I’ve only been using the new HTC One (M8) for a few days, but between using that and last year’s HTC One there have been a few things that I immediately notice between the two, some good and some bad. After a few days, I’ve really started getting into the phone and how it responds to certain actions and how it really feels in the hand. While there are numerous good things to say about the device, there are also a couple of things that I feel could have been better.
... is painful. That’s the only way I can think of to describe it, especially initially. Starting from the right you have the time, then the battery bar, whether you’re in 3G or 4G mode, a fancy ‘N’ for NFC, and the status of your location services (the icon has a slash through it if the services are turned off, no slash through it if they are on). On the left side I have a voicemail icon (which could be removed) and the Power Saving Mode icon, which I can’t seem to figure out how to make disappear. I remember this same issue being in the original One, which I had to root and flash a fix for.
It just looks awfully cluttered, especially compared to my Moto X which only shows time, battery, and signal strength. Even with power saver on, there is no icon indicating so in my status bar, which I feel is unnecessary anyway (or in the very least, should have an option to turn on or off).
This isn’t a complaint that’s only associated with the One, but it is one that I think should be addressed: Bloatware. As I look through these applications, the ones that I downloaded barely scratch the surface of how many applications are here - and how many I will never actually use. Messaging+, Media Share, NASCAR Mobile 2014, NBA Game Time, NextRadio, HTC Mobile Guide, Scribble, Eureka Offers, Sprint ID and the other gaggle of Sprint apps are all applications that I will never use, and unless I jump through hoops I can’t get rid of them. That’s one of the things that I really liked about Windows Phone 8; you could get rid of the bloatware you didn’t want so easily. It’s an issue that plagues most Android devices, though, so this is something that I just wish was solved across the board.
If you guys know me, you probably saw this coming from a mile away. The sheer size of the device actually makes the M8 quite difficult to use for me. The size of the original HTC One was just perfect for me, and was one of the few flagships that didn’t enter the beloved “phablet” territory by having a 4.7-inch screen. The new 5-inch display on the phone (plus the case that I have to use) makes it rather unweildy for me. It’s nothing something that can change now, of course, but I do hope that HTC considers making the screen a little smaller next time around, because I thought the original One was just perfect.
Honestly, I don’t have much to complain about when it comes to the camera. Ever since experiencing the 4-megapixel “UltraPixel” camera for myself on the M7, I’ve really turned my initial views on the UltraPixel camera around. That being said, with this phone being a whole year newer I think most of us expected to see something new come of it, and although the dual-cameras are nice, a bump up in megapixels would have been cool, too. I know, I know, it’s not all about the megapixels, but they do still have their merits.
I can’t believe I’m saying this given how big of a fuss I made last year about how beautiful the device is, but despite its aluminum beauty it’s still almost equal to holding a wet bar of soap in your hand sometimes. The aluminum makes this phone downright slippery, so an added grip of somesort around the edges might have made this a little easier for carrying safely in the hand.
So, those are my Top 5 issues with the M8 so far. Other than that, the experience is fun and exciting. As they say, though, there’s always room for improvement, and this list is where I think that the M8 could have improved upon.
Readers, what are some of the things you wish could have been fixed with the M8? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
