Poll: Is the HTC One (M8) the best Windows Phone ever?

Its stand-out looks are complemented by what is absolutely the smoothest and sleekest custom Android implementation available. Last, but not least, there's the excellent hardware profile - from the contemporary Snapdragon 801 processor and 2GB RAM, all the way to the brilliant 1080p display and the BoomSound speakers whose sound quality is yet unmatched.

Now, all of this goodness is heading towards fans of Microsoft's Windows Phone. And the question is, is the HTC One (M8) for Windows the best Windows Phone to have appeared so far? Yes, one could say that none of its salient qualities are something a Lumia phone doesn't offer. Aluminum body? There's the Lumia 930. Brilliant 5-inch display? The 930 has it too. Camera? The Lumia 930 runs circles around the One (M8) with its 20MP PureView camera, although the One M8 has a much better front snapper. Hardware? The Lumia 930 is a close match, sans the excellent BoomSound speakers.

What the Lumia 930 doesn't have is the feel of holding a handset that's as perfectly put together as the HTC One (M8). A smartphone like that is much more than the sum of its parts. It's the way they integrate to form a cohesive whole that makes reaching for the device in your pocket a seamless, yet special moment. It's the way it sits in the hand, respecting with its cold, stern, military-like construction. 

The original HTC One (M8) isn't just another "big-screen Android phone". It's a self-sufficient "HTC phone" - a thoroughly polished device with tons of mojo and personality that is exciting to have as your personal smartphone. The Lumia 930 - which is the best all-around Windows Phone to date - doesn't have that. As great as it is, it's merely a rebranded Lumia Icon with nothing especially "iconic" about the way it looks or works.

All the key ingredients for establishing the same iconic level of presence - apart from Sense 6 - carry over to the HTC One (M8)'s Windows Phone variant. Alas, the weak parts carry over, too. But this is the first time Windows Phone users receive a smartphone that literally looks and handles as well as a HTC One (M8) does. Is the HTC One (M8) for Windows the best Windows Phone ever? Yes? No? Voice your opinion in the comments section below - we're eager to hear it!