HTC One 2014 (M8)

[Ravynmagi]

http://www.slashgear.com/htc-one-2-m8-this-is-essentially-it-19317417/

I'm a sad panda. HTC got rid of the capacitive buttons, but left the oversized bottom bezel, apparently just for the sake of having some place to put their name. *sigh*

This looks like another HTC phone I *almost* want to buy, but won't.



Update 3/25/14 Launch Day ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------

http://www.anandtech.com/show/7892/htc-launches-the-one-2014-formerly-m8
http://www.engadget.com/2014/03/25/htc-one-2014-review/
http://www.theverge.com/2014/3/25/5544642/htc-one-review-m8
http://www.droid-life.com/2014/03/25/htc-one-m8-specs/

5 inch 1920x1080 Super LCD 3 display
2.3GHz Snapdragon 801
32GB eMMC with micro SD (up to 128GB)
2GB RAM
4.1 UltraPixel rear camera with 2MP depth camera and 5MP front camera
2600 mAh battery
802.11ac, GPS, NFC, BT4.0, DLNA
Boom Sound front speakers and IR blaster
160 grams

Launching on all four major US carriers and Google Play.

$200 on 2 yr contract
$700 on Google Play

 

[cronos]

Yeah I saw the screenshot of that htc logo in my newsfeed last night when it was posted in several places. That makes no sense, HTC!

 

[Radeon962]

Well, they are releasing a gold version. Does not do anything about the large bezels or the wasted space on the bottom, but it's gold. I had hoped for an edge to edge display on the M8, but if this is the final product, I think I will pass as well.

http://www.engadget.com/2014/02/19/all-new-htc-one-leaks-again/

 

[dawheat]

Ugh - basically doubles the bottom bezel with non-functional space. No idea why they did this - their front speaker + aluminium body is already signature enough, combined with a logo on the back.

 

[cronos]

I laughed at the joke about the name at the end of that article. I can't help but to imagine how people at HTC was so happy with the name HTC One last year and then when it's time to think about what to call the next one they were like "Oh shit, we didn't think this through" :biggrin:

 

[vi edit]

The One to mate? Err. HTC is so lost.

 

[vshah]

the space beneath the htc logo is probably required internally for components. don't forget there are rather large speakers taking up space top and bottom

looks really nice to me. I have missed my htc one despite the nexus 5's advantages in some areas.

 

[Red Storm]

Missed opportunity to have the perfect front of any phone, but they just had to keep that extra bezel on the bottom. I hate phones that have their displays heavily shifted over to one side in landscape.

 

[zerogear]

Seems like it's using this tech:

http://www.talkandroid.com/191296-t...-smartphones-packs-dedicated-processing-chip/

 

[zerogear]

The One to mate? Err. HTC is so lost.

M8 is the Code name. M7 was HTC One

 

[Red Storm]

M8 is the Code name. M7 was HTC One

They should have just made M the name of the product, so they could do generational releases without having to come up with new and confusing naming schemes.

 

[openwheel]

The top/bottom bezel is the price to pay for nice front facing speakers. There is no way around it.

I'd take that speaker layout over the crappy one on my Note 3 and wife's iPhone 5S.

 

[ChronoReverse]

The top/bottom bezel is the price to pay for nice front facing speakers. There is no way around it.

I'd take that speaker layout over the crappy one on my Note 3 and wife's iPhone 5S.

The issue isn't the speaker bezels, the problem is the huge black bar with the HTC logo on it.

That bar used to house the capacitive buttons and backlight which are thicker than the screen so there's really no excuse except for dumb design.

 

[Red Storm]

The top/bottom bezel is the price to pay for nice front facing speakers. There is no way around it.

I'd take that speaker layout over the crappy one on my Note 3 and wife's iPhone 5S.

It's just the extra bottom bezel that's ugly. If it was just a speaker on each end with an edge to edge display, it would look super slick.

 

[CurrentlyPissed]

The issue isn't the speaker bezels, the problem is the huge black bar with the HTC logo on it.

