HTC One (M8) For Windows

[tsupersonic]

I think people are dismissing the Ultrapixel camera because it's "just" 4 MP, falling to the MP pissing war. The whole point of a camera on any phone is to take quick pics and share them over MMS/social media, but rather people treat it as a DSLR. Use a real camera if you want any sort of real photography.

Outside of that, I think this is a welcome addition to the WP line. It brings so much to the table - premium build quality, stereo speakers (practically unmatched), duo camera, etc.

 

[Commodus]

Good news: Verizon's exclusive on the HTC One M8 for Windows won't last all that long. AT&T has confirmed that it's going to carry the device at some point in the near future.

http://www.engadget.com/2014/08/19/att-htc-m8-windows/

There's no hard info, but you don't put out PR like that unless you expect to get the phone in a timely manner. I figure that it's probably a couple of months or so. Still annoying, but better than not getting the hardware at all.

 

[Belegost]

I think people are dismissing the Ultrapixel camera because it's "just" 4 MP, falling to the MP pissing war. The whole point of a camera on any phone is to take quick pics and share them over MMS/social media, but rather people treat it as a DSLR. Use a real camera if you want any sort of real photography.

Outside of that, I think this is a welcome addition to the WP line. It brings so much to the table - premium build quality, stereo speakers (practically unmatched), duo camera, etc.

People are dismissing the camera because two generations of it have failed to impress, and this one doesn't even have the OIS the M7 had. Just one example from WPCentral's article today comparing the new M8 WP with the ATIV SE and the Lumia Icon. Look at the small tree next to the table in the foreground, the HTC loses a lot of detail on the leaves and it looks messy or out of focus. Same with the bricks on the building in the background. Results I have seen often have this problem from the camera on the One.

HTC One WP

Lumia Icon

And yes, I do have my DSLR for taking pictures, but it's not something I carry all the time, and I would prefer to have a good camera on my phone for all the times I want to remember something but don't have my DSLR handy.

 

[maevinj]

I think people are dismissing the Ultrapixel camera because it's "just" 4 MP, falling to the MP pissing war. The whole point of a camera on any phone is to take quick pics and share them over MMS/social media, but rather people treat it as a DSLR. Use a real camera if you want any sort of real photography.

Outside of that, I think this is a welcome addition to the WP line. It brings so much to the table - premium build quality, stereo speakers (practically unmatched), duo camera, etc.

I'm not dismissing it because of the MP. Look at the pictures in the link I posted. It's a major drop off in quality. It just doesn't make sense to make an awesome phone like the M8 and then skimp on the camera.

 

[Bateluer]

Good news: Verizon's exclusive on the HTC One M8 for Windows won't last all that long. AT&T has confirmed that it's going to carry the device at some point in the near future.

http://www.engadget.com/2014/08/19/att-htc-m8-windows/

There's no hard info, but you don't put out PR like that unless you expect to get the phone in a timely manner. I figure that it's probably a couple of months or so. Still annoying, but better than not getting the hardware at all.

. . . doesn't this kinda gut the purpose of Verizon paying HTC for exclusivity? I mean, an AT&T customer would just to wait what, a month, and avoid switching carriers?

Good for HTC though, they get a payout from Verizon for exclusivity; but the WP m8 will probably only sell a few dozen. Not much market for Windows Phone outside the uber cheap Lumia 5xx.

 

[Ravynmagi]

It's a semi exclusive deal. Verizon gets the customers that can't wait and want the phone now. And then AT&T gets it a bit later.

It's better than it being just a Verizon phone. But still seems stupid all around. Verizon is buying a brief moment of exclusivity of a phone that's been out for months and is just being recycled for an OS that has 1.5% market share. People won't be camping out at Verizon stores for this. AT&T gets it a bit later, but the iPhone 6, Note 4, Moto X+1 will be announced, maybe available, so competition is only getting tougher as this phone gets older.

Perhaps HTC is content to being lumped with "other" in phone manufacturer rankings.

