The 'All New HTC One" (aka the M8)

[Funk]

kooky guy said:

robsa said:

The Jolly Todger said:

I've had an HTC One since release and it is hands down the best phone I've ever had. I'll be picking up the M8 in June unless there is something spectacular out there to make me change course.

As for the camera on the HTC One: In real world situations (i.e. indoors, pubs etc. where most people use these cameras) it makes far more sense to have a lower pixel dense sensor as it will likely allow a far lower ISO and thus less noise. The people using it in good light and comparing 100% crops with higher MP cameras are demonstrating nothing useful about the camera and everything about how stupid they are. I'd like to know what people are doing with their phone cameras that require such high MP? Printing mural sized posters for their houses? 4MP is plenty for 16"x20" sized prints.

At last! Somebody else with a brain. It drives me nuts repeating this ad nauseum to people who just, basically, ignore you. "Yeah, but I heard the HTC One camera's st..."

I disagree. 4Mp means relatively tiny pictures that can't be expanded and cropped regardless of how pretty they look on a tiny screen. 4Mp in this day and age is just hopeless. Even my Desire HD is 6 and that's years old. I really hope they improve this as I was getting quite interested in this phone but this would be a major negative for me.

Very interesting comparison here: http://www.androidcentral.com/megapixels-ultrapixe...

between the One and S4.

On balance, I prefer the pictures from the One if I'm honest. I prefer the wider-angle, the colours are more accurate and in low light it slaughters the Samsung. Oodles of pixels are pointless if the sensor is tiny. I think HTC are on the right path with their approach, people have, to a degree, been brainwashed into a 'more-is-better' mindset when it comes to megapixels which doesn't paint a true picture (excuse the pun).

[Funk]

VEA said:

Funk said:

So, on the shortlist are the new One and the Z2 although the Z2 has a hefty price tag!

Have you seen a price for it?

Stuff said:

UPDATE 25/02/14: The Z2 is now available for pre-order at Sony's site, priced at £600. Clove has it listed for £565, with stock expected in April.

Source: http://www.stuff.tv/sony/sony-xperia-z2/review

Top end of the phone price territory...

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I want to know how quickly I'll be able to root and install adblocking software on a new phone..!

I lasted 3 days when I got my Nexus 7, the ads drove me nuts.

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I've been pushed past "tolerating" adverts into "right - fk 'em". They've become too intrusive and I don't recall ever having clicked something as a result of an advert appearing. I'd far rather pay for something and have it ad-free (such as Whatsapp) but sometimes we're not given that option.

[Funk]

Yep, I have an aviate beta. Doesn't block in-app or in-browser ads though?

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VEA said:

Funk said:

Yep, I have an aviate beta. Doesn't block in-app or in-browser ads though?

Nope entirely unrelated. Was just wondering.

Ah, I did wonder what the correlation was!

I liked Aviate but preferred the Sense UI overall fwiw. Would you like an invite to Aviate?

[Funk]

New One brochure leaked:



Also has 'Double-Tap' feature to wake the phone, similar to 'Knock-On' from LG.


Display: 5.0-inch full HD (1920x1080p) with pixel density close to 440 ppi (pixels per inch) also boasts scratch-resistant sheet on top

OS: Android v4.4 KitKat OS with custom UI Sense v6.0

Processor: 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 series quad-core processor or the new Snapdragon 801 series chipset which can top CPU speed up to 2.5GHz (seems it'll be the 801...)

RAM: Minimum 2GB

Storage capacity: Expected to come in 16GB,32GB/64GB

Camera: Main: UltraPixel main camera with smaller camera on top to enhance field of depth when the device is focused on an object, supports Dual-Led flash

Front: 4.0-megapixel camera

Battery: Around 3000 mAh or more (I've seen other rumours of 2800mAh and suspect this is closer to the truth)

Add-ons: Knock On gesture-control feature, BoomSound speakers, microSD card slot, Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n/ ac)

Colours: Gold, Silver and Grey

Apparently it's surpassed the Note 3 on benchmarking:



Close up of the cameras from @evleaks:

Edited by Funk on Wednesday 12th March 18:17

[Funk]

If the specs are genuine on the benchmark, it looks like it'll give the Z2 a bloody nose.

However, the only thing we know for certain is that we don't know yet..

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Crafty_ said:

Funk said:

Add-ons: Knock On gesture-control feature, BoomSound speakers, microSD card slot, Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n/ ac)

What does add on mean exactly ? region based ?
will UK get the micro SD slot ?

I think it's just an 'Other Features' section. I c&p'd it. In that respect, it's likely all New Ones will be the same worldwide with the only variations being 'Google Edition' which is vanilla Android rather than Sense (and based on my experience with the Nexus 7, I quite like it although I do also like Sense). There were two versions of the One X but that was only in the US (we got the nVidia Tegra 3 chip over here, they got the Snapdragon S4 chip in the US on AT&T).

