What are the pros of HTC One (M8) — Brushed Metal & BoomSound Flagship Review?

Stunning zero-gap brushed aluminum unibody craftsmanship , Industry-leading front-facing BoomSound stereo speakers with dedicated amplifiers , Fluid and responsive Snapdragon 801 processor performance with HTC Sense UI , MicroSD card expansion slot supporting up to 128GB cards , Motion Launch gestures and infrared remote control blaster

What are the cons of HTC One (M8) — Brushed Metal & BoomSound Flagship Review?

4Ultrapixel main camera resolution is low by modern standards and lacks detail flexibility , Notoriously difficult to repair due to glued unibody construction , Software update support lifecycle has concluded

How much does HTC One (M8) — Brushed Metal & BoomSound Flagship Review cost?

The HTC One (M8) — Brushed Metal & BoomSound Flagship Review is priced at $649 – $699.

Primary

HTC Editor's Choice 2014

One (M8)

HTC One (M8) — Brushed Metal & BoomSound Flagship Review

Display 1080 x 1920 pixels 16:9 ratio (~441 ppi density)

Performance Qualcomm MSM8974AB Snapdragon 80...

Battery Quick Charge 2.0 support

Size 5.0 inches

Expert Score

4.6

93% Confidence

Community Score

3.9

0% Confidence

AI Score

4.6

92% Confidence

Final Score

4.4

94% Confidence

Storage

RAM

Color

Regional

In Stock

$649 – $699

Lowest $50 Best: Amazon Refurbished

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Category Scores

Overall hardware score: 92/100 — masterpiece brushed aluminum unibody design, legendary front-facing BoomSound stereo speakers, snappy Snapdragon 801 performance, and microSD storage expansion.

Performance Great

Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor delivers swif...

Display Excellent

Vibrant 5.0-inch Full HD Super LCD3 display with...

Camera Great

4Ultrapixel main sensor paired with a secondary...

Battery Great

2600 mAh battery offers solid day-to-day enduran...

Gaming Great

Adreno 330 graphics handle mobile games smoothly...

AI Great

Sense 6 contextual assistant and Motion Launch g...

Security Great

Standard PIN, pattern, and facial recognition un...

Value for Money Excellent

Exceptional long-term legacy value as one of the...

Design Excellent

Peerless zero-gap brushed aluminum unibody that...

Repairability Below Average

Extremely difficult to repair due to glued unibo...

Software Support Great

Officially upgraded up to Android 6.0 (Marshmall...

Connectivity Great

4G LTE, Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, infrared b...

Audio Excellent

Industry-defining front-facing BoomSound stereo...

Durability Excellent

Robust metal unibody construction highly resista...

Charging Great

Quick Charge 2.0 wired charging support via micr...

Specifications

Display 4

Size 5.0 inches

Type Super LCD3, capacitive touchscreen

Resolution 1080 x 1920 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~441 ppi density)

Protection Corning Gorilla Glass 3

Processor 3

Chipset Key Qualcomm MSM8974AB Snapdragon 801 (28 nm)

CPU Quad-core 2.3 GHz Krait 400

GPU Key Adreno 330

Memory 2

RAM Key 2GB

Type LPDDR3

Storage 3

Internal 16GB / 32GB

Expandable microSDXC up to 128GB (dedicated slot)

Standard eMMC 5.0

Battery 2

Capacity 2600 mAh non-removable

Wired charging Quick Charge 2.0 support

Camera 1

Main Dual 4 MP, f/2.0, 27mm, 1/3", 2.0µm, AF + secondary depth sensor

Front Camera 1

Sensor 5 MP, f/2.0, 1080p video

Video 1

Max resolution 1080p at 30/60fps, 720p at 120fps slow-motion, HDR stereo sound recording

Connectivity 4

Network 4G LTE, HSPA, GSM

Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA

Bluetooth 4.0, A2DP, aptX

USB microUSB 2.0 (MHL TV-out), USB OTG

Sensors 2

Audio Front-facing BoomSound stereo speakers with dedicated amplifiers

IR Infrared control port (remote control functionality)

Dimensions 3

Height 146.4 mm

Width 70.6 mm

Depth 9.4 mm

Weight 1

Weight 160 g

Materials 3

Frame Key Brushed aluminum unibody frame

Back Brushed aluminum unibody back

Water resistance IPX3 splash resistant

Colors 1

Options Gunmetal Gray, Amber Gold, Glacial Silver, Red, Pink

Operating System 1

OS Android 4.4.2 KitKat, upgradable to Android 6.0 (Marshmallow)

Expert Review

By Mutwassim

Design

The HTC One (M8) is a masterpiece of industrial design, featuring a curved brushed aluminum unibody that covers 90% of the exterior with immaculate zero-gap craftsmanship.

Display

It packs a vibrant 5.0-inch Super LCD3 display with Full HD resolution (1080 x 1920 pixels) and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection.

Performance

Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor and 2GB RAM, delivering snappy execution speeds paired with the highly fluid HTC Sense UI.

Gaming

Adreno 330 graphics handle standard mobile games smoothly.

Camera

Equipped with a 4Ultrapixel main camera featuring large 2.0µm pixels for low-light capture, paired with a secondary Duo Camera depth sensor for post-shot refocusing.

Battery

The 2600 mAh battery delivers solid working-day endurance supported by power-saving modes and Quick Charge 2.0.

Software

Runs HTC Sense 6 on top of Android, officially upgradable up to Android 6.0 (Marshmallow).

Ai

Motion Launch gestures allow waking the device or launching apps via swipes on the sleeping screen.

Pros

Stunning zero-gap brushed aluminum unibody craftsmanship
Industry-leading front-facing BoomSound stereo speakers with dedicated amplifiers
Fluid and responsive Snapdragon 801 processor performance with HTC Sense UI
MicroSD card expansion slot supporting up to 128GB cards
Motion Launch gestures and infrared remote control blaster

Cons

4Ultrapixel main camera resolution is low by modern standards and lacks detail flexibility
Notoriously difficult to repair due to glued unibody construction
Software update support lifecycle has concluded

The HTC One (M8) set an unprecedented benchmark for smartphone build quality, utilizing a gorgeous zero-gap brushed aluminum unibody that wrapped seamlessly around a 5.0-inch 1080p display. Powered by the Snapdragon 801 processor, it pioneered front-facing BoomSound stereo speakers with dedicated amplifiers, a Duo Camera depth-sensing array for post-shot refocusing, and a microSD expansion slot.

Verdict

The HTC One (M8) stands out as an all-time design and audio classic, combining exquisite brushed metal craftsmanship with unrivaled BoomSound stereo speakers.

Final: 4.4/10 Best for: Value seekers Segment: Premium

Product Intelligence

Gorgeous Brushed Aluminum Unibody with Zero-Gap Craftsmanship Legendary Front-Facing BoomSound Stereo Speakers with Dedicated Amps Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 Processor with Fluid Sense 6 UI MicroSD Card Expansion Slot Supporting up to 128GB Cards Duo Camera Depth-Sensing System with Infrared Blaster

Who Should Buy

Android historians, design purists, and audiophiles looking for front stereo speakers and a headphone jack in an all-metal unibody build.

Who Should Avoid

Buyers seeking modern app compatibility, high-resolution main cameras, or easy repairability.

Key Takeaways

Widely regarded as one of the most beautifully crafted and tactile smartphones ever manufactured
Established the gold standard for mobile audio quality via front-facing BoomSound speakers
Notoriously difficult to service due to its tightly sealed metal unibody architecture