Today HTC has officially started rolling out the newest Android 4.4.3 update (with Android 4.4.4 security fixes included) for the HTC One M8. The newest system version is tagged as 2.22.401.4 and it brings a lot of improvements system wide. Some of them we already mentioned here and here.
If you don't want to wait for the OTA notification you can already flash latest system dumps. For more details please visit my XDA thread.
If you are a power user and a custom ROMs flasher, you can also grab the latest Android Revolution HD based on the 2.22.401.4 update with many extra goodies under the hood.
Finally, if you only want to root your device and keep the rest stock, feel free to visit my XDA thread with a special rooting tools.
All above files can be accessed via Downloads Page on my blog.
Do you have any questions or comments? Feel free to share! Also, if you like this article, please use media sharing buttons (Twitter, G+, Facebook) below this post!
For latest news follow Android RevolutionHD on popular social platforms:
International version of the HTC One M8 is currently running Android 4.4.2 (1.54.401.10) but this will change very soon. According to the confirmed information, the new over-the-air (OTA) update with Android 4.4.3 will start rolling out late next week for the 0P6B10000 variant of the HTC One M8 with the following CID numbers:
What we know so far is that the update will be tagged as 2.2x.401.x and together with Android 4.4.3 it will bring slightly updated HTC Sense UI (HTC SDK API: 6.25) but the version of the launcher will remain 6.0, at least officially.
ro.build.id=KTU84L
ro.build.version.release=4.4.3
ro.com.google.gmsversion=4.4_r4
HTC SDK API: 6.25 (current latest M8 software is based on SDK 6.17) ---> this might indicate improved HTC Sense version
kernel version is still 3.4.0
Apart from the OS itself, almost every part of the firmware will be updated too.
Hboot: 3.18.0.0000
Radio: 1.19.21331147A1.09G
OpenDSP: 38.2.2-00542-M8974.0311
Why no Android 4.4.4 yet? Because HTC decided to include the security fixes known from Android 4.4.4 in their 4.4.3 release. For some reason this must be easier for the HTC if such path was chosen.
Also, what's worth to mention is that M8 owners who re-locked their previously unlocked devices using htcdev.com, after the Android 4.4.3 update might need to generate new unlock_code.bin token to unlock the device again. Apparently the identifier token won't be the same after the incoming OTA.
There are also some few more surprises coming from the HTC in the incoming update but we can't reveal it yet! :)
Do you have any questions or comments? Feel free to share! Also, if you like this article, please use media sharing buttons (Twitter, G+, Facebook) below this post!
For latest news follow Android RevolutionHD on popular social platforms:
LG G3 review: The perfect flagship phone for early adopters
The Good
The LG G3 has a great camera, a brilliantly sharp display, a snappy quad-core processor, and a flat UI that makes Android 4.4 look good. LG's flagship has also improved on the previous model -- the new G3 comes with a removable battery and microSD card slot, both things the G2 lacked.
The Bad
The new QHD display with its 2,560x1,440-pixel resolution is quite a power-hog, so the phone will barely last you a day without a charge.
The Bottom Line
Possessing the right blend of features and design, the G3 finally gives LG the right phone with which to challenge Korean rival Samsung.
If you need access to programming tools on your Mac, there are several ways to go about installing them.
Part of OS X is its powerful command-line interface, where a competent or even novice programmer can make use of a number of tools for configuring and customizing the system, and make programs and scripts
While OS X ships with a number of common commands, by default Apple does not include those that are used for checking out, compiling, and otherwise managing code for developing applications.
