Talk me into an HTC One M8 for Windows (Outcome: Never buying an HTC product again)

Darthbobcat

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(Edit: I wound up buying the phone. I had 2 in a 24 hour period. Both of them had the same defect where the "speakerphone" button acted as a "mute" button instead. HTC customer support had never heard of this and their only solution, after two hours, was to send the device in for repair. Since that would be 100% guaranteed to put me outside of my two week return policy if they COULD'NT fix the problem their technicians had never heard of before, I decided to just stop it, return it and never buy anything from HTC ever again. I'd rather buy an ATIV SE or an Icon and muddle through with developer preview.)

Background: I'm contemplating trading in my old Lumia 822 for a new phone. It's still working alright, but having some New Hotness would be nice. (plus, the default screen saver is starting to burn itself into my AMOLED screen. It's only visible in really low light on an all black screen, but it strikes me as a sign that almost two years is long enough to have my phone).

I'd like for some users to sell me on the HTC One M8, since it seems like the most compelling buy on Verizon (and that XBox themed Dot Case is tempting). Have you been enjoying it? What flaws are you noticing?

And could someone explain to me how the Dot Case actually works? I haven't been able to see one actually in action. It's one of the "killer features" that has me looking at it.

Also, has HTC cleaned up their act? I used to have a Rezound Android Phone that, one day, decided to die after an update. It's had me slightly reluctant to trust HTC again.
 
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frompty

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Re: Talk me into an HTC One M8 for Windows

Ok, the fit and finish on this phone is great. I had the Lumia 1520 before this phone, and it was great, but just got to be too big.

This phone had the same hardware specs, but in a smaller, lighter body.

The dot view case actually works quite well. It allows me to take calls with the cover on, and I can even use Cortana with the case on, so I can do stuff like make calls or send text messages.

All in all, this is a great phone so far! My one complaint would be the lack of a dedicated camera button, but I am getting by.
 

Kevin Hill2

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Re: Talk me into an HTC One M8 for Windows

I have a M8 on AT&T and love it, I upgraded from a 920, I really can't say one bad thing about this phone. Other than the 1520 Lumia has nothing to offer that compares to the M8 performance wise or on looks. The Dot view case? I tried it and did not like it, it made the phone big ,bulky and very ugly and it was like looking through a screen door , But it all boils down to , it is your choice.
 

gapost

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Re: Talk me into an HTC One M8 for Windows

Let's put it this way. If you want to stay on Verizon and Windows phone, the HTC One is really the only option you should consider. However, the camera isn't as good and yes, HTC support is suspect. You could get an Icon, but without the firmware, there's some issues and of course, it's officially retired now. I would say look at the android and iphone options if you are staying on Verizon, as there are some really nice phones available. Another option is just get a 928 used for cheap and use it for a while. It works pretty good with DP and it has a nice camera and is a solid phone. Only 4.5" though.

Also, it's amazing that people in these types of threads say, yeah, the 1520 or 1020 or 925, etc are good options. Yes, they are, but they won't work on Verizon.
 

Darthbobcat

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Re: Talk me into an HTC One M8 for Windows

Let's put it this way. If you want to stay on Verizon and Windows phone, the HTC One is really the only option you should consider. However, the camera isn't as good and yes, HTC support is suspect. You could get an Icon, but without the firmware, there's some issues and of course, it's officially retired now. I would say look at the android and iphone options if you are staying on Verizon, as there are some really nice phones available. Another option is just get a 928 used for cheap and use it for a while. It works pretty good with DP and it has a nice camera and is a solid phone. Only 4.5" though.

Also, it's amazing that people in these types of threads say, yeah, the 1520 or 1020 or 925, etc are good options. Yes, they are, but they won't work on Verizon.

I don't consider iPhone or Android viable options for myself.

Thanks for the responses, everyone. I'll be thinking about it. You've given me good food for thought.

If I had my druthers, I'd be getting an 830, buuuuut that doesn't seem to be happening ion ol' VZ.
 

Darthbobcat

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Re: Talk me into an HTC One M8 for Windows

Also there is a part of me that wants to encourage HTC to keep making Windows Phones to support the brand and ecosystem. Silly, I know, but I do like to make positive contributions to the macro environment.
 

etphoto

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Re: Talk me into an HTC One M8 for Windows

Hardware is solid.

SD card slot (something I never really wanted) is a big plus. I am a big podcast listener and any podcast I d/l goes on the card, freeing up space on the phone itself. Music as well.

The soft three buttons at the bottom of the phone is another added bonus. No more hitting the search button on accident, something I did often on my 8x.

However, the biggest plus about this phone is the battery. Best battery in a smart phone I've ever owned.

Go for it.
 

Kanishka

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Re: Talk me into an HTC One M8 for Windows

I have a M8 on AT&T and love it, I upgraded from a 920, I really can't say one bad thing about this phone. Other than the 1520 Lumia has nothing to offer that compares to the M8 performance wise or on looks. The Dot view case? I tried it and did not like it, it made the phone big ,bulky and very ugly and it was like looking through a screen door , But it all boils down to , it is your choice.


how do you find the camera quality difference between these two? which image looks sharper and more detailed?
 

jfdavis17

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Re: Talk me into an HTC One M8 for Windows

The phone is great. I am no picture taking guru, but from my novice eyes the photos are very good.
 

Darthbobcat

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Re: Talk me into an HTC One M8 for Windows

Went for it! My only complaint is the dot view case. I had to hold my thumb at such an odd angle that I got a crick in it, so I'll be returning it straightaway.

