Lower priceĪs mentioned above, the main reason for losing many of the good bits of the One M8 on the E8 is the price drop, and it's pretty big considering.
The disappearance might irk some, but in reality it wouldn't be missed on the One M8. I keep pointing out that holding your phone like a remote control is impossible as you're missing the tactility of the buttons, but apart from LG with the G Flex (which had the sensor on the back, meaning you could hold the phone up to see what you're pressing) nobody has done anything about it.
Is the lack of an infra-red port, the thing that lets you control your TV with your phone, a big loss to the phone? Well, apart from making the aesthetic of the One E8 a little less sumptuous, it's barely missed. It's a good enough trade off if you want the HTC UI but can't afford the M8… although with the Duo Camera gone too, you'll have to REALLY want the Sense UI and Boomsound speakers… and I don't think enough people will be after that. So is the HTC One E8 terribly designed as a result of being plastic? No – like the iPhone 5C, it retains a sense a fun and the colours really add to the mix. But hold it and you can tell the back comes off, as there's a slight flex and lightness that ruins the ergonomics. It's the same as the LG G3 – a phone that looks metal and has all the removable battery and microSD slots people crave. Even Samsung's Galaxy S5 is the most sturdy of the interstellar range, but the faux-chrome outer and removable back mean you can feel the hollow nature of the phone. The LG G2 was all plastic, but the unibody design felt solid and impressive. I like well-designed phones and you do too.įor instance, the Nokia Lumia 930 is mostly plastic, but retains a metal rim to add a touch of class. Some commenters have claimed that all phone reviewers only ever like metal phones, which simply isn't true. I oddly didn't mind the plastic casing of the E8, despite going into the review thinking that would be the biggest problem. I'm not a fan of the lighter chassis, as I loved the great balance of the One M8, but the One E8 will probably appeal to those looking to spend less without losing the unibody package experience. The volume key on the right-hand side is also plastic, as you'd expect, and probably feels like the cheapest part of the phone. well, intriguing if you've got nothing else to think about. It's intriguingly the same design as seen on the original HTC One.