And I agree, from pretty much every review I've read of the M7 and M8, it sounds like the Ultrapixel camera is a failure. Time to scrap that idea and maybe get back to something more traditional.

 

[PingviN]

I think people are dismissing the Ultrapixel camera because it's "just" 4 MP, falling to the MP pissing war. The whole point of a camera on any phone is to take quick pics and share them over MMS/social media, but rather people treat it as a DSLR. Use a real camera if you want any sort of real photography.

No, people are dismissing it because it produces lower image quality than the competitors' cameras.

 

[Deeko]

I got it yesterday. It runs very well, but it is awfully large. Will post more impressions later.

 

[Megatomic]

I got it yesterday. It runs very well, but it is awfully large. Will post more impressions later.

Looking forward to it. I know I won't find it large as I carry a One+ One currently.

 

[Deeko]

A few more quick impressions...

The camera really isn't as bad as people make it out to be. I am not a professional photographer or a hipster, most of my pictures are of family, dogs, or various things around the house, and it does that fine. I would actually say it takes better pictures than my Z1 Compact, which supposedly has the best camera available on an Android phone. One feature overlooked is camera speed...this camera takes pictures way faster than my Lumia 920 or the Z1, which at times is very nice to have.

I realize why they did it (without it phones like this wouldn't exist) but I liked Windows Phone a lot better with the requires physical buttons and actual capacitive buttons. Also, it has a notification LED, but unlike it's Android counterpart, it is not actually used for notifications, just charging. Come on, HTC/Microsoft. Considering what you do with Glance on Nokia, I know the notification API exists, and the hardware is there. Use it.

Verizon's LTE is shockingly slow compared to T-Mobile.

Battery life is reasonable so far but its really too early to call.

 

[vi edit]

I'd be very interested to see what the risk/reward is for HTC or Samsung to do this.

How much money do they really have to dump into it to get it tested/approved/licensed/ect and then in turn just how many do they need to sell to break even on it?

 

[s44]

Pretty certain that at this point the only thing keeping non-Nokia OEMs in the WP game is Microsoft's bribery/strongarming in connection to its patent bullying.

Samsung recently decided "screw it, we'll fight", so don't expect any new WP devices. HTC is still on the hook, so we get this.

 

[tsupersonic]

People are dismissing the camera because two generations of it have failed to impress, and this one doesn't even have the OIS the M7 had. Just one example from WPCentral's article today comparing the new M8 WP with the ATIV SE and the Lumia Icon. Look at the small tree next to the table in the foreground, the HTC loses a lot of detail on the leaves and it looks messy or out of focus. Same with the bricks on the building in the background. Results I have seen often have this problem from the camera on the One.

And yes, I do have my DSLR for taking pictures, but it's not something I carry all the time, and I would prefer to have a good camera on my phone for all the times I want to remember something but don't have my DSLR handy.

You just proved my point. Those pictures are perfectly acceptable for social media/MMS. You are looking for imperfections between both those photos - something I would do only with dedicated camera equipment.

 

[Belegost]

You just proved my point. Those pictures are perfectly acceptable for social media/MMS. You are looking for imperfections between both those photos - something I would do only with dedicated camera equipment.

If it's good enough for your purposes, great. Everyone has their own priorities in selecting a phone, if camera quality is not a priority for yourself, that's fine.

I don't consider the picture from the One to be acceptable, even for dumping on Facebook.

And, as I pointed out before I sometimes find myself capturing images that I would like to keep for memories with my phone. So, having a decent camera on my phone is high on my priority list, and other people commenting seem to have an interest in it as well.

If the camera on the One consistently provided results comparable to other phones (primarily the 1520/Icon) I would probably get one as I like the other features, particularly the uSD slot. The camera issue makes it unlikely I will purchase.

 

[Commodus]

Yeah, it's not fair to create an artificial binary where your choices are either "any decent smartphone camera" and "buy a dedicated camera." Sometimes you want to take the best possible shot that you can with the phone you have in your pocket, whether it's because you couldn't bring your DSLR or you just happened to stumble across an interesting shot while out on the town.

