimated battery life in minutes, and the number of frames rendered on the slowest test run (to gauge if a device is throttling). Both tests are run at the device's 50-percent brightness level in the free Community Edition, while the paid Corporate Edition can be set to 0 percent, 25 percent, 75 percent, 100 percent, or whatever the device's native slider is set to. We very specifically calibrate all units to 200 nits before doing any battery testing.
The One (M8) does well from a performance standpoint, finishing second to the class-leading iPhone 5s, which renders at a much lower native resolution.
Given strong performance, as indicated by the frame rate measurement, a 140-minute result isn't bad compared to the rest of the field.
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Let's Start With the HTC One (M8):
When HTC introduced the original One in 2013, I think it caught a lot of folks off-guard. They weren't expecting it to be as good as it turned out to be. Still, the company needed a game-changer. Something to thrust it back into the spotlight, making HTC a relevant name again. Sporting a beautiful metal chassis, sleek lines, and the Ultrapixel camera, its One (M7) did everything right. That phone was certainly one of the best (if not the best) all-around Android-based devices when it launched.
A year later, the One (M8) landed to greater expectations. And this is in a playing field filled with much more advanced competition. Enthusiasts who counted on being blown away by the One (M8) might be feeling a little underwhelmed. In truth, the most significant changes from last generation are a dual-camera system for depth-of-field adjustments, a slightly quicker SoC, and a nifty case that delivers information through its perforated cover. You wouldn't be out of line to call those gimmicky. If you wanted a game-changer, the One (M8) is not it.
But to be fair, the One (M7) was already an elegant piece of hardware. The updated model carries over that top-tier, modern pedigree. HTC tweaked it with one of the most powerful chipsets available, a longer-lasting battery, a larger screen, and even more metal in that attractive shell. It feels natural in your hand. It's not light to the point of feeling cheap. It's not heavy to the point where you find it bulky. It's just right. This phone might not be revolutionary, but HTC's One (M8) is the sort of evolution we're happy to accept.
Now, What About the HTC One (E8)?
Imagine this: you hand over your HTC One (M8), a device you're pleased to own. I pop out the second camera and its UFocus feature (which I'm not even in love with anyway) and swap in an admittedly slower 13 MP sensor. The IR blaster has to go, too. Sorry about that. Are you offended yet? Gee, we hope not.
Here's where you might get your feelings hurt, though. I also pull 16 GB of on-board flash, leaving you with just 16 GB of capacity, peel off the metal case, and replace it with a polycarbonate one. I hand the phone back...
...and you find that it's comfortably lighter, but still sturdy. You remember the microSD slot and add in your own card to replace the missing capacity. You're not positive you like the compromises, but then you get cash back as well (almost half the price you paid for the M8). Suddenly, the changes are easier to swallow. Congratulations, you're now the owner of HTC's One (E8).
That's essentially the story you get in the markets allowed to carry HTC's more value-oriented effort. The price to performance ratio is compelling, and our main complaint has to be a lack of availability in North America. Where it is available, HTC's One (E8) seems like a smarter choice than the M8, unless you really want that metallic chassis and Ultrapixel camera. Shoot, even the Dot View case is available for both phones, so you can hide the polycarbonate body if it bothers you.


































































