HTC One (E8) hands-on

Whether you know it as the HTC One Vogue or the HTC One Ace, the One (E8) is here to put an end to HTC’s usage of low-res cameras… and metal unibodies.

The HTC One (E8) is a plastic variant of the HTC One (M8) that retains almost all aspects of the flagship’s premium package but asks significantly lower at retail. The front is still adorned by a 5″ Super LCD3 of 1080p resolution, the chipset is still a Snapdragon 801, the speakers are still stereo BoomSound and the software is still Sense 6 on top of Android 4.4.2 KitKat.

The HTC One (E8) might actually be the better phone for many people. It does away with the poor-performing 4 Ultrapixel camera with depth-scanning second sensor and opts for the 13 MP snapper we likes so much from the HTC One mini 2 and Desire 816. That would be a welcome change for many users.

The software is unmistakable from the Sensified HTC One (M8), which means you’re getting a good-looking interface with a solid set of features like Do Not Disturb mode, BlinkFeed, Quick Toggles in the notification area and Motion Launch. The latter will allow you to forget about the power button and only use the screen – a double tap will prompt the lockscreen, a swipe to the right BlinkFeed, a swipe left the homescreen and more.

Here’s a quick video of the One (E8) in action.

Despite being practically the same package on the inside as the HTC One (M8), many will consider the HTC One (E8) as somewhat lesser on the outside. The back is made of glossy white plastic instead of the premium brushed aluminum of the One (M8). The plastic is slippery, but fingerprints are not as visible as you would guess plus, it feels somewhat nice to touch. The HTC One (E8) doesn’t feel cheap by all means.

HTC has left the design intact so the E8 looks just as good as the M8 despite using plastic instead of metal. Thanks to that the weight has went down down by a whopping 15 g – for a total of a reasonable 145 g.

There’s no IR blaster on the HTC One (E8) – that is reserved for the top dog One (M8).

HTC One (E8)

The HTC One (E8) does feel a little too tall for a 5-incher but that’s mainly due to the two BoomSound speakers on the top and bottom of its front. There’s also a 5 MP snapper fit for selfies on the front and we guess the younger crowd, which coined the word selfie, would welcome it with open arms.

The price of the One (E8) is expected to be lower than the One (M8)’s but it is market dependent. The handset has officially launched only in India and Taiwan so getting it outside of those two places will mean it’s a gray import and most likely, it would cost you an extra. In India the handset retails for INR 34,990, while in Taiwan it’s NT$ 14,900, both of which work out to about US$ 497 or €430.

In our book trading the 13 MP snapper for the aluminum unibody could easily stand to reason, especially if the price is right. How about you?