That bar used to house the capacitive buttons and backlight which are thicker than the screen so there's really no excuse except for dumb design.

You aren't paying attention though.

Where the speakers are located, that takes up space where they would normally have to put other components. Instead, it's not there, because of the speakers. Thus requiring the space above on the bottom portion.

 

[dawheat]

You aren't paying attention though.

Where the speakers are located, that takes up space where they would normally have to put other components. Instead, it's not there, because of the speakers. Thus requiring the space above on the bottom portion.

Uhh components are under the screen most of the time - what exactly has to be in the bezel vs. under the screen? Has nothing to do with needing edge access since the extra bezel is above the speaker - are there some components that cannot be under the screen and is there no better way to shrink their footprint?

 

[Ravynmagi]

This is probably a 5+ inch phone. I don't think the extra bezel space is required for anything. I think they could have cut down the bottom bezel some if they wanted to. This seems like marketing wanted a place to put the logo so made them keep some bezel just for that purpose.

 

[Bateluer]

They should have just made M the name of the product, so they could do generational releases without having to come up with new and confusing naming schemes.

My understanding is that they'll just be going with One 2014 Edition, One 2015 Edition, etc. Which makes more sense, in a way, even the most illiterate user will know at a glance what the latest model is.

Not a huge fan of the giant black bezel on the bottom though. On the M7, it was alright because the space was also used for the capacitive buttons. Now that they're scrapping the capacitive buttons, a very good move, that black HTC bezel space should go with it.

 

[Spike]

I don't mind the extra bezel space on my HTC one but that is likely because the buttons are there. If it was just a logo area.... seems odd. I thought they had to have buttons anyway for the good design? If so, wouldn't that space still be buttons? Or did someone confirm that they got rid of the capacitive buttons completely. Though I'd totally dig the bottom bar being part of the screen itself with buttons that could change based on the app being used.

Either way, when I replace my One if I don't get another HTC I'm going to miss the dual front speakers. By far the best experience for conference calls and video watching.

 

[ChronoReverse]

You aren't paying attention though.

Where the speakers are located, that takes up space where they would normally have to put other components. Instead, it's not there, because of the speakers. Thus requiring the space above on the bottom portion.

Did you even read my post or is this on copy and paste for you?

The speakers existed in the original HTC One did it not? And that very space you're claiming is necessary for "components" was used for the capacitive buttons and lights which I noted takes more space than an LCD screen panel does.

So what on Earth are these mysterious components that didn't take up space in the One but now requires a blank panel in the One 2?

 

[WelshBloke]

And that very space you're claiming is necessary for "components" was used for the capacitive buttons and lights which I noted takes more space than an LCD screen panel does.

I don't think that capacitive buttons do take up more space (I'm assuming that we are talking thickness here) than an lcd screen.

 

[ChronoReverse]

I don't think that capacitive buttons do take up more space (I'm assuming that we are talking thickness here) than an lcd screen.

It's surprising but unless HTC changed something from the One X (which I took apart) the lights are routed with these little plastic things that do in fact extend deeper than the LCD does (which is pretty thin in the first place anyway). That's why I was careful to say "capacitive buttons and lights". It's indeed true that the capacitive sensor is ultra-thin.

Besides, we're talking a couple millimeter thick LCD screen here. It's not like it's a huge amount space taken (the One isn't the thinnest phone after all).

 

[WelshBloke]

It's surprising but unless HTC changed something from the One X (which I took apart) the lights are routed with these little plastic things that do in fact extend deeper than the LCD does (which is pretty thin in the first place anyway). That's why I was careful to say "capacitive buttons and lights". It's indeed true that the capacitive sensor is ultra-thin.

Besides, we're talking a couple millimeter thick LCD screen here. It's not like it's a huge amount space taken (the One isn't the thinnest phone after all).

There's no need for them to be that thick, the ones in the S2 are really thin (I've buggered a few up peeling them off the glass). They are thinner than the screen.

 

[Riceninja]

cannot unsee the asymetrical top/bottom speaker layout

 

[IAteYourMother]

No wonder HTC will go out of business.