HTC One M8

Not perfect but can do the service if you get a good deal – I got it cheap and although it is an old model, it works, looks and feels better than the average newer mid-class phones that can even be more expensive. I have experienced some bugs such as a sudden drop from 20% to 0% of battery, but that also happened to me using an iPhone. I love the screen and the sound, perfect for enjoying YouTube, Instagram and similar.  Show details

You can't kill this phone if you try – My HTC One M8 was purchased in April 2014 as of writing this review my phone is still going strong. This phone is practically indestructible! I have gotten it wet and dropped it countless times. The screen has never broken or shattered. The aluminium backing is super tough, after all the drops there is only a few scratches. I stopped using a cover… Read more

and screen protector years ago. The screen has one tiny small scratch which is hardly noticeable. The phone is still going strong but is starting to show its age. The camera was adequate for the time, but advances in cameras and apps means this phone can sometimes struggle. It's not for mutitasking these days. I do love that the phone has an IR, I lost my tv remote years ago and I use my phone these days mainly as a remote. What else can I say it has been a great phone!

Bad phone - worse software – After a great run with an HTC One Mini, a few years ago, I decided to return to what was once my favourite phone. It seems my fond memories didn't account for scandalous business agreements, which have left my HTC bogged down by invasive bloatware that cannot be removed. I'll get the phone's hardware out not the way, first. The phone case,… Read more

compared to other brands, is incredibly flimsy - the metal bends as easy as you might bend a paperclip. The cameras seem obsolete, with their poor quality. The buttons on the frame are, somehow, in the worst possible positions.

Now, the software. I have had to factory reset my phone twice, due to software malfunctions that left essential programs crashing on repeat, leaving me unable to use the phone due to an infinite series of inescapable dialogue boxes signaling the errors. The keypad, in a sea of half-cocked Android keyboards, is... infuriating. I have become used to manually fixing errors, because this HTC fails to detect them, and undoing almost every predictive or spellchecker word, because they are guessed so wildly wrong.

But, here is the worst part. Ah, yes, the current cancer of the Android OS:

Obligatory bloatware.

Apps like Peel Remote and News Republic have started downloading themselves into my phone, without ANY notice, let alone permission - and proceed to overtake the functions of my phone in order to push their superfluous interfaces onto my every move. These apps cannot be installed, and they constantly crowd your interface with their clickbait content - or, worse. Peel Remote has been known to hijack the interface of phones, subtly ransoming them off for a "subscription fee" to remove ads.

Once again, let me state that these apps will download themselves quietly, without user permission, and CANNOT be removed.

This is in addition to many obvious paid sponsors that users are obligated to waste phone space on - such as my omnipresent Facebook and Twitter apps, despite me not having Facebook or Twitter. Yet, I am required to have these on my phone, for whatever reason supersedes actually USING these apps.

I'm not sure who is to blame, beyond the makers of these unwanted, phone-ransoming, datamining programs; is it HTC that receives money for pushing these apps on people's phones? Is it Google that gives users a bleak choice to either submit to a tech platform overloaded with of programs - ones that could be classified as malware and adware only 5 years ago - or throw their phones in the garbage?

Either way, this phone has become bogged down by mysteriously gained programs and has utterly ruined any hope I have of enjoying a clean, user-friendly experience on a phone.

Instead, I feel as if I've been sold an expensive dinosaur that has been, from the beginning, sold out to the most lowly, slimy tiers of virtual adware marketing.

Unfortunately, it seems that HTC is far from the only phone burdened by these anti-consumer tactics - many of the larger brands also seem to be plagued by this corporate peddling.

With pockets as deep as Google has, who can possibly pay them enough Danegeld to leave us, their golden geese, alone?

