HTC One (M8) for Windows

Working at a major carrier, I get the opportunity to own several phones each year if I want. I went to windows a few years ago and haven't looked back, but always used a phone from the Lumia lineup. I bought the M8 for Windows to replace my Lumia 1520 since Nokia didn't have another alternative out at the time. I quickly fell in love with the front speakers, the beautiful screen and the build of it. I tried to replace it with the HTC M9 Android, but decided I missed the M8 too much to do so. Now my M9 sits idle while I work, then play all day on my M8 Windows. Cant ask for much better. The camera quality is mediocre and the screen struggles to adjust in some light, but outside of those flaws, it's everything you want in a phone. Plus it's durable, fast and damned good looking!

Please note: This is for the AT&T version of the M8 for Windows. EDITED FROM ORIGINAL REVIEW.

I have had some bad experiences with HTC- both Android (through friends and family) and WP (The Titan and Titan 2 were both unpeasent for me). So when I decided that I was in need of an upgrade, the One M8 for Windows was not really on my radar. But I wanted an up to date flagship with more powerful internals to ensure that complex tasks were no problem. HTC has been trying to reinvent themselves, and I liked the M8's looks. So, when this came to AT&T, I gave it a bunch of tries at the stores. ...

....and the boxes on my wishlist started getting checked off. Great, detailed screen? Love the screen on this. It has enough detail to enjoy web-text as well as little items on pictures. Great audio? I am a HUGE podcast listener and have an XBOX Music subscription, and the better audio just really sold itself. Managable size? Check. Eye pleasing design? Check. Up to date specs? Oh yeah, double check. It had good call quality, although I do not think voices are as crisp as my L920 or some of the other phones I have used. (Speaker phone is excellent. I just do not use the speaker phone option much.) It is so pleasing to use as an everyday device, very comfortable to handle and carry. As for the camera, I am not that much of a photo guy. For me, I want three things: Auto focus to work quick, shutter speed to be fast, and the flash to not wash things out. Check, check, check.

Also, because it is a HTC One M8, the accessories are everywhere. Every case designed for it's Android brethren will fit the M8 for Windows. All kinds of options. I like that. I have an Otterbox on it right now, and I had about a dozen choices.

EDIT: I had not one, but two returns due to screen problems. The screen on my One M8 froze up, and would not respond to a hard reset or any attempts to bring it out of it. My dealings with HTC for their HTC Advantage warranty program was long, drawn out, and very frustrating. When my second phone needed to be returned, I was promised a brand new unit as opposed to a refurbished one. Once I received it, a simple check of the number showed it was not new.

I can not recommend this device anymore. HTC just is not a good company to trust with your purchase. This is not a slam against Windows. The Android version of the M8 has had complaints like this as well. I suggest focusing on other OEMs efforts.

My previous phone was the HTC 8X. I love that phone. Everything about the design was great for me. The M8 brings even more of that, but with a full HD screen and front-facing speakers.

The camera has been working pretty awesomely as well. It tends to do better in low light than other phones that I've had. In brighter situations, I get a little bit better color on some other devices I've had, but by no means is it bad.

One of the things I like most about the M8 is that there are no hardware navigation buttons (Home, Back, and Search). They are just on-screen with the rest of the stuff in Windows Phone. I love being able to hide those buttons when I don't need them; for example, if I'm watching YouTube.

As far as how the phone feels in hand: a little bit weighty. However, that definitely gives it a really solid feel. The all-metal body will certainly stand the test of time. Also, one of the little things that ends up being pretty important is that the buttons for power and volume are very tactile, almost clicky. It's easy to tell when you've pressed the button, unlike some phones where those particular buttons can be a bit mushy.

All-in-all, I've already recommend this phone to anybody looking for a top-end Windows Phone. It's a solid buy and won't disappoint.