It was just one week ago today that I told you guys about what phone I was carrying in my pocket, which turned out to be the Motorola Moto X. If I were to write that article today, however, my answer wouldn’t be the same. Instead of carrying the Moto X, I am now carrying the new HTC One (M8) as a part of another 30 Day Challenge here at PhoneDog! My fellow PhoneDogger Marco is also conducting his own 30 Day Challenge with the same device, but it’s always good to have various opinions on a phone (especially if it’s a phone you’re considering for yourself).

My version of the M8 is a little different from Marco’s, however, and that difference is that this HTC One M8 is Sprint’s Harman Kardon Edition. This version is only available through Sprint, and the 16GB version will cost you $229.99 on a 2-year contract, and comes with a pair of Harman Kardon headphones. The color of the device is the only thing that visually sets it apart from any other HTC One, as it comes in a champagne color on the front (instead of silver) and black on the back. As for the actual reason behind Harman Kardon name, the easiest way to explain it is that this is what could be considered the replacement for Beats Audio in the previous generation HTC One; Harman Kardon is mostly for audiophiles.

I was also lucky enough to get my hands on this ridiculously large Onyx Studio speaker. All I can say about it right now is if the beauty of the HTC M8 didn’t blow you away yet, the massive sound that this speaker can produce probably will, but we’ll talk more about that in-depth on a later date.

As somebody who was in serious like with the original HTC One, I can say that initially there are things that I don’t like about the changes made to the M8. For starters, one of the main reasons I liked the M7 so much was because the 4.7-inch screen was the perfect size for me. You may recall that I had originally purchased the Galaxy S4 last year when I upgraded, but found that the phone’s 5-inch display made the phone too wide for me to comfortably use with one hand. This was the main reason that I traded up for the HTC M7. I am having the same experience with the M8, and it doesn’t help that the aluminum that helps make the device so beautiful in the first place also makes the device as slippery as ever. This phone could have used some sort of grip on the sides. Until then, a case is absolutely necessary.

While we’re at it, I’ll also say that I’m not a huge fan of the rounded corners, but that’s just being ridiculously picky. I am a little ridiculous, though.

This phone is just as worthy of being called a powerhouse as the original HTC One was. With a 2.3GHz Snapdragon 801 processor, the animations are fluid and I have yet to experience any major hiccups in transitions from screen to screen, or app to app. The 2GB of RAM keep the phone in check, even when multitasking through various applications. The 2600mAh battery keeps the phone chugging all day, and even through the night.

These are just my initial impressions after a couple of days of good usage, but I do look forward to sharing the rest of my 30 Day Challenge with you guys here at PhoneDog. It’s certainly interesting to see what HTC decided to change and leave the same when it comes to comparing one generation to the next, but so far I can say that overall I am really enjoying using this phone.

Readers, what have your thoughts on the M8 been so far? Is this a phone you’re looking into getting for yourself? Let us know in the comments below!