I often love how you M8 owners try to rationalize the shortcomings of this phone to make excuses for it(The camera isn't that bad and if you want to take good pictures, use a DSLR lol...or you know, you can buy the phone with the better camera) or discredit Lumia advantages(The apps Lumia has are irrelevant as HEre is the only the matters OR Nokia was PAID to support the OS, HTC or Samsung or OEMs didn't have that funding so they didn't have a reason to).
It's really amusing to me truthfully.
Fact is, When I look at Nokia updates for their phone, I don't sit here and compare features to features. I don't use every bit of the update that Windows Phone has or every Nokia update. I could care less if an update is merely just bug fixes. However, I do care to see a Manufacturer go above and beyond the vanilla default Windows Phone experience by offering an extension to the OS.
It shows they SUPPORT the OS and Aren't just releasing any phone and throwing it out to be forgotten about it. Long before we got Folders built into the OS, Samsung and Nokia both released apps for that. While not the best implementation either, it brought a feature that did not exist natively to their phones to make the experience better for some of their users.
HTC rarely(if ever) has really gone above and beyond to offer their users anything. I think prior to the HTC One, their most notable app was a Flashlight app and that clock thing? ood for them.
Now let's look at updates while also being camera centric
A. Amber brought
-Glance(A fan Favorite of all Lumia devices which is why they complain when a Lumia lacks this feature...I sort of see why after switching to the iPhones)
-Flip to mute
- Call Block/Sms Block(A very useful and built in feature I love with my Lumia)
-Lumia Color Profile
B. Black Brought
-Updated Glance Screen support(Again a Nokia fan favorite feature)
-Nokia bveamer(I don't use this app but it is obviously something for someone who does that didn't exist prior for WP)
-Nokia Storyteller App
-Folders Support(Before Windows Phone 8.1 had folders)
Camera Centric that did not presently exist with Windows Phone
- Nokia Refocus
- Nokia Camera App
-RAW DNG support
C. Cyan Brought
-Updated Creative Studio
-Updated Nokia Camera
-Updated Storyteller
-Nokia Device Hub
-Miracast Support
-Rich Recording
D. Denim Brings
-4k Video Support
Updated glance
- Hey Cortana( This feature has yet to be announced to coming to any Non Nokia windows phone)
-Rich Capture(I think the M8 windows has HDR already on it, but added onto to the power of Nokia cameras likely means it'll be even better with Lumias)
Denim actually is the only one of the 4 updates that has the most camera centric features coming to it. Regardless if they are bug fixes or camera centric, each of these 4 updates not to mention Nokia's App suite over the last 2 years is what has gotten them the dedication and support of MOST windows phone users.
It shows that they truly invested in the platform and when the OS was lacking, they brought things we lacked and needed. And they built-upon things we already had(Nokia camera is better than Microsoft's default camera for example).
Much like diehard Android fan will recommend Nexus devices for you to get the priority and dedication of Google support over other Android phones, a Lumia owner will do the same. And it is why I am so glad that Microsoft owns Lumia now and I hope they continue to offer a Premium and Unique experience.
We'll also ignore the fact that HTC's older Windows Phones also had known issues(Such as the Radar's camera, the Titan's Mic issues, Major Wifi Issues on some of their models, etc etc) that most users reported as never being fixed or acknowledged. In most cases, most issues with Lumias usually do have some kind of response from Lumia that they try to fix.
The M8 is the FIRST windows phone HTC has put out in 2 years that has the potential to show they do mean business but as it stands, I am unsure about them and with their anemic camera as well as questionable support...Notice it is taking over 7 months for the original 8x and 8s to get their updates, no HTC is not someone I'd use as a daily driver or recommend to anyone especially when there are Lumias who are better supported and better represented that offer more for Value
So no HTC is not a valid choice for me or most people on WC because most of us want we experienced with Lumia and we refuse to look elsewhere and that is HTC's fault. After being the darling of WP in the early days, they screwed that up and even when they release a good phone like the M8, it's unfortunate that they wont get the attention it deserves.
Let's also forget the fact they released this phone nearly 6 months later as a Rehash and they have since introduced some key features to their android line(The Desire Eye) and Re cam that are likely not coming to WP version as well as the WP version isn't even a 100 percent rehash. It lacks certain things still.
Let's be fair here. What did cyan bring us? Bluetooth LE, which should have been supported in the first place. Sensorcore, which basically applies only to new devices, which should have supported it in the first place. Miracast, which should have been supported TWO YEARS AGO, but was instead arbitrarily roped off for newer devices only.
Many users claim battery life is better, but I've never seen actual proof (users posting charts of before and after), and this is not one of the listed features of cyan. I have severe doubts about the validity of most battery life claims. I personally did not see a drop in battery life with 8.1, nor an increase with cyan.
So what did most people actually get from cyan? Camera improvements. The only thing I can think of that amber did was add camera improvements, and enable glance (which should have been a feature supporting phones launched with). Denim is, you guessed it, sporting camera updates.
Now lets see the impact not getting these updates have on the HTC One: Well, since it's shipping with all of its features enabled (having come from an OS that used them and so no last minute updates are going to be required to activate certain hardware), that means the only "updates" one misses out on is for the camera. If you're leaving Nokia, then camera quality isn't as important to you.
There are no claims, unsubstantiated or otherwise, that the One needs a firmware refresh to improve battery life.
Lumia updates apply to Lumia hardware. If you don't have Lumia hardware, you don't need the update. QED, you're not missing out on much for your device.
The dev preview is where all the real updates are. I have not encountered an issue with any of the 6 devices I put the dev preview on; none that I couldn't fix myself. Nothing is "buggy", there are only conflicts with your specific device.
Would I like to see an update to dotview once in a blue moon, like glance gets? Yeah. Is the lack of that alone going to support the argument "HTC isn't worth getting because they don't support the OS"? No.