This is perfect – This M8 is the best one I had. The sound is perfet and louder than other phones， sound clarity and definition of the camera both very high. It's more firmer than iphone, I had few times the phone drop on the floor about 1 meter, and it never got crash.  Show details

Beautiful Phone-Poor Battery Longevity – I Just purchased my HTC ONE M8-32GB in RED From EBAY by OCEANIA DEAL(Hong Kong) for $319.00 less $50.00 from an online voucher for a total of $269.00 includes OZ Warranty for 12 months and postage-Received the phone before the due delivery date which was great and was completely sealed and 100% genuine! Has all the internal operational gadgets and… Read more

has exceptional boom sound with a large 5 inch gorilla glass screen.The camera is ok, up to 5MP. Bit slow on the focus but that's fine(patience). Has great download effects to task The battery life could be better with-in 24hrs to charge again(pending on your usage) Ive had a lot of positive comments so far on the design and overall solid look of the phone

but for the price its a BARGAIN! :-) Usally RRP for $380.00 online. But make sure its genuine not refurbished!

Highly recommend above vendor...for purchase.

**UPDATE-After 8 months my HTC M8 is defective!..The phone was not getting a network signal and was off for 10 to 30 min then came back on then after 3 weeks of this, it finally went off and never came back on.I contacted my network provider and all good at there end. I switched my sim card to another phone and it worked then switched back to HTC and the signal didnt come back on.I contacted the seller he told me to reset my phone back to factory settings...Still didnt work! I had to return my phone..Now waiting on outcome and my warranty to be covered by the vendor..??

Reliable phone compared with other brands – Although some users of m8 have issues with their phones, I have been using this for a year and ten months now with no issues at all. Its super reliable when compared with pathetic Sony phones which did not last more than three months after purchase. HTC phones have awesome designs and great quality!  Show details

Great phone, lasted beyond it's contract – Over the years I have purchased many phones. The HTC One M8 is the only phone I have held onto beyond a contract. It's very easy to operate, has a great screen and camera. I have found it a little hard to focus at times but if you persevere it comes good. I tend to not use a phone cover and I have to say that for the amount of times I have… Read more

dropped this phone, it is incredibly tough. I have dropped it on bitumen, tiled floors, carpet and whilst the back and edge has a few dings, i've not once cracked the screen.

Solid and great phone – I have been using this phone for over 8 months. Absolutely no issues. My only issue (and just a minor one) is that the usb port is not centered on the phone. This means the phone cannot be put into generic phone holders/docking stations. But there are plenty HTC specific phone holders online. It feels good. It has a great battery life then… Read more

others with similar specs.

One friend who was a dedicated iphone user borrowed my phone and decided to buy one himself and has never regretted it.

It has a really smooth operation and sharp screen.

I am only giving it 4 stars because of the usb port and because of the delayed updates to the os. The delayed os updates is not entirely HTC's fault, but also Telstra (my carrier). When I complain to Telstra they claim it is HTC who are dragging their feet, but I am sure it is both.

Love it! – It's a powerhouse in all aspects. Except the camera of course (which isn't too bad either). I've been using it for the past 6 months and it still works as if it's new. HTC has done a fantastic job to improve battery performance on this one. I would say that if you mostly use cell phone camera only for selfies then you should definitely buy it.

great phone for less price – The phone has most things that other bigger names offer for twice the amount. slim and very light weight. The camera is not the greatest but not bad either. Performance is OK and the internal memory is fine too.All in all a good bargain.As most other HTC phones , the screen size is value for money.

Great Phone But Unreliable – Been a customer of HTC ever since the old XDA II, reckon I have owned in one guise or another ten different phones from them plus the family have had a number and my recommendations, but sadly my HTC One M8 will be the last. It is a truly brilliant phone, I bought it mainly out of loyalty and for the speakers and dot view, I find the headphone… Read more

