London: The HTC One, the most awarded smartphone of 2013, has widely been considered the best phone on the market. That is, until now.
Today, the Taiwanese company launched the much anticipated HTC One M8.
Weighing in at 160 grams with a 5-inch full-HD screen, the M8 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 2.3GHz quad-core processor, has 2GB of RAM and runs on an Android 4.4 with the HTC Sense 6 platform. Furthermore, the device features Dual rear cameras, a 5-megapixel front-facing camera and a Li-Po 2600mAh battery that reportedly lasts 40 per cent longer than the One.
Major upgrades include a revamped design, a new interface, a much more powerful BlinkFeed, longer-lasting battery life and a remarkable rear Duo-camera. Speaking about its design, HTC chairwoman Cher Wang compared the finish of the device to that of a piece of fine jewellery or a premium watch. And she got that right because almost 90 per cent of device is covered in clean brushed metal, as compared to 70 per cent on its predecessor – the One.
The main talking point of the launch was its cameras. The M8 features two rear cameras and one 5-megapixel front camera with a dedicated wide-angle selfie mode. The rear Duo-camera uses two lenses to offer depth perception, 3D effects and allows users to shift image focus after pictures have been captured.
Current HTC One, Max and Mini customers will be able to upgrade their devices to the new software shortly.
When asked if we would eventually see a HTC M8 Max or Mini versions, Nikitas Glykas, Regional Director of HTC South Eastern Europe and the Middle East said, “The whole idea is that we need to have a family. Whatever will come will come for a specific reason, this is also something we consider and something we have on our agenda.”
The M8 is available as of today in select stores across the UK and – according to Neeraj Seth, Senior Brand communication Manager MEA at HTC – will be available in the UAE and across the Middle East on the 4th of April.
After its regional launch, the device will be available in Gunmetal Grey and Glacial Silver with Rose Gold launching two weeks later.
“In terms of pricing, we will reveal the price in the UAE at the M8 regional launch on April 2. We will not be very cheap and we will not be very expensive it’s going to be well priced for the segment we are targeting,” explains Seth.
