HTC has unveiled its new flagship : the HTC One M8 features a special depth sensor that allows the user to adjust the focus of photos after they've been taken. It also has a larger screen and more powerful speakers than the previous model.
Analysts see the M8 as an opportunity for the company to regain lost ground against Samsung and Apple, which have the advantage of big marketing budgets. "While last year's One was widely regarded as the best smartphone of 2013, the company failed to capitalize on that," Ben Wood, head of research at technology consultancy CCS Insight, told the BBC.
One of the key features of the new smartphone is a sensor on the back to record distance. This data is used by a special application to allow the user to “mimic” the effect of changing the focus after taking a photo, keeping some of its elements clear, but blurring others. This allows the user to add various effects to the background of a photo, while keeping the main “object” unchanged.
Specifically, there are two cameras on the back of the device (Duo Camera). The Duo Camera is based on HTC’s “UltraPixel” concept, which focuses on larger pixels on the sensor. The result is a highly efficient 4.1-megapixel camera. The secondary camera is responsible for depth data. At the same time, the front camera has also been upgraded to 5 megapixels.
An additional feature is the ability to turn on the phone without pressing the “on” button, via touch. Different swipe gestures on the screen allow the user to return to what they were doing before or go to a news feed and social media updates. The company also claims that, despite the larger, 5-inch screen, the M8 has a 40% longer battery life. However, there is no fingerprint scanner.
The processor is a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801, the operating system Android 4.4 KitKat and there are 2 GB of RAM. Its storage space is 16 or 32 GB (expandable via microSD card). The screen resolution is 1920×1080, while the exterior of the device remains metal. HTC developed a method of integrating the antennas directly into the metal “body”, which made the design of the new mobile possible.
Source: naftemporiki.gr