If you need these tools for some reason, then there are three ways you can get them on your Mac. The first is to install Apple's XCode developer suite, which is available via the Mac App Store for free. However, installing this will also include XCode itself, and despite its benefits, some people may not wish to have the entire Xcode suite installed on a system. The command line tools are available as standalone installer packages from the Apple Developer Web site. Screenshot by Topher Kessler/CNET The next option is to download the latest command line tools from Apple's developer page. To do this, you simply need to log into the downloads section of the Apple developer site using an Apple ID. Here you can search for "Command Line Tools" to view all versions of the tools from Lion through Mavericks. These can then be downloaded as .dmg disk images and mounted, and you can then run the enclosed installer. The last option is perhaps the easiest, which is to use the system's ability to install the command line tools on demand. This is done by an application in the Macintosh HD > System > Library > CoreServices folder called "Install Command Line Developer Tools." However, this program cannot be launched independently. To run, this program must be invoked by a service or application that calls for the use of the developer tools.
Install command line developer tools in OS X
In most cases, standard developer commands like "make," "gcc," "cc," "svn," "git" or Apple-specific tools like "xcode-select" or "xcodebuild" or "xcrun" will require these tools, so running these in some form will spur the system to launch the "Install Command Line Developer Tools" program. Therefore, to install these tools, simply open the Terminal, type "make" or any desired common developer command, and press Enter, and then when prompted you can install the developer tools (an approximate 100MB download from Apple), and be up and running.
When installed, the developer tools will be placed in the Macintosh HD > Library > Developer directory, which you can peruse to see what exactly has been installed. To uninstall these tools, simply remove the "Developer" folder from the Macintosh HD > Library directory.
If you need to boot to a secondary hard drive on your Mac, you can do so using several different means. For most PC systems, you will need to press F12, or another F-key, or perhaps the Escape or Delete keys when booting your system in order to select an alternative boot drive. To do this on a Apple computers, you use the Option key; however, there may be some constraints.
Generally you can start up or reboot your Mac, and simply hold the Option key once the screen goes black so that when it reboots it will show you the boot menu. However, if you do this with a wireless keyboard you may not see the menu and instead the system boot normally. This is because holding down the key before the Bluetooth keyboard on your Mac initializes will prevent it from recognizing the key as pressed. Bluetooth controllers are initialized once the boot chimes sound; to ensure your Mac goes to the boot menu, press and hold the Option key immediately after hearing the boot chimes, not before. This same approach goes for other boot modes as well (Safe Mode, Single User mode, Verbose mode, etc.).
When you have invoked the boot menu properly, a gray screen will display that shows available boot volumes. For systems running OS X 10.7 or later, you should see the default Macintosh HD partition, along with a Recovery HD volume; for systems running 10.6 or earlier, you should see only the main boot volume, unless you have multiple valid operating systems installed.
At this point, you can attach external hard drives, flash drives, or optical disks that contain valid operating systems, and when recognized they should appear alongside the current boot options.
You can then boot to the desired disk by selecting it with your mouse and clicking the arrow button, or by using the arrow keys to navigate the menu, pressing Enter to select the desired volume.
Any Mac that shipped with an optical drive can boot to a disc in that drive by holding the "C" key at startup. While most recent Macs supporting this feature have shipped with DVDdrives, the C stands for CD-ROM, as it was implemented when Macs came with only CD drives. For those without optical drives, you can use an external USB DVD drive to insert a boot DVD and have it appear on the standard boot menu for access. For systems configured with OS X 10.7, 10.8, or 10.9, you can boot directly to the recovery drive by holding Command-R. Additionally, most systems shipped after 2010 support Internet Recovery, which can be invoked by holding Option-Command-R. Keep in mind an Internet connection will be required for this recovery, which will download an approximately 650MB image file from Apple.
Note that selecting an alternative boot disk from the default one using this method will only be set for the current boot session. Restarting the system will revert back to the default boot disk. To change this, you will need to use the Startup Disk settings that are available either in System Preferences, in Apple's Boot Camp drivers for Windows, or in the Recovery partition
Consumers are one tiny step closer to being able to take their phones to another carrier when they switch service providers. Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday unanimously voted to approve a bill that will make it easier for consumers to unlock their cell phones. Once unlocked, wireless subscribers can then take those phones to a different wireless operator.
