HTC One M8: ‘Most Impressive Smartphone Ever’ Features Extreme Power Saving Mode

The HTC One M8 was the subject of leaks and rumors for months, but this week the flagship smartphone for the HTC was finally unveiled and immediately hailed as one of the most impressive smartphones ever made.

Released this week, the phone is an update to last year’s HTC One model, referred to as the M7.

The specs for the HTC One M8 include a 5-inch Super LCD 3 display with full HD 1080p resolution and a Gorilla Glass 3 cover, 16GB or 32GB of internal storage, a new dual-lens “Duo Camera,” a 5-megapixel front-facing camera with a wide-angle lens, and compatibility with virtually every network 2G through 4G.

The HTC One M8 also has some features that surpass its predecessors, including a “Sensor Hub” that tracks the user’s movement to count steps and also allows for a variety of motion and swipe gestures. Double-tapping the screen will wake the new HTC One from sleep, and swiping to the right on the sleeping display will take the phone directly to the BlinkFeed screen.

There is also something called “extreme power saving mode” that can dramatically extend the battery’s life. This process disables background data and basically reverts the HTC One M8 to one of the original cell phones of the early 2000s, with just the ability for voice calling, text messaging, and email.

Under the power savings mode, a phone with only 5 percent charge remaining in the battery can last for 15 hours, and a fully charged phone will last two weeks.

Reviewers have given the HTC One M8 top grades. BGR technology writer Zach Epstein said it was hands down the best smartphone yet to be released.

He wrote:

“It is considered poor form to begin a review with the conclusion, but there’s really no reason to drag this out: the HTC One (M8) is the best Android phone the world has ever seen. Period. Full stop. Of this, there is no doubt. In many ways, in fact, it is the bests smartphone the world has ever seen.”

The HTC One M8 will be available in three colors — glacial silver, amber gold, and gunmetal gray. And the best news for technology buffs used to long waits for new Apple products is the fact that it was released on the same day it was announced.