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

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

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Funk

Original Poster:

26,254 posts

208 months

Monday 13th July 2015
quotequote all
As probably the biggest HTC fanboy here, I'm thinking of jumping ship next time too. I've also had a minor issue with the power button sticking but that's not the reason. HTC hit a sweet spot with design and features which shamed nearly every other phone maker bar Apple. The others have upped their game whilst HTC got lazy.

What I'll go to next I'm not sure. Possibly the S6 (or 7 if it's out) but I'll also take a good look at LG next time too, HTC need something special to survive and given their current financial woes, I don't see it happening.

http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_reports_grim_financial...

AJB88 said:
Had my M8 for ages now and love it but always annoyed me all the HTC bloatware on it (I use Google Now launcher, Google keyboard etc) so today I have fettled with it and converted it to a Google Play Edition phone.

I previously had a Nexus 5, First impressions are the HTC version of Lollipop is pants compared the the original version. Really glad I swapped.
Weirdly I thought about doing this the other day. I see it's now possible to go S-Off on the M8 and the fundamental PITA with swapping ROMs on an S-On phone was the inability to alter the underlying hboot meaning one still had to revert back to (as it was then) T-Mobile builds in order to get hboot updates... Mine's an EE phone (rather than a 'stock' HTC) so I probably have an EE version of the hboot.

AIUI, would it be a case of get S-Off, root, install custom recovery and backup, install custom hboot and then install the stock Google Play Edition for M8?

I'm a little wary of doing it as it's meddling deeper with the phone than I've ever done before and I'm concerned the potential for bork is high.

Edited by Funk on Monday 13th July 15:51

AJB88

12,267 posts

170 months

Tuesday 14th July 2015
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It should be that simple, you might have to flash the unbranded firmware first not sure though.


Mine did an official GPE OTA update the other day smile

hornetrider

63,161 posts

204 months

Tuesday 14th July 2015
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The S6 is a nice device and feels good in the hand, much like an iPhone 6. However the camera lens is a massive stuck on blot on the back sitting proud about 2-3mm so it's a no from me. I'm also using a Lumia device which is quite nice but the OS is such a change from Android I don't think it's for me.

As alluded to above, phones now have pretty much reached saturation point with features in my view so all you get is minor tweaks. I've certainly got no desire to upgrade to anything else at the moment.


Funk

Original Poster:

26,254 posts

208 months

Tuesday 14th July 2015
quotequote all
AJB88 said:
It should be that simple, you might have to flash the unbranded firmware first not sure though.


Mine did an official GPE OTA update the other day smile
Did you need to go S-Off?

AJB88

12,267 posts

170 months

Tuesday 14th July 2015
quotequote all
Yep, I tried a couple of different methods to do it, in the end paid 25 dollars to use a program to do it.

IIRC I flash TWRP, Rooted, S-OFF, Then flashed GPE

Funk

Original Poster:

26,254 posts

208 months

Tuesday 14th July 2015
quotequote all
Cool, thanks for that. From researching, the only one that seems to work reliably is Sunshine and it's worth it.

I'm not unhappy with my One M8 as it is, it's been the best phone I've had. I even like Sense and there's no bloatware from EE. I just hate waiting for EE's updates.

AJB88

12,267 posts

170 months

Wednesday 15th July 2015
quotequote all
Funk said:
Cool, thanks for that. From researching, the only one that seems to work reliably is Sunshine and it's worth it.

I'm not unhappy with my One M8 as it is, it's been the best phone I've had. I even like Sense and there's no bloatware from EE. I just hate waiting for EE's updates.
Yeh Sunshine was what I used.


I really like my HTC One M8 as well easily best phone I've had, Previous to this I've had iPhone 3GS, Galaxy S1, Galaxy S2, Galaxy S3, Galaxy S4, Nexus 5.

But since the S5 I missed the stock Android feel so the HTC One M8 with GPE is perfect for me. Plus the interface looks alot nicer on GPE than Sense.

Funk

Original Poster:

26,254 posts

208 months

Wednesday 15th July 2015
quotequote all
AJB88 said:
Funk said:
Cool, thanks for that. From researching, the only one that seems to work reliably is Sunshine and it's worth it.

I'm not unhappy with my One M8 as it is, it's been the best phone I've had. I even like Sense and there's no bloatware from EE. I just hate waiting for EE's updates.
Yeh Sunshine was what I used.


I really like my HTC One M8 as well easily best phone I've had, Previous to this I've had iPhone 3GS, Galaxy S1, Galaxy S2, Galaxy S3, Galaxy S4, Nexus 5.

But since the S5 I missed the stock Android feel so the HTC One M8 with GPE is perfect for me. Plus the interface looks alot nicer on GPE than Sense.
Wasn't your S5 running TouchWiz?

I have stock Android on my Nexus 7 2013 so I know how the M8 would feel with GPE - possibly why I'm not rushing to do it, on reflection. I know what it'll be like and as mentioned, I quite like Sense...

AJB88

12,267 posts

170 months

Wednesday 15th July 2015
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Sorry I mean't Nexus 5 not S5.

I hated the Samsung/HTC versions of Android, Prefer the stock look and feel.

TheGreatSoprendo

5,286 posts

248 months

Sunday 19th July 2015
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Any thoughts on whether this would work with the M8? Concerned the curved back would be an issue....

http://www.groupon.co.uk/deals/gg-groupon-goods-gl...

Funk

Original Poster:

26,254 posts

208 months

Sunday 19th July 2015
quotequote all
Yeah, I'm not sure it would work - not beacause of the curve but because the M8 is an aluminium body and I may be wrong but that's not going to work with a magnet is it?