This bill, along with a bill passed by the House of Representatives in February, would repeal a 2012 decision by the Library of Congress that made cell phone unlocking a violation of the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act. The DMCA, which prohibits Americans from "circumventing" technologies that protect copyrighted works, gives the Library of Congress the authority to grant exemptions. Last year, the Library of Congress opted not to renew the DMCA exemption for cell phone unlocking, which it had granted in 2006 and 2010.
The change caused a stir in the wireless community, and an online petition garnered some 114,322 signatures and won approval of President Obama.
"With today's strong bipartisan vote in the Judiciary Committee, I hope the full Senate can soon take up this important legislation that supports consumer rights," Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), the committee chairman, said in a statement.
Unlocking a cell phone is important for consumers who travel abroad and for those who want to take their devices to other carriers. The reason why is that most devices sold in the US through wireless operators have a software lock on them which prohibits them from being used on another operator's network. The ban on unlocking put a roadblock in the way for consumers who wanted to use their devices on other networks. That said, wireless operators have always unlocked devices upon request, although in recent years they have gotten more stringent regarding their requirements. Now most wireless operators require customers to own their devices outright before they are able to request an unlock code.
This requirement hasn't gone away in either bill. Wireless operators are only required to unlock devices that are fully paid for. In other words, if you are still under contract with your carrier and you bought a device at a subsidized price, your wireless operator doesn't have to unlock your phone. And in many instances, the carrier won't.
The Senate bill that has moved out of committee is similar to the House bill that passed earlier in the year. But it has one key difference. The House bill only applies to individuals looking to unlock a single device. It specifically prohibits companies from unlocking cell phones in bulk. This is important because there are many companies that resell cell phones or unlock devices for consumers that would be protected under the Senate version of the bill.
Consumer activists said they are pleased that Congress is responding to the public outcry regarding this issue. And they are happy that the Senate bill offers more flexibility in unlocking, so that consumers can get help from third-party "unlocking" sites.
"This is critical for those who need technical assistance to unlock their device," Laura Moy, staff attorney for Public Knowledge, said in a statement. "We are also pleased that a recent amendment to the bill removed language about bulk unlocking, which -- like individual unlocking -- has nothing to do with copyright law." The wireless industry supports both bills. And in December, the Federal Communications Commission reached an agreement with the top five wireless operators in the US regarding unlocking. A new law would ensure that this right is protected.
Even though operators have agreed to unlock devices and Congress is working to ensure that right becomes law, other technical roadblocks will keep most consumers from truly being able to take their devices with them when they switch carriers.
The reason why is that not all US wireless operators use the same network technologies or the same radio frequencies to offer their service. For instance, AT&T and T-Mobile have built their networks on a technology called GSM. Phones designed for these networks are the most flexible, because GSM is the same technology that is used throughout the world. And wireless users can switch carriers on unlocked GSM devices simply by swapping out a SIM card.
It's not as simple for wireless customers on Verizon or Sprint, which use a technology called CDMA for their basic voice service. This technology does not use a SIM card, so even if the device is unlocked, a Verizon customer can't slip in a Sprint SIM card and get voice service on Sprint. The device must still be "provisioned" on the new carrier.
In a few years, the landscape will hopefully change as more operators move to the next generation of network technology: 4G LTE. But even then, the transition may not be completely seamless and devices made for different carriers may not be interchangeable.
There are two reasons for this. First, even though all four major US wireless operators are deploying 4G LTE, the technology is mostly used for data services. Voice service on these networks still uses the older GSM or CDMA technology. And second, even though these carriers are all deploying the same 4G LTE network technology, they're using different radio frequencies to deploy the service. Until the carriers overlap more in terms of the spectrum they are using to build the service, we are still likely to have incompatible devices among carriers.
Wireless operators are beginning to deploy voice over LTE services, and some are deploying LTE on the same spectrum bands, which means the future looks bright for true device interoperability.
