HTC One (M8) vs HTC One Mini 2

Picking which smartphone these days can be a pretty difficult choice, and HTC hasn't made things any easier by launching two phones which look almost identical.

The HTC One Mini 2, which will launch in the UK next month, looks like a shrunken version of its flagship smartphone, the HTC One (M8).

So which should you choose?

In terms of storage, battery life and software, the two phones are almost identical, so let's look at the differences in order to help you decide which to buy:

Design

The biggest and most obvious difference between the two phones is of course their physical size.

The One (M8) has a 5in screen and a large footprint, which is significantly wider and taller than the much more compact Mini 2, which has a 4.5in screen.

In terms of weight, as you would expect the Mini 2 is much lighter, weighing in at 137g as opposed to 160g for the larger phone, but the Mini 2 is not too light so as to feel flimsy.

HTC has skimped slightly on the use of premium materials for the smaller version of its flagship phone - as it did on last years original HTC One Mini - using a plastic surround on the Mini 2 compared to the all-metal construction of the One (M8).

Both of these phone are superbly designed and built, and while the HTC One (M8) has more premium materials, the Mini 2 doesn't feel as if it is anything but a high end phone.

The big factor for me in choosing which I prefer simply comes down to the fact that I prefer a slightly smaller phone - if you could call a phone with a 4.5in screen small - but many people will want a larger screen to watch films and play games, meaning the HTC One (M8) is the likely choice.

Camera

The second major area where HTC has downgraded with the Mini 2 is the camera.

The HTC One (M8) introduced the Duo Camera which added a depth sensor to work alongside the 4 megapixel Ultrapixel sensor to allow users create lots of funky 3D depth of field effects. HTC also included a dual flash for better low light performance and more natural looking images.

HTC has not included either of these on the Mini 2, using a more conventional 13 Megapixel sensor, which is perfectly acceptable but won't challenge the likes of Sony's Xperia Z2 or Nokia's Lumia 1020 for picture quality.

Both phones feature high resolution 5 megapixel sensors on the front.

Processing Power

This is one of the biggest areas where HTC has cut corners on its smaller phone. The flagship One M8 features the most powerful Snapdragon 801 chip from Qualcomm along with 2GB of RAM.

The One Mini 2 however comes with a much less powerful Snapdragon 400 chip with just 1GB of RAM.

What this means in the real world is that no matter what you throw at the One (M8), it should be able to handle without blinking. And while the Mini 2 is able to handle most operations without a problem, graphically intense 3D games will see it struggle slightly.

Price

The final - and possibly most important difference - is price.

The HTC One (M8) costs £530 to buy outright, with contracts currently on offer for £28-a-month with no upfront cost.

HTC has yet to announce SIM-free pricing for the One Mini 2, but considering the original mini cost £379 when it launched last year, I would expect the price to remain the same this time around.

You can pre-order the phone on contracts of £25-a-month for no up front cost.

Conclusion

HTC has produced two superb phones, and despite looking quite similar, they are aimed at two distinct markets.

The HTC One (M8) is aimed at the person looking for cutting-edge technology, who want to watch movies on the go and be able to play Grand Theft Auto on their commute.

The HTC One Mini 2 on the other hand is aimed at those who want a well built and beautifully designed phone, but don't need a huge screen or the faster processor, and who are happy playing Candy Crush instead of GTA.