There were a few versions of the One in the Far East, but that's a lot to do with network compatibility etc rather than specs (although the Chinese one did have a removable cover and SD card slot as the internals for their variant took up less space).

I would think that the 'Add ons' section will be accurate for the UK, SD card slot has pretty much been confirmed (and about time too).

[Funk]

bodhi said:

Funk said:

If the specs are genuine on the benchmark, it looks like it'll give the Z2 a bloody nose.

Even though it's lower spec? Riiiiight.

Not exactly comparable benchmarking but as per the bit of my post you deleted, we don't actually know yet.

Here's the Z2 benchmark with the Note 3:



There's no doubt the Z2 looks good though.

[Funk]

OK, so we're a couple of days away from the big announcement... I'm officially into my upgrade period so have to choose a phone....to sell straight on so I can raise some cash for the new phone (highly likely to be the New One at this stage if I'm honest).

I currently enjoy T-Mobile's Employee Call which is a 50% discount on everything for life. Not bad. However, with the merging of T-M and Orange under EE, I have a few options open to me.

1) Do nothing, stay on the same plan, same discounts etc, which are:

1200 mins
Unlimited text
1.5Gb 3G (uncapped, but throttled past 1.5Gb)
08 numbers included in minutes
Tethering, VOIP
30 mins of international calls included in my talktime

I'd keep the same phone (hahahahahaha - yeah...) and it'll continue to cost me £23 a month.

2) Get a new phone on T-Mobile. I'd keep the Employee Call but it drops to only 30% discount if I do this. I'd get a new phone and whatever tariff I choose. Apparently 08 numbers aren't included any more, it's a 'bolt-on' which I can pay for (with 30% discount still).

3) Migrate to EE. I'd get a 4G plan (although 4G isn't quite in my area yet, it's close) and I can port the Employee Call but it's now 40% discount. I need to check it's also 'for life' and not 'for the life of the new contract'. I'll get a new phone and probably go on the 4GEE Extra 10Gb which is unlimted everything with 10Gb data allowance. With the discount it'll come in around £31/mo.

I swore that I'd never take a 'network' handset again after the kerfuffle getting my One X to do what I wanted. I was fed up with waiting for T-M's version of the HTC build which, without fail, was sttier and simply contained bloatware. I couldn't update my hboot (had to wait for T-M to do it OTA) - suffice to say I want a 'pure' build from the manufacturer.

So my plan is this; migrate to EE (assuming it all checks out and I won't lose the Employee Call after 24 months) and take a new phone which I'll sell without even opening it. I want the tariff whatever phone I use and the discount I receive pretty much pays for the phone over the contract anyway. I'll take the cash from the brand new phone and add it to the money from the sale of the One X. These seem to still be fetching £120+ on eBay. I'll combine the two and purchase a new phone SIM-free.

My question is this; what's the best phone I can get that I don't want? I'm looking for one with instant 'sale appeal'. What would you recommend?

[Funk]

I don't think EE do the N5. They certainly have the Z1 though.

[Funk]

IPhone will cost me a lot to get in order to sell...

[Funk]

If I want to keep my 40% discount then yes.

I'm sure the New One will be on EE (as the Z2 and S5 will be) but I never want a network-locked handset again what with all the faff I had last time getting it updated. If I'm paying for the contract I may as well get a 'free' phone with it.

[Funk]

Cheers guys. I have to buy through EE direct in order to retain my employee call. Can't buy the one to resell via cpw or wherever.

However, my 'own' phone will be coming from p4u or cpw to ensure it's network unlocked.

I wonder if it's worth seeing what newer phones will be 'free' on that tariff as I don't particularly want to have to spend out initially in order to sell...

[Funk]

If rather have greater and more consistent 3G than 4G. I get around 7-12mbit down and about 3mbit up usually which is more than enough for mobile use. Even streaming video. Don't really see why networks are banging the drum about speeds that are way beyond anything most mobile users will ever need. Especially as it's in about 5 locations!

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Mattt said:

Have you compared the cost of ownership against the SIM free outright plus GiffGaff PAYG type options?

I haven't, but I suspect for the discount level I'm getting from EE, it'll be hard to match, let alone beat.

[Funk]

I may well be tempted by the Oppo Find 7 posted in another thread. That thing looks lovely and could convince me away from HTC.

I've been a pretty die-hard HTC customer since my first smartphone though; T-Mobile G1 (Dream), T-Mobile G2 (Hero), HTC Desire, Sensation and now One X...

[Funk]

Blimey, they've stolen a march on Samsung - available instore today...!

I'm so very, very tempted...

[Funk]

EE have it available to order now but I'm trying to find out whether it comes with pure HTC build on it rather than EE's version with loads of bloatware. I would rather not have to faff about selling a new handset in order to buy one without the crap on it. I'm hoping that with the time-to-market that's in play, EE haven't had time to cock about with the M8.

Ideal scenario: EE supply my new phone, HTC supply the updates etc. The EE site is down so I'll probably put a call in to them at lunchtime to see what's what.