Otispunkmeyer

12,557 posts

154 months

Monday 20th July 2015
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Anyone elses battery tanked?

I used to finish the day with anything from 30-50% battery. Now I'm limping along on < 10% regularly now.

Not sure what gives. I check the battery history and often see that the cellular module has been burning the juice. I put that down to crappy signal around here.

But then also random apps like FitBit, which I never ever use are showing at the top of the list for battery usage. Makes no sense and you can't get rid of it (I tried, then it just auto-updated and redownloaded itself at the next bunch of auto updates).

Android OS and Google Services are also big culprits for screen off power use.

To be honest, my little excursion to Android is likely to be just that. Its quite nice to have the flexibility but I just can't get on with how fragmented or duplicitous things can be. On my phone there are two lots of music players, document readers and photo browsers because I don't like the bundled HTC ones and use googles own. I also hate how HTC's gallery literally puts every image, including emoticons, in its own folder! I have 100's of folders containing just one image. Friggin annoying.

And thats before we get to the chugging. For a phone with a 2.2 GHz quad core CPU and 2 Gigs of RAM, the amount of chugging and periods of sluggishness is rather off putting.

ManFromDelmonte

2,742 posts

179 months

Monday 20th July 2015
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Looks like the M8 will be getting the Android M update which is good news. One of the reason I love HTC.

james_tigerwoods

16,287 posts

196 months

Monday 20th July 2015
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ManFromDelmonte said:
Android M update
What's that then?

ManFromDelmonte

2,742 posts

179 months

Monday 20th July 2015
quotequote all
james_tigerwoods said:
ManFromDelmonte said:
Android M update
What's that then?
Replaces Android L (Lolipop). I'm assuming it will be called Meringue.

Haven't read much about it but "Now on Tap" sounds good.

Funk

Original Poster:

26,254 posts

208 months

Monday 20th July 2015
quotequote all
Otispunkmeyer said:
Anyone elses battery tanked?

I used to finish the day with anything from 30-50% battery. Now I'm limping along on < 10% regularly now.

Not sure what gives. I check the battery history and often see that the cellular module has been burning the juice. I put that down to crappy signal around here.

But then also random apps like FitBit, which I never ever use are showing at the top of the list for battery usage. Makes no sense and you can't get rid of it (I tried, then it just auto-updated and redownloaded itself at the next bunch of auto updates).

Android OS and Google Services are also big culprits for screen off power use.

To be honest, my little excursion to Android is likely to be just that. Its quite nice to have the flexibility but I just can't get on with how fragmented or duplicitous things can be. On my phone there are two lots of music players, document readers and photo browsers because I don't like the bundled HTC ones and use googles own. I also hate how HTC's gallery literally puts every image, including emoticons, in its own folder! I have 100's of folders containing just one image. Friggin annoying.

And thats before we get to the chugging. For a phone with a 2.2 GHz quad core CPU and 2 Gigs of RAM, the amount of chugging and periods of sluggishness is rather off putting.
Running smoothly here... You can go into the Apps and force stop and then disable things like Fitbit if you never use it?

Apps > Swipe across to 'All' > Fitbit > "Force Stop" and "Disable"

It'll throw a hissy fit about stuff not working properly but it's fine to nuke.

hornetrider

63,161 posts

204 months

Monday 20th July 2015
quotequote all
Has anyone else ever seen the weird white boot screen? Mine's done it twice now. You have to use volume buttons to cycle boot options and select with power button. Not sure why it's happened either...

This one (Google image)



Edited by hornetrider on Monday 20th July 21:03

Funk

Original Poster:

26,254 posts

208 months

Monday 20th July 2015
quotequote all
hornetrider said:
Has anyone else ever seen the weird white boot screen? Mine's done it twice now. You have to use volume buttons to cycle boot options and select with power button. Not sure why it's happened either...

This one (Google image)

Edited by hornetrider on Monday 20th July 21:03
You've accidentally pressed and held 'Power' and 'Volume Down'. That causes the phone to reboot and enter the bootloader.

Do you have a sticking power button perhaps?

hornetrider

63,161 posts

204 months

Monday 20th July 2015
quotequote all
Ah that's interesting as both times have been when I pulled it out of my pocket. Obviously my chunky thighs are mashing the buttons... at least it's nothing more serious. No buttons are sticking anyway.

Is a bit scary is so easy to trigger. I'd be pissed if it SIM locked out factory reset on me.

NordicCrankShaft

1,721 posts

114 months

Monday 20th July 2015
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I've had my M8 about a year now and I'm not as hooked on it as I have previous HTC's.

The predictive text constantly forgets entries that I've entered manually.

It's quite sluggish when opening apps, my biggest gripe is with opening the camera. Most of the time when I take a picture it's normally in a situation when i need to snap a picture quickly but by the time it actually opens the moment has gone.

The keyboard is laggy.

yet some how the screen is super sensitive, sometimes I feel like I'm not evn touching the screen yet I still manage to open an app.

This phone is one of the biggest I've ever owned yet I seem to get more spelling errors and have to go back and change them than I can ever remember because I've touched the wrong letter.

Another keyboard issue is when I'm trying to type a word thats not in the internal dictionary it wants to insert the first word that is.

I really hope the M10 when it is unveiled is something vastly different and a much needed overhaul. I love HTC my last 5 phones have all been HTC but I'm starting to get a bit bored and now Samsung seem to sorted their st out and stopped making their premium phones from plastic I might be tempted to switch over.