Vodafone customers now have access to an exclusive new handset from HTC in the form of the HTC One M8s. You might wonder why HTC would be releasing something from 2014 now, especially with the HTC One M9 already making waves. As you’re about to see, there’s a very good reason.
People may be confused between the two similarly named phones, but the One M8s offers quite a bit over the original HTC One (M8), including:
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 615. It’s a 64-bit processor with 8 cores: 4 x 1.7 GHz cores + 4 x 1.0 GHz.
- It’s slightly thicker, which accommodates a 20% bigger battery — up to 2,840 mAh from 2,600 mAh.
- The rear camera is now a 13MP f/2.0 camera with 28mm (35mm equivalent) lens, while the front camera remains largely the same at 5MP.
- Connectivity has been bolstered, with Bluetooth 4.1 now included.
There’s a lot of common features too; the One M8s retains 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage with MicroSD option, virtually the same dimensions and the same weight, and the same Android 5.0 with Sense. Perhaps the single best feature, though, is the cost.
HTC and Vodafone are pricing the One M8s to appeal to everyone, with pricing starting at $10/mo on a $40 plan, and included at no extra charge on plans $50/mo and above. We’ve put together a quick plan table so you can compare for yourself:
| Plan / Phone Cost | Special Inclusions | Included Value | Included Data | Total Minimum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40/mo + $10/mo | $300 | 300MB | $960 | |
| $45/mo + $5/mo | $400 | 500MB | $1,080 | |
| $50/mo (phone incl) | $500 | 1GB | $1,200 | |
| $60/mo (phone incl) | Infinite national calls and SMS. Bonus 1GB data | 2GB + 1GB | $1,440 | |
| Red $70 (phone incl) | Infinite national calls and SMS. 300 int’l minutes.6 months Spotify Premium, Stan access or SMH.com.au access.Bonus 1GB if you order Red plans online. | 3GB + 1GB | $1,680 | |
| Red $80 (phone incl) | 4GB + 1GB | $1,920 | ||
| Red $100 (phone incl) | 6GB + 1GB | $2,400 | ||
All plans come with a “2 month Data Workout” which allows you to use as much data as you like for the first two months without excess usage fees.
As you can see, the HTC One M8s offers pretty amazing value. It’s cheap as chips, and still a premium-built aluminium cased handset. It might not be quite as powerful as 2015’s flagship phones, but it’s an absolute bargain price for a really powerful, well designed phone. For those who aren’t quite decided, take a look at our review of the HTC One M8 — it was, and remains, a great option. Our review of HTC’s One E8 (which uses the same camera module as the M8s) might also be a good read.
HTC are sending over an HTC One M8s so we can take the new processor and camera for a spin, and once we’ve had a hands on, we’ll let you know what we think of the phone.
Just purchased a M8 Dot Matrix case from the Ausdroid shop. Since the M8S and the M8 look identical in every way from an external look and feel point of view (even to the point of where all the buttons and cameras are), am I safe in assuming the M8 case will fit the M8S?
Just dumped my Sony Xperia Z for one of these after reading this article. It actually looks quite good. I know it has a lower processor but has a better camera than the M8 but it will do nicely for my usage. Thanks Chris.
Thanks for the feedback Sujay, please let us know what you think of it after a bit of use!
Hi Chris. Shall do. Love it thus far. Not noticing nay lag due to a slightly inferior processor. Feels great in the hand. Camera is a lot better than my wife’s M7. Although compared to the M8, the M8s camera does not have the ability to shoot a photo using the rear and front cameras simultaneously. No biggie but I have seen some amazing things done on the M8 with that feature and it would have been nice to have. Otherwise, very happy with the M8s especially when you consider the cost compared to the M8 or even M9.
Meanwhile, I don’t know if it’s because I’m travelling in the US, but I’ve just received Android 5.0.2 on my HTC One M7.
I hope HTC are making the right decision. I’m just not sure why you would buy the M9 over the M8s?
We’re going to take a look at the M8s and answer precisely that question!
Maybe HTC is trying to offload old stock to Vodafone..
It’s a new model released last month – http://ausdroid.net/2015/04/03/htc-one-m8s-launched-for-europe-with-higher-resolution-rear-camera/