And someday if companies don't put any software locks on devices, then we'll truly be able to take any mobile device to any wireless carrier. But that's a long way off. For now, consumers will have to be satisfied with this initial baby step.
today, I wrote about Memory Diag, a Mac app that helps you optimize system memory to help you through periods of sluggish behavior. Memory Clean is another such free app that takes a slightly different approach to monitoring memory resources. If you could combine the two, you might have the perfect memory optimizer for OS X. But because the technology does not exist to combine these two apps, let's take a look at how Memory Clean goes about its business and how it differs from Memory Diag.
Memory Clean
Like Memory Diag, Memory Clean installs an icon in the menu bar. By default, the icon features a small dial graphic showing the amount of free memory your Mac currently has at its disposal. In preferences, you can hide the dial graphic while keeping the dynamic free memory figure. You can also change the number to display as a percentage, and you can add Memory Clean to the Dock and have it start when you log in. Advanced preferences let you set a threshold level for when your free memory goes into the red. That is, at what point you'd like Memory Clean's number in the menu bar to turn red to alert you that you are running low on memory resources. There is also a box to check to have the app autoclean your Mac's memory when it falls below that threshold.
Memory Clean
I don't have any scientific or anecdotal evidence to support the following advice, but I would counsel you against enabling Auto Clean. Like Memory Diag, Memory Clean is most effective after you close an intensive app because it cleans up the caches that the application left littered across your Mac that can fragment your memory and slow down performance. I would get in the habit of running Memory Clean in such instances rather than having it automatically kick in when memory resources are running low and your system is feeling sluggish. When Memory Clean cleans your memory, your already slow system will proceed to get even slower. Better to quit any demanding apps to bring your system back up to something resembling full speed before running Memory Clean to optimize performance further. To run Memory Clean, click its icon in the menu bar. A window will appear to show dynamic figures of your Mac's current active, wired, inactive, and free memory. Click the Clean Memory button to initiate a scan to free up more memory. The scan takes between 15 and 30 seconds to run, in my experience. Alternatively, you can right-click the menu bar icon to access via a small pull-down menu the same stats and clean-memory command, along with the app's preferences. Memory Clean While both Memory Clean and Memory Diag perform the same service, each boasts a useful feature the other lacks. Memory Clean keeps me better informed. It shows me the exact number of MBs of memory I have free at any given time, turning red to give me a clear warning when memory resources are scarce. Whereas Memory Diag does a superior job of diagnosing which apps are memory hogs. It lists the offending app(s) so I can easily eradicate any problems.
HTC One M8; the newest HTC high-end device! You have probably read plenty of reviews around the internet. Is there anything else that can be discovered or described? Depending on the point of view some aspects can be more or less important. I will try to point out some of the major differences between the HTC One M7 and the HTC One M8 together with describing some of the features I find to be advantages or disadvantages.
Look and feel
That is the part I don’t really want to focus on too much. Not because I don’t find the newest design bad or anything – on the contrary – I just see no reason to use any other word apart from “perfection”.
The screen size and overall dimensions of the device, in my opinion are optimal. I have no difficulties using the device with just one hand. However, if you want to type fast using the stock keyboard, using both thumbs might be better, especially for typing accuracy. The 5-inch display is made using SLCD3 technology, the same we’ve seen in the HTC One (M7). The pixel density is a little bit lower – 441ppi (M8) vs 468ppi (M7) but comparing the devices side by side you won’t say that M8’s display is not as good – it is actually better. Colours are deeper and the screen brightness is higher too on the HTC One M8. But what is more important, is that the screen sensitivity is way better too. According to GSM Arena, “46ms is all it takes for the One M8 to recognize your touch input; the first phone to go under 50ms”. That is quite an impressive result and something I have always wanted to see in Android smartphones. And these are not just purely academic calculations – I actually felt the difference the first time I used the HTC One M8.
Frankly, until the HTC One M8 came out, my favourite HTC phone when it comes to the design was the HTC One X. Of course I was impressed with the HTC One M7 design line, but for me it was sort of too square. Maybe I didn't even realize it by then, but now it is obvious to me – HTC One M8 with its more rounded corners was a perfect move from HTC. It just feels great in the hand and it hurts me badly when I have to place my device into any kind of case. This phone is not meant to be placed in any plastic or rubber case. It is like asking Adriana Lima to wear a mask. Seriously.