Which means no pseudo glance, but whatevs.
 

calima20

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Re: Talk me into an HTC One M8 for Windows

Although the dot view case looked interesting it wasn't for me either. I shopped for other cases but I didn't like the way they looked and I really liked the color of the grey dot view case against the color of the m8. I ended up taking the front flip cover off. As far as screen protection I added a gorilla glass sheet over the screen.

Its been almost 2 weeks with this phone and I can't complain about one thing! If your on the fence post about buying one, just go to the store and play with one and make your own decision. I left Android for good when I picked the M8 up for my personal phone. I now wish I could trade in my company iPhone for the M8.
 
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Kevin Hill2

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Re: Talk me into an HTC One M8 for Windows

how do you find the camera quality difference between these two? which image looks sharper and more detailed?

I am not a big camera buff, but I think it takes a lot better picture then the 920 did and it is a lot faster, the 920 pics were always kinda yellow in low light, for me there is not a Windows phone out there right now in the 5" size that is better then the M8, and all the 1520 has over it is size,
 

waazzupppp

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Re: Talk me into an HTC One M8 for Windows

Ok, you asked for it, now I will sell you on it...

Build Quality
The build quality on the M8 is the best of any phone I've had. Currently I have three of them in my household and all three are flawless in the manufacturing process. My one 'gripe' with the design is that the 'machined' edge of the device tends to get nicked and the bare metal look shows those dings pretty well.

Display
It will take you a bit of time to get used to the soft keys. The ability to make them appear and disappear is nice, but it does take a minute to remember how to get them back when they go away. The text is crisp and clear. Colors are well saturated, but not over the top. The display is also the perfect size for the 3 wide layout. Tiles are very readable - even with the 6 up tiles.

Multimedia
There isn't much on the market that will touch this thing for video/audio/gaming right now. On games where my Lumia 925 and 1520 lagged a bit, the M8 powers through them and has none. Running a heavy game of Asphalt 8 or Ages of Empires created no issues at all on this thing. The BoomSound speaker setup is great for listening at a desk or even a small room.

Battery Life
I was always impressed with my Lumia 925's ability to make it through a full work day. The M8 doubles to triples it without blinking.

Camera
Quite a few people beat up on the camera on the M8. I'm going to argue for it as a 'better' camera for the average user. What sets the M8 apart to me as better, is the dynamic range. From white to black, the M8 captures more stages than my 925 or my 1520. I also have an M7 Android that has the older, first generation Ultrapixel camera in it that the M8 out performs easily. Now with that said, it's a snapshot camera unless you really work it hard. If you are going to take photos of the kids to post on Facebook or Instagram your dinner, the M8 is spectacular. The color reproduction is amazing and the manual controls let you really dial it in well. It's also the fastest camera on the planet. Those are the strong points of the camera...

The weaker parts are that you really can't zoom without distorting the image with pixilation. If you are close to your subject, you'll be golden. If not, try to frame it up and get it as clean as possible. The other smaller issue is that you don't have OIS, but again, with a bit of practice, you will get used to holding it again. Finally, the loss of the physical shutter button is a bit of a drag again.

The front camera, is amazing. The 5MP wide angle shooter gets my whole family in the image at short range. It's nice to have the countdown timer and the swipe to switch cameras options. The front is one of the best "selfie" cameras on the planet.

Overall
The M8 is about as total package as you can get right now in a Windows Phone. Everyone is 'dogging' Microsoft for not releasing a 'flagship' device right now, but I think that is a deal that was struck behind closed doors with HTC for doing this. The M8 is an incredible device and there is nothing better than having a true Windows Phone experience on such a premium piece of hardware. Since I left my Titan for the Lumia 900, I've missed that 'build' and now I have something that I would call worthy of the Titan 3. It's not perfect by any means, but no phone ever will be. For now, I will define perfection as my M8 for Windows.
 

Darthbobcat

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Re: Talk me into an HTC One M8 for Windows

I'm digging it so far. I wound up with another case I don't care for, but that'll be swapped out today.

My only gripe on the actual phone is my years of Lumia muscle memory that says the power button is on the side, instead of the top. Also its warmer than my 822 or 1020 usually were, but not bad.
 

gapost

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Re: Talk me into an HTC One M8 for Windows

I'm digging it so far. I wound up with another case I don't care for, but that'll be swapped out today.

My only gripe on the actual phone is my years of Lumia muscle memory that says the power button is on the side, instead of the top. Also its warmer than my 822 or 1020 usually were, but not bad.

It has double-tap to turn on. Once you use that you love it.
 

Darthbobcat

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Re: Talk me into an HTC One M8 for Windows

I just noticed that going through settings. It's still gonna take a bit of getting used to. Thanks for the tip!
 

Darthbobcat

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Re: Talk me into an HTC One M8 for Windows

OK, SOMEWHAT unhappy now. When I turn on speakerphone, people hear me, but I can't hear them, I hear them better WITHOUT speakerphone turned on.

This happens whether I initiate the call or not. I REALLY hope this isn't a hardware issue.

Rebooting seemed to fix it, but that makes me a sad panda. Hopefully that's the end of it.
 

Darthbobcat

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Re: Talk me into an HTC One M8 for Windows

HTC support was helpful. Removing the SIM, rebooting, rebooting again, reentering the SIM and turning back on seems to have fixed it.

... The SIM tray looks a little loose. I bet THATS why people are having reboot issues! And its probably the solution to my problem! If it works like the HTC 8X, some scotch tape around the sim tray to hold it in place will work wonders.
 

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