Creating that perfect device for more than a few people is the goal of any manufacturer. It's as close to an impossible task as a company can get, probably, but that doesn't mean they'll ever stop trying. Manufacturing that one device, the handset that everyone talks about for months after launch, and the one that looks so good on the shelf that people just want to snatch it up and take it home.
Last year, HTC managed to nail one of those things right on the head. The original One was one of the best looking devices released in 2013, so it's easy to understand why they'd want to keep that design language in tact as a whole, but want to make some key changes to make sure that the new One stood out on its own. The One M8 definitely stands out. It bears true to the design language that HTC has chosen for their flagship lineup, but it does alter some aspects to make the device its own thing.
Of course, not all the changes with HTC's newest device are hardware related. The company brought to life their newest version of Sense, Sense Six or the Sixth Sense, and really talked up the phone's ability to sense where you are and what you're doing, thanks to extra sensors in the handset.
But, I'm sure there's something about the newest high-end device to land on the market that you'd like to change.
I know there's a few things I'd like to change. Last week I said that the new One M8 was winning me over, and that there was plenty to love about the device. That's true. HTC really did manage to create another winner, and their success in 2014 will hopefully be pretty great. The one M8 is a solid, thin, lightweight, powerhouse of a device, and it deserves any and all attention it gets.
But there are things I'd change.
First and foremost, the camera. No, not the cameras, just the one. The secondary camera, which exists solely to grab depth of field information from any photo you might take, is fine. It might be a gimmick to some people, but it's a pretty great feature, if you ask me. And it makes the One M8 stand out, so that's good. However, the main camera, that 4-megapixel UltraPixel camera, is still not cutting it for me. In absolutely perfect lighting, it takes great photos and captures plenty of details. But, in any other lighting situation? Meh. I understand that HTC wants to disprove the megapixel "myth," and that's fine. However, it's not really working out (yet).
The other thing I'd change, because it bothers me to no end, is the bottom bezel, right below the display. HTC increased the screen size from 4.7-inches in last year's model to 5-inches for this year's version, and they also included on-screen keys, instead of the capacitive buttons below the screen like last year. Which is great, people seem to love on-screen buttons, but they decided to keep the ridiculously big bezel below the display just because they really needed to show off their logo, I guess. I know they need their logo on there, but its placement could have been minimized in a big way. Without those capacitive buttons, the bezel makes no sense whatsoever. I'd really like to see it go.
But, that's just me. I'm curious what you'd change about HTC's One M8 if you had the chance. Are these things that you'd change based on your time with the handset, or are these the things that would need to change before you even considered buying one? Let me know!