So we have a bigger and a brighter screen with great sensitivity. The shape of the phone is ideal. What else could be improved in that area? Two things. Firstly, the screen is covered with the newest Gorilla Glass 3 technology. That is another step forward from its older brother, HTC One M7, which has Gorilla Glass 2. The other, and more important thing can sound a little bit prosaic. It is the power button. In the HTC One M7 it was placed on the top left-hand side of the metal uni-body. In the HTC One M8 it is placed on the opposite side. Such a cosmetic change, but for me, personally, it is much easier to access when holding the device in just one hand. As a side note, for power-users it is also a benefit. Entering the bootloader (vol down + power) is now easier when volume buttons and power button are almost next to each other.
Concluding this chapter I can honestly say that HTC One M8 is simply elegant. I used to love the design of the Sony Xperia Z1 but that was in the HTC One M7 times. Now that impression is gone and I truly think that HTC One M8 is the best looking phone on the market.
Design summary:
5-inch Full HD 1080p SLCD3 @ 441PPI
Improved screen sensitivity (vs HTC One M7)
Gorilla Glass 3 (vs Gorilla Glass 2 on HTC One M7)
Thin, metal and solid construction
Zero-gaps uni-body design
Improved buttons location
Elegant style with perfectly rounded corners
Hardware
Ever since the HTC One M8 came out I've heard some arguments, that this device is not a revolution, more like an evolution and it is not worth upgrading from the HTC One M7. As much as I need to agree that HTC One M8 is an evolution, I can’t agree with the statement that it is not worth upgrading from its older brother. Of course – this is not a revolution. It could be, if not for the HTC One M7. A jump from HTC One X to HTC One M8 would be a true revolution, but also not from the global market stand point – more like inside the portfolio of the HTC as a company.
It’s not a mystery that hardware-wise there is nothing spectacular in the HTC One M8. All the hardware components are the best currently available of course, but also used by other phones manufacturers. So what makes the HTC One M8 so special? The fact that the best hardware is packed inside the most beautiful body. But we’ve been there already, so let’s take a look at the hardware details and let me prove to you that the HTC One M8 is worth upgrading to from the HTC One M7.
The heart of the HTC One M8 is the Qualcomm Snapdragon S801 SoC. Some may say it’s just a minor upgrade from the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 SoC, but it’s definitely a big upgrade from the S600 in the HTC One M7.
Snapdragon 801 uses TSMC's 28nm “HPm” (Krait 400) technology which is the highest standard available among TSMC 28nm variants, while HTC One M7 is known to be based on 28nm “LP” (Krait 300) technology. 28HPm can provide better speed and performance than 28LP. This also allows higher CPU frequency speeds (up to 2.5 GHz per core on the S801 SoC).
Picture source: www.tsmc.com
Next major improvement between the M7 and the M8 is related to the RAM memory. Both S600 and S801 support LPDDR3, but back in 2013 HTC decided to use LPDDR2 memory in the HTC One M7. The LPDDR3 RAM in the HTC One M8 offers higher data rate, greater bandwidth, betterpower efficiency, and higher memory density. LPDDR3 achieves a data rate of 1600 MT/s and utilizes key new technologies: write-leveling and command/address training, optional on-die termination (ODT), and low-I/O capacitance. LPDDR3 supports both package-on-package (PoP) and discrete packaging types. Generally speaking, RAM memory management on the HTC One M8 is much better, even though both M7 and M8 are equipped with the same amount (2GB) of RAM.
It’s also worth mentioning that the S801 SoC is available in two variants: 8974-AB (up to 2.26 GHz) and 8974-AC (up to 2.5 GHz). The first one is available world-wide, except for the Chinese market, where you can buy the AC version.
