The 2014 One might be the best Android phone currently available.
Yearly hardware refreshes in the high-end smartphone space is now a commonality among all the major smartphone manufacturers, and HTC is no exception.
The 2014 HTC One (also known as the One (M8)) maintains the industrial design from the previous model, with some modifications. A new CPU (Snapdragon 801), battery (2,600 mAh), display (5-inch 1080p Super LCD 3), and dual camera system are the standout hardware features. Everything is wrapped up in Android 4.4.2 and the Sense 6 UI.
Speaking of the camera, the 5 MP UltraPixel shooter still seems to be the weak point (according to The Verge), similar to the 2013 One. Hopefully performance gets a boost in a software update. It’s not all doom and gloom with the camera, though, thanks to UFocus. The second camera on the One (M8) is used for collecting depth information, which allows you to refocus the image after it’s taken.
The general consensus (looping in Engadget and WSJ here) seems to be that the One (M8) is a fantastic piece of hardware, aside from the camera. The design, internal specs, and useful-but-not-overwhelming apps and UI tweaks all hit the right marks.
The One (M8) is availble on Sprint, AT&T, and Verizon today. While it’s only available online for Sprint and AT&T, Verizon customers can find the phone in-store right now. The 16 GB version goes for $199, with a 32 GB version coming soon for $249.
