HTC One (M8) for Windows review: Tinker, Tailor

Introduction

What if you could pick a phone and then choose its operating system? What if you could get a popular flagship such as the HTC One (M8) and replace the Android OS with Windows Phone? Wonder no more - meet the HTC One (M8) for Windows - the only smartphone giving you the choice!

HTC is the first manufacturer to launch a popular smartphone running on another platform. HTC One (M8) has been around since the last spring season and it has become favorite to many. Now it has a chance to expand its reach beyond the Android users.

Windows Phone is still young and advancing operation system, but since the Windows Phone 8.1, it has become a true competitor to Android and iOS in terms of usability and features. The growing popularity and the free license of Windows Phone to devices under 8" are probably among the reasons HTC has decided on launching its most popular smartphone - the One (M8) - running on Microsoft's OS.

HTC One (M8) for Windows is virtually the same device as the original One (M8) - it's got the same unibody metal shell, the same Snapdragon 801 chipset, the same UltraPixel rear camera duo, and finally, the same beautiful 5" 1080p display. It is absolutely the same device, just running on Windows Phone 8.1.

Key features

• Metal unibody with brushed finish
• 5" 1080p capacitive touchscreen with 441pi pixel density; Corning Gorilla Glass 3
• Windows Phone 8.1 OS
• 2.3GHz quad-core Krait 400 CPU; 2GB of RAM; Adreno 330 GPU; Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 chipset
• Dual 4MP AF "UltraPixel" (2µm pixel size) camera with 1/3" sensor; 28mm f/2.0 lens; dual-LED flash; HTC ImageChip 2
• 1080p video capture at 60 fps
• 5MP front-facing camera with BSI sensor; wide-angle f/2.0 lens; HDR; 1080p video recording
• 32GB of built-in memory; microSD card slot up to 128GB
• Active noise cancellation with a dedicated microphone
• Front-facing stereo speakers with BoomSound and built-in amplifiers
• 2,600mAh battery; Extreme Power Saving Mode

Main disadvantages

• 4MP camera can't match higher-resolution rivals
• No 4K video recording or OIS (on a flagship device)
• Non user-replaceable battery
• USB On-the-go or USB Host

HTC One (M8) for Windows lacks the same features its Android sibling was missing on - a removable battery, 4K video recording or optical stabilization, and the camera still offers the same low resolution.

HTC One (M8) for Windows live pictures

We've already met the HTC One (M8) and we know what to expect from its hardware presentation. But we are definitely keen on seeing HTC's take on Windows Phone and how things will actually work out. Maybe for the better? Let's begin, shall we?