socket on the bottom is the wrong place but otherwise I was totally happy with it, I liked the camera. Sadly though it's an expensive piece of kit and is unreliable. My first unit failed in December 2014 after five months, in fact it let me down at the worst possible time when I was trying to find my ill father, it was sent back, 'repaired' and arrived back in exactly the same condition as when it left. After two months of hassle, I got a replacement in February 2015 and the digitizer on that one has failed in October 2015 after only eight months use and no damage. The retailer has only given me a one year warranty instead of two (another review for that) and due to the way that the phone is built it is a very expensive repair. So I'm now left with a very expensive and totally useless piece of kit. I expected to get a minimum of two years out of this phone and have only had one year out of two units over fifteen months and have had to buy a temporary phone as well, I'm now back on a Samsung SIII my daughter upgraded from. I'm sorry to see my relationship with HTC end - I loved the original HTC Desire - but the reliability vs price no longer stacks up as a viable purchase for me.

Love it! – Battery lasts for ages! better than the one mini that i had before this. would recommend for Android users. Love the boom sound speakers. I've had it for about 6 months and haven't had any issues! Camera isn't fantastic but otherwise it's spot on. it's also not too big so it fits well in your hands

Decent – This phone has good features, the camera is a bit off with the colour in photos. Has crystal clear sound, Operating system is alright, have to disable the front feed otherwise it eats up data quick. Speed is comparable with everything out there, cant really tell the difference with the iphone.

Really bad phone – Worst phone I have ever used. Cannot operate easily through the systems. I don't know if it is the android system that is just driving me insane. Finding where the contacts are store and edited is very difficult. Blogs are stating the same issues. I cannot just simple edit a contact. I am going back to iPhone because I can not waste so much time… Read more

in trying to operate a poorly design phone. Don't buy it, this will truely send you crazy and angry at the same time. HTC pick up your game, I do not know how you survive in this market with such a piece of crap.

This Phone is Amazing In All Its Features The Earpiece That Comes With It is Incredible Crystal Clea – This phone is amazing in all its features, the camera takes amazing video and stills. The earpiece that comes with it is incredible crystal clear sound. I have had mine for 12 months bought from DWI just love it. I just can't fault this phone in anyway, updates are easily installed.

Surprisingly snappy – I bought this phone about 5 days ago now and I must say I'm pleasantly surprised by how snappy it is! I also have a Note 3 and thought it was a good phone until I got the M8! Granted, HTC is lacking a few of the handy features that Samsung has but I'm not really missing them. I like the tap to wake gesture, but having to pick the phone up first is a bit annoying. It has great speakers though!

Look for the 's' - Some serious phone for much less than a flagship price – I bought this phone a couple of weeks ago after reading reviews of the M8 & M9. As I don't use huge data or make lots of calls getting a well featured phone on a plan means I have to commit to $2400 of plan to get a phone worth much less. It's a no brainer - I buy outright. To the phone. The build and finish on this phone is superb. It is… Read more

heavier than my last phone which had a plastic case and I have not dropped it - yet, where weight is an issue. The shape works really well and I still generally carry this phone in my business shirt pocket as I walk around.

The screen is incredibly sharp. I am typing this review on my PC and the M8s has the same number of pixels jammed into it's 5" screen as my 27" monitor. It is bright enough to use outside easily and colour balance is much better than my last phone.

There are lots of reviews online so about some things that get missed.

Sound: One word - WOW. For a phone it is really good. It can be louder than any phone I have heard before without distortion. You'll be able to annoy everyone on the tram, not just those sitting beside you. The included in ear headphones also get a big tick of approval. They are better than the aftermarket ones I had with my last phone and actually stay in my ear!

The plastic cover: This phone ships with a cover to protect that brushed aluminium case. It is made for the phone and works really well. It has a small flap in the bottom that plugs the USB and audio ports when they are not in use and is thin and light enough that I can still carry the phone in a pocket with it on.

Best functions: double tap to view the home screen - use it all the time, just double tap the screen to wake the phone and you can see all of your notifications. Drag to open. If you have icons that don't use data or phone etc. on the launch bar, you can use them without unlocking your phone. Think Camera, calculator, torch etc.