I will say that the One is good for many of those situations, but there are times when you'll want more.

 

[tsupersonic]

If it's good enough for your purposes, great. Everyone has their own priorities in selecting a phone, if camera quality is not a priority for yourself, that's fine.

I don't consider the picture from the One to be acceptable, even for dumping on Facebook.

And, as I pointed out before I sometimes find myself capturing images that I would like to keep for memories with my phone. So, having a decent camera on my phone is high on my priority list, and other people commenting seem to have an interest in it as well.

If the camera on the One consistently provided results comparable to other phones (primarily the 1520/Icon) I would probably get one as I like the other features, particularly the uSD slot. The camera issue makes it unlikely I will purchase.

We'll just agree to disagree, and you're absolutely right - everyone has different requirements for a smartphone. Look at how the majority of people use their cameras - selfies, pictures on instagram with some crap filter, etc. Rarely do you see something taken by a smartphone that wows people. Where smartphones have come in handy is for on the go (vertical 😛) video recording.

I have had a M7, and the camera was great for the purposes. It took some amazing shots, but nothing that didn't leave me wanting for me. I will admit ever since I have owned a smartphone (starting from 2010), I have taken far more pictures on a smartphone than on a traditional camera. Most of the times, I'm not looking for stellar images, but if I know that I'm doing something special, then I always bring a camera.

Yeah, it's not fair to create an artificial binary where your choices are either "any decent smartphone camera" and "buy a dedicated camera." Sometimes you want to take the best possible shot that you can with the phone you have in your pocket, whether it's because you couldn't bring your DSLR or you just happened to stumble across an interesting shot while out on the town.

I will say that the One is good for many of those situations, but there are times when you'll want more.

Yep, for the times when I want more, the camera is out with me. Personal choice, but there are plenty of pocketable cameras that you can carry with you easily.

 

[Deeko]

To say it needs to be as good as the Icon isn't exactly like saying it just has to be acceptable, since Icon is in the top tier. Later today I will do a comparison between my current phones (One M8, Z1 Compact, 920). All auto, one shot each. Those cameras aren't slouches either. Maybe i will toss on my Q10 as a reference point for "this is a camera you better beat because it sucks". Will post the results.

 

[bassoprofundo]

If it's good enough for your purposes, great. Everyone has their own priorities in selecting a phone, if camera quality is not a priority for yourself, that's fine.

I don't consider the picture from the One to be acceptable, even for dumping on Facebook.

And, as I pointed out before I sometimes find myself capturing images that I would like to keep for memories with my phone. So, having a decent camera on my phone is high on my priority list, and other people commenting seem to have an interest in it as well.

If the camera on the One consistently provided results comparable to other phones (primarily the 1520/Icon) I would probably get one as I like the other features, particularly the uSD slot. The camera issue makes it unlikely I will purchase.

Agreed... I'm completely spoiled by having 4 straight Nokias (920, 925, 1020, 1520). I had a One M7 for a while, and I found myself bringing my work 1020 every time I went out in a potential pic taking situation because the difference was so night and day. I did enjoy the Zoes and Auto-awesomes from the Android side, but the images were pretty rough in comparison.

 

[IamDavid]

I played with one today and love it!!! I hate Verizon though so I'm stuck waiting for something better then my 1020 on ATT.

 

[maevinj]

To say it needs to be as good as the Icon isn't exactly like saying it just has to be acceptable, since Icon is in the top tier. Later today I will do a comparison between my current phones (One M8, Z1 Compact, 920). All auto, one shot each. Those cameras aren't slouches either. Maybe i will toss on my Q10 as a reference point for "this is a camera you better beat because it sucks". Will post the results.

I curious to see your results. I went and played with one today. I took a few pictures in store. While they looked good on the screen, I didn't have a way to get them off of a phone and onto a computer.

 

[Deeko]

Sorry for the delay. Busy week.

So I grabbed a few pictures in different scenarios. I didn't always have the Nokia on me (come on, I can only carry two phones with me in public, right?) Rules applied: 1 shot, no retakes, automatic mode. Nokia Lumia 920 vs Sony Z1 Compact vs HTC One M8 for Windows.

