Gadgetory

we really appreciate the unibody aluminum of the HTC One m8 and the unique look and feel it gives the device but in its quest to broaden its device offerings and also prove it's still not a one-trick pony HTC is offering another choice meet the one e8 a high-end Android smartphone made of polycarbonate and packing a few added features for the global market we'll have a full review up shortly but for now let's take a look at the differences between these flagships this is PocketNow I'm Michael Fisher and this is H tc1 e 8 vs. HTC one m8 this is one of those comparisons that's almost entirely aesthetic because HTC has done a pretty good job at maintaining feature parity between these smartphones the only significant changes on the spec sheet are band to support differences for various markets dual SIM support in some v8 models and the reduction in onboard storage and removal of the IR transmitter on the e8 that leaves out the biggest Hardware difference the camera but we'll get to that in a second looks may not be everything but here they're the most obvious difference between these phones from the front everything looks about the same here from the boomsound speakers to the 5 inch full HD displays to the 5 megapixel wide-angle selfie cameras but move around to the sides and let the metal versus plastic wars begin the e8 is slightly thicker and less massive than the m8 and while we love the color palette of our electric crimson review device its glossy finish definitely lends it a more toy like feel than it's aluminum counterpart it accentuates fingerprints and smudges much more readily and generally feels cheaper than the m8 despite its unibody polycarbonate construction fortunately HTC offers different colors with matte finishes as well so you do have a choice here and the e8 dual curved design does make it at least as comfortable in the hand even though it does make tabletop use a bit more wobbly some folks think the e 8s camera automatically outclasses the m8 s camera because of the mega pixel gap which we grant you is signal but the e8s camera is the same module found in HTC's One mini two which has faced off against the m8 in another comparison and it didn't turn out too well for the one mini two despite the added resolution the same is true here this has nothing to do with the MH duo sensor whose faux bouquet photos can easily be replicated with an app like Google camera and we also don't think many will care too much about the downgrade in the LED flash rather this is about color sharpness and low-light performance all areas in which the m8 beats the pants off the e8 yes the e8s photos are much higher in resolution so if it's zoom ability or after the m8 is not the choice for you but the e eights photos are flat washed out and dull while the metal machine offers much more vibrant colors and sharper results without crossing the line and looking over processed the m8 also has the edge over the e8 in shutter speed and low-light performance is no contest regardless of weather night mode is on or off on either phone and finally the m8 offers greater field of view so you can fit more into each frame something which surprisingly goes for the front-facing camera as well we'll have thoughts on the e8 s video performance in our full review but the wide and tight of the camera angle is this unless you place resolution above literally every other aspect of a smartphone camera the One m8 is the superior choice here the e8 does get a chance to shine in other areas notably Wi-Fi reception where it slightly edges out the m8 it's also more comfortable to hold for longer periods of intense gaming or other high demand activities as the plastic shell doesn't get nearly as hot as the m8 aluminum cladding and oddly the eh display is also slightly easier to see through sunglasses if those seem like small distinctions while they are and everywhere else from voice quality good to battery life good to the slick and responsive Android build great the e8 and m8 are right on par just as you'd expect from smartphones which are supposed to be so similar so if you already own a One m8 is the one I ate a device you should be drooling over unless you really like plastic over metal no we don't think so from its industrial design to its camera performance on the front and the back we very much prefer the One m8 but the e8 wasn't made to lure people away from its metallic counterpart it was made to deliver a similar experience at a lesser price point and that it does quite well as to how well it does on its own as a complete package you'll have to wait for our full review coming soon be sure you don't miss it follow PocketNow on social media and tune in for the PocketNow weekly podcast this Friday at 2 p.m. Eastern where we will have the HTC One eh live with us on the air we'll be answering your questions until next time this has been Michael Fisher with PocketNow thanks for watching and we'll see you real soon