Another big difference between the M7 and the M8 is the Adreno GPU. The Adreno 330 available in the HTC One M8 has a few improvements over the older Adreno 320 (HTC One M7): arithmetic logic unit (ALU) – 24 in the M7 vs 32 in the M8; higher clock speed – 400 MHz in the M7 vs 578 MHz in the M8 and the pixel fillrate 3.2 GP/s in the M7 vs 3.6 GP/s in the M8. With an Adreno 330 GPU it’s hardly possible to find any game that will not run smoothly. And this surely won’t change any time soon. Speaking of games there is one very important aspect of having an aluminium phone body. Heat dissipation on the HTC One M8 is really fantastic. This is noticeable because the HTC One M8 is possibly the only S801 device where the GPU doesn't throttle while gaming. A proper thermal system (which includes software solutions) is as important as GPU power. Without efficient heat dissipation you would never be able to use the full capabilities of the GPU or CPU.
Together with CPU, RAM and GPU improvements there are changes related to the connectivity as well (4G LTE category 3 on the M7 vs 4G LTE Advanced category 4 on the M8).
Picture source: www.radio-electronics.com
Finally, one question comes to mind: Snapdragon 801 added support for eMMC 5.0 (embedded Multi-Media Controller) storage technology but HTC decided to use older, eMMC 4.51 technology. Bummer! But there is a good news about the storage memory too! HTC gathered feedback and listened to the users – microSD card support is back. HTC (alongside Google) tried to change market habits, but lost this little battle. The lack of microSD card support was a deal-breaker for many users, who chose Samsung devices instead. Adding back external card support was a perfect step from HTC and apparently it didn't have any negative impact on the design. HTC kept its zero-gaps uni-body design. Perfect.
Picture source: www.datalight.com
Hardware summary:
Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 (vs Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 on HTC One M7)
4 x Krait 400 @ 2.26 GHz (vs4 x Krait 300 @ 1.7 GHz on HTC One M7)
LPDDR3 RAM @ 933 MHz (vs LPDDR2 RAM @ 600 MHz on HTC One M7)
Adreno 330 GPU @ 578 MHz (vs Adreno 320 GPU @ 400 MHz on HTC One M7)
LTE category 4 (vs LTE category 3 on HTC One M7)
Both M8 and M7 support NFC, IR, MHL and GPS + Glonass
microSD card support (vs no microSD card support on HTC One M7)
Increased battery capacity: 2,600 mAh (vs 2,300 mAh on HTC One M7)
DSP: Hexagon V50 up to 800 MHz (vs V40 up to 600 MHz on HTC One M7)
Qualcomm® Quick Charge™ 2.0 technology (vs 1.0 on HTC One M7)
Camera
UltraPixel is already very well-known and appreciated technology by end-users. Our camera specialist Stonelaughter has already written a few bits about what he thinks of Pixels and Pixellation and Cameras in Phones. In the HTC One M8 HTC decided to continue following that road and they improved the UltraPixel technology even more. The HTC One M8 is equipped with 2.0 um, sensor size 1/3”, ƒ/2.0, 28mm lens together with HTC ImageChip 2. It also has a secondary rear camera responsible for capturing depth information. How does this work? Once you take a picture you can add multiple effects including UFocus (re-focusing), Foregrounder(Sketch, Zoom Blur, Cartoon and Colorize), Seasons(background effects), and Dimension Plus (the picture gets the “3D” effect). Honestly saying I’ve never seen such a variety of options to edit a picture after capture in any other smartphone.
Of course nothing can replace a true DSLR camera, but let’s be honest here – you can’t hide a DSLR in your pocket. Also, hardware is not everything. HTC did an amazing job when it comes to the camera software too. Playing with all these camera features is real fun and the effects are great!
