HTC today launched its newest flagship Android phone, the HTC One (M8). Hoping to attract Android users inspired to upgrade by the Galaxy S5, HTC is offering instant gratification with promises to make its new phone available online today through AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint, as well as through Best Buy, Amazon and Walmart. But the phone will not actually be in stores until April 11, so buyers will need to take a leap of faith if they want the phone sooner. (Samsung’s Galaxy S5 also hits stores April 11.)
AT&T was the first carrier to announce pricing. The HTC One (M8) will be $200 with a two-year contract and will also be available through the carrier’s Next 12 and Next 18 monthly payment plans.
Powered by Qualcomm’s latest 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor, the 5 inch phone is the successor to last year’s HTC One (M7), which was praised by reviewers but overlooked by consumers. HTC cannot compete with Samsung or Apple when it comes to marketing budgets, so the company needs to find other ways to differentiate itself. Trying to beat the S5 to market is clearly part of that strategy.
“Although the One (M7) was showered with awards, the latest of which came at the 2014 Mobile World Congress, HTC was unable to avoid a poor financial performance in 2013,” said Julian Jest, Research Analyst at Informa Telecoms & Media. “HTC is in danger of history repeating itself in 2014 with the One (M8) and must avoid relying solely on the good looks of the new phone. It is better placed this time around to succeed with its new flagship device, and appears to have addressed the distribution issues that plagued the One (M7).”
The HTC One (M8) features a full HD display and comes with an optional $50 case that can display time and temperature. The case is sold separately by HTC on the company’s website. Features that are new for the HTC One (M8) include Motion Launch, which lets the user launch apps by swiping the screen from standby mode, and BoomSound speakers that stretch across the screen. The phone has a total of three cameras: one on the front (which includes a “selfie” mode) and two on the back. One of the back cameras is dedicated to depth information, allowing users to change the focus of a photo after taking it.
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