1) Indoor, low light

Sony

HTC

Nokia

Not really a competition here. The Nokia's OIS tech crushes the competition in low light. Sony and HTC were comparable, with the HTC grabbing a little more light but also being blurrier.

2) Restaurant, no flash

Sony

HTC

HTC wins this one easy. Not quite as bright, but much more accurate colors and sharper.

3) Restaurant, with flash

Sony

HTC

With the flash, the results are more mixed. The HTC is a bit sharper still, and the surrounding scene has better colors, but the menu / subject was more washed out by the flash.

 

[Deeko]

4) Indoor, bright light

Sony

HTC

HTC wins this round - not quite as much detail, but less noisy and way better colors than the Sony

5) Baseball, sunny

Sony

HTC

Whoops - probably shouldn't do this after tailgating eh? 😉 Smudge on the HTC lens renders this one a no-op, but if I had to take a guess, I'd say the HTC would have been a bit sharper, but not quite as accurate on the colors.

6) Outdoor, backlight sun

Sony

HTC

Nokia

Nokia wins again. Between HTC and Sony, it's a bit harder to call 2nd place - the Sony had a tad more details, but the HTC was more lifelike and handled the sun through the trees better.

So there you go - a "real" photo review, not done by a hipster blogger that takes pictures for a living. The clear winner here is Nokia - the Lumia 920 won every time it was involved, and by no small margin, and when you consider the Icon / 930 both have better cameras than the 920, and they all get trumped by the 1020, Nokia is still the way to go for good Windows Phone pictures.

That said, the Sony Z1 is not supposed to be a slouch - it has over 20mp in it's sensor, and most reviews I remember called it the best Android had to offer - and I'd say it was pretty comparable to the HTC One. Neither were great, neither were terrible.

 

[zerogear]

4) Indoor, bright light

Sony

HTC

HTC wins this round - not quite as much detail, but less noisy and way better colors than the Sony

5) Baseball, sunny

Sony

HTC

Whoops - probably shouldn't do this after tailgating eh? 😉 Smudge on the HTC lens renders this one a no-op, but if I had to take a guess, I'd say the HTC would have been a bit sharper, but not quite as accurate on the colors.

6) Outdoor, backlight sun

Sony

HTC

Nokia

Nokia wins again. Between HTC and Sony, it's a bit harder to call 2nd place - the Sony had a tad more details, but the HTC was more lifelike and handled the sun through the trees better.

So there you go - a "real" photo review, not done by a hipster blogger that takes pictures for a living. The clear winner here is Nokia - the Lumia 920 won every time it was involved, and by no small margin, and when you consider the Icon / 930 both have better cameras than the 920, and they all get trumped by the 1020, Nokia is still the way to go for good Windows Phone pictures.

That said, the Sony Z1 is not supposed to be a slouch - it has over 20mp in it's sensor, and most reviews I remember called it the best Android had to offer - and I'd say it was pretty comparable to the HTC One. Neither were great, neither were terrible.

Basically this is what I've found as well. While HTC doesn't lead the pack -- That goes to Nokia Lumia 1020 -- it is a competitive with the top phones. I've tried with iPhone 5S/Sony Z2/HTC One M8 and 1020. Each of them has their pros and cons, so unless you are printing out photos or you need a lot of cropping, M8/Ultrapixel should be fine for most usages.

 

[quikah]

Ars review http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/08/htc-one-m8-for-windows-crazy-name-great-phone/



The battery life bit is interesting.

 

[Graze]

I think people are dismissing the Ultrapixel camera because it's "just" 4 MP, falling to the MP pissing war. The whole point of a camera on any phone is to take quick pics and share them over MMS/social media, but rather people treat it as a DSLR. Use a real camera if you want any sort of real photography.

Outside of that, I think this is a welcome addition to the WP line. It brings so much to the table - premium build quality, stereo speakers (practically unmatched), duo camera, etc.

No the camera just sucked and in the M8 without IS it sucks more!