HTC One M8 vs HTC One: Should you Upgrade?

When the HTC One was launched last year, it was hailed by IBTimes UK as "the new Android standard bearer". Lauded for its superb build quality, decent battery life and powerful performance, the HTC One went on to become the most decorated phone of 2013, winning more awards than any of its main rivals.

However, no number of accolades for its flagship phone was able to turn around the flagging fortunes of HTC, as revenues continued to fall.

Almost exactly one year after its launch, the follow-up all new HTC One is here. Few secrets have been kept with regards to the Taiwanese manufacturer's new flagship model, but no amount of speculation or rumours can predict whether it will be enough to provide the vital boost needed for HTC.

The question for many will be: Should I upgrade?

HTC One M8 vs HTC One: Screen

The screen on the original HTC One made use of Super LCD3 technology to produce exceptional contrast, good colour and decent viewing angles, all with a far superior pixel density compared to that of the iPhone 5s and 5c.

The HTC One M8 is of the same superb quality, however it measures in 0.3in larger than its predecessor. While the trend in recent years of ever-bigger screens has seen the size of smartphones increase, this may just be too big for some.

The M8 retains the 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution, but becasue of the slightly larger size, pixel density drops from 468 pixels per inch (ppi) to 440ppi.

HTC One M8 vs HTC One: Design

When compared to its main rivals in the field, the original HTC One (above) was possibly the best designed and best built smartphone on the market. It outperformed the Xperia Z in terms of comfort, felt more premium than the Galaxy S4, and was bigger than the iPhone 5.

'If it ain't broke, don't fix it' seemed to be the thinking when it came to the build of the HTC One (2014). It features the same stylish aluminium design and front-facing Boomsound speakers, however comes with an extra colour option (gold) and is slightly thinner than last year's model.

The overall footprint of the HTC One M8 may have increased but the Taiwanese company has sought to offset this with more rounded edges to make it more comfortable to hold.

HTC One M8 vs HTC One: Hardware

The all new HTC One features a Snapdragon 801 chip paired with 2GB of RAM, meaning the phone's performance is fantastic. Early benchmarks show this should be a powerhouse of a phone. The phone also continues to feature the front-facing BoomSound speakers, which should mean it remains as the best-sound smartphone on the market.

The all-new HTC One comes in 16GB and 32GB variants and features a microSD card allowing you to boost this if necessary, something most models of the original were missing.

Although criticised for being too weak by some reviewers, IBTimes UK found the original One to have the best battery life of all the high-end smartphones.

HTC One M8 vs HTC One: Software

The all new HTC One come with the latest version of Google's operating system - Android 4.4.2 or KitKat - but has added its own updated Sense 6.0 interface with BlinkFeed.

The main changes to be found from the old model are gestures, including tapping twice to wake the phone, swiping left to launch widgets and pressing the volume buttons to sitch on the camera.

BlinkFeed is the company's feed-aggregator which provides a visual representation of content from your social media feeds and select news sites. It is the default home screen and while some don't like it, it can be switched off.

HTC hasn't tinkered too much with BlinkFeed in Sense 6.0.

HTC One M8 vs HTC One: Camera

This is the area where HTC have made the most visible changes. The original HTC One tried something a little bit different with its camera, packing only a 4 megapixel sensor compared to the 13 megapixel sensor most other top Android smartphones were using. However, the use of an 'Ultrapixel' sensor meant it was still able to perform well in low-light conditions.

One of the main boasts of the new smartphone is its Duo Camera setup, which will allow the user to edit the focus point after a photo has been taken. It could also potentially lead to the ability to take 3D photos with future software updates.

HTC One M8 vs HTC One: Should I upgrade?

While it's hard to say without spending more time with the HTC One M8, there doesn't seem enough about the new smartphone to entice users to upgrade their handsets one year into a contract. The new camera feature is a notable departure from the old model, but it seems more gimmicky than anything that might really tempt owners of the original HTC One.

This doesn't mean it isn't still an exceptional handset, it just looks more likely that HTC are hoping the all new One will attract new, rather than existing, customers.