HTC have taken a few things off the M8 and upgraded some things that annoyed some people (now has a 13Mp camera) to bring a high spec phone in at a mid range price. I cannot justify the cost of the flagships, however I think the M8s is better than the M8, cheaper at launch and really close to the M9.

Good phone but poor camera lens cover and worse service from HTC – I brought this phone outright 3 months ago but the camera picture quality slowly deteriorated. I then noticed the lens cover had lots of little scratches on it and a small crack. After googling it it discovered that it is quite a common fault and many people have been fixing it with toothpaste. I decided to send it back as it had been through… Read more

standard day to day use and I expect a top of the line phone to be more robust. They then want me to pay $150 to have it fixed. I don't consider this acceptable as this product is clearly not fit for purpose and day to day use. I have a old one xl which does not have this problem and believe that HTC have skimmped on a 1 cent bit of plastic and ruined the whole phone and worse they won't back up their flagships phones quality.

high tech phone but not as good as iphone – Quite a technically advanced products with great features and some good apps. However, after using it for a few months I would say that it is no match for the iphone in terms of quality, usability and app stability. Not a bad effort but to be very hoenst I would reconsider purchasing over an apple in future. high tech, nice screen apps not that good and not as many available as iphone, clunky, not that easy to use

Awesome phone – This is quite simply the best phone HTC have ever made. Probably the best available at the moment. It hasn't got all those "cool" party tricks certain other mobile phone manufacturer's use to pull you in. The user experience is most important, and this is what the M8 excels at. From the double tap to wake the device (rather then finding the power… Read more

button at the top) to BlinkFeed (which I wasn't sure I would like), TV app (control your TV and other related devices - multiple rooms too!)

I guess one drawback is the built-in keyboard. I switched to Google's keyboard, that's much better. The ability get content from previous phone sounds good also - I didn't use this though. All the usual fare of specifications are there - Wifi, Bluetooth, 850Mhz (If your a Telstra or Vodafone user this means you get better reception), NFC, Media Output (Throw to wifi connected TV), Fast CPU (2.5Ghz for the Asia version, 2.3Ghz for the Aussie version), 2GB RAM (which is plenty).

It feels solid. The headphone jack at the bottom will annoy a few people but it's fine top or bottom to be honest. No waterproofing ? Don't go dropping it in toilets or leaving it by the pool.

Speakers - Awesome. Couldn't believe the sound that was coming out of a phone!! (I listen to Rock & Metal amongst others, phones don't usually do it justice.)

Battery - Awesome. It sips battery (it has a smaller battery then my GS4 had), and when it's almost out it barely takes anything. It was on 4% for about two hours from finishing work to driving back home, it was still 4% when I was sitting down to watch some TV.

Camera - I really don't know what everyone is complaining about with the Camera. Sure it's not a 20MP shooter (which on the Xperia Z2 is usually only 8MP), and it's still less then the GS4/5 and pretty much every flagship out there. It's a phone. If you want SLR camera quality shots, bring your SLR camera. For phone shots this is good, and it is FAST at taking shots. It can over-expose shots, but this means half-light shots and night-shots look much better with then anything else as it allows more light into the lens. The depth sensor is good - as long as you give it the right shots to take - something in the foreground, and then something obvious in the background for it to blur.

If the GS4/GS5 are the everyman phones, then this is the Elite (similar price too if you shop around). Reliable, Great Battery, Great Speakers, Awesome and useful features Possibly built-in keyboard

M8, your photos are at risk – HTC phone stores data such as photos and videos on a 'NAND' chip on the mother board. Experience a technical issue affecting the mother board and it will be swapped out by the HTC warranty company FoneBiz, resulting in the loss of all data including the photos and videos. It doesn't matter if you inform HTC and FoneBiz that the photos are… Read more

irreplaceable. While repairers may state "Accredited since 2004 to repair down to component level" for HTC, it doesn't mean they will swap the memory chip over as it appears swapping the entire mother board is the easier option.

Unreliable phone