Camera summary:
HTC ImageChip 2 (vs HTC ImageChip 1 on HTC One M7)
Secondary read camera responsible for capturing depth information
DSLR functionality like artistic depth-of-field in photos and other effects
HTC One M8 uses the HTC Sense 6.0 interface. I don’t want to focus much on the UI itself because we’ll probably see HTC Sense 6.5 this year. The HTC One M7 is already updated to HTC Sense 6.0 too, but keep in mind that at some point the M7 will stop receiving updates, while HTC One M8 will still get a few more. Of course the new UI is completely refreshed with new icons, animations and minor features, but there are 2 features worth mentioning that I really like: the ability to change themes, and “Extreme power saving mode”. There are 4 themes you can use: each gives you a different colour experience in various elements of the user interface. With the 4th theme (last one, at the bottom) you can pretty much achieve the colour palette we all know from HTC Sense 5.0/5.5.
The "Extreme power saving mode" is even more interesting! It shuts off all of the power eating applications and leaves your phone able to make/take calls, and send texts. With Extreme power saving mode on, the battery loses about 1% of life every three hours. HTC claims that the setting will let your phone run up to 40% longer. The regular "Power Saving" mode is still present, but of course it's not as effective as the "extreme" version. The regular power saver reduces the CPU usage (by half), screen brightness, turns off vibration feedback and puts data connections to sleep when the screen is off.
Software summary:
Android 4.4.2 (actually) with Android 4.4.4 coming soon
HTC Sense 6.0
Great camera software
Possibility to change UI themes
"Power Saving Mode" and "Extreme Power Saving Mode"
Fast and smooth UI without any lags
Not too bloated (in contrary to Samsung)
System R/W protection - kernel wp_mod.ko module is needed for rooted users
Conclusion
Is it worth upgrading from the HTC One M7 to the HTC One M8? Yes, it really is! The newest high-end device from HTC is better in every aspect: better and bigger screen covered with Gorilla Glass 3, improved design, bigger battery (with greatly extended battery life even in normal use), newer hardware (CPU, GPU, LPDDR3, LTE module, microSD card support and more), the newest software including longer update support, great camera with depth sensor and HTC ImageChip 2.
I believe that the HTC One M8 is the best looking phone I've ever had. Due to top hardware components it performs well in every situation, including heavy gaming. The UI is very well optimized so forget about any lags. HTC One M8 is representative of a new era of Android smartphones. The “legendary” iPhone is no longer a pioneer in terms of touch panel sensitivity or UI smoothness. If you are looking for a powerful device with endless features, a true multimedia monster - HTC One M8 is the right choice.
Do you have any questions or comments? Feel free to share! Also, if you like this article, please use media sharing buttons (Twitter, G+, Facebook) below this post!
For latest news follow Android RevolutionHD on popular social platforms:
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The screen size and overall dimensions of the device, in my opinion are optimal. I have no difficulties using the device with just one hand. However, if you want to type fast using the stock keyboard, using both thumbs might be better, especially for typing accuracy. The 5-inch display is made using SLCD3 technology, the same we’ve seen in the HTC One (M7). The pixel density is a little bit lower – 441ppi (M8) vs 468ppi (M7) but comparing the devices side by side you won’t say that M8’s display is not as good – it is actually better. Colours are deeper and the screen brightness is higher too on the HTC One M8. But what is more important, is that the screen sensitivity is way better too. According to GSM Arena, “46ms is all it takes for the One M8 to recognize your touch input; the first phone to go under 50ms”. That is quite an impressive result and something I have always wanted to see in Android smartphones. And these are not just purely academic calculations – I actually felt the difference the first time I used the HTC One M8.
So we have a bigger and a brighter screen with great sensitivity. The shape of the phone is ideal. What else could be improved in that area? Two things. Firstly, the screen is covered with the newest Gorilla Glass 3 technology. That is another step forward from its older brother, HTC One M7, which has Gorilla Glass 2. The other, and more important thing can sound a little bit prosaic. It is the power button. In the HTC One M7 it was placed on the top left-hand side of the metal uni-body. In the HTC One M8 it is placed on the opposite side. Such a cosmetic change, but for me, personally, it is much easier to access when holding the device in just one hand. As a side note, for power-users it is also a benefit. Entering the bootloader (vol down + power) is now easier when volume buttons and power button are almost next to each other.
