Android By Russell Holly Feb. 5, 2014 4:27 pm
The next two months are going to be all about Samsung and HTC, just like last year. Unlike 2013, however, HTC has had a strong year after hitting a home run with the HTC One. Now that it is almost time to crown a successor, the leaks are flowing and the anticipation is high.
HTC’s worst kept secret last year was the M7 smartphone, which was eventually dubbed the*HTC One. Everyone knew it was coming and everyone knew it was going to be something different, but no amount of leaked data could have prepared us for what was announced. A departure from the expected is what made the One so popular, and the hope is high that lighting still strike twice and we’ll see the same thing with the M8 this spring.
One of the headline features expected to land with this phone is a pair of photo sensors (instead of just the one Ultrapixel sensor). Now there’s now a clear photo of exactly that make its way around the web.
The second sensor mounted on the back of this prototype*–*just above the Ultrapixel sensor — is expected to offer dynamic refocusing of photos taken with the HTC camera software. We know Qualcomm has been working with image tech experts to make something like this possible on the next wave of Snapdragon processors, and HTC’s unique smartphone photography experience falls perfectly in line with these plans. With a second flash to help address one of the few criticisms of HTC’s camera on the One, there’s a lot to be excited about here.
Something that other HTC M8 sources seem to disagree on is the body of the device. While this photo clearly shows a design that is nearly identical to the M7, several prominent HTC leakers have spoken out and claimed that this is a prototype body and does not reflect the final design of the M8.
As we saw when HTC shared the manufacturing process for the M7, it’s not unusual for there to be multiple iterations of a partially complete design while they work on software and work on choosing a final design. The M8 design may not deviate too far from the M7, but it is likely to have a style all its own.
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HTC’s worst kept secret last year was the M7 smartphone, which was eventually dubbed the*HTC One. Everyone knew it was coming and everyone knew it was going to be something different, but no amount of leaked data could have prepared us for what was announced. A departure from the expected is what made the One so popular, and the hope is high that lighting still strike twice and we’ll see the same thing with the M8 this spring.
One of the headline features expected to land with this phone is a pair of photo sensors (instead of just the one Ultrapixel sensor). Now there’s now a clear photo of exactly that make its way around the web.
The second sensor mounted on the back of this prototype*–*just above the Ultrapixel sensor — is expected to offer dynamic refocusing of photos taken with the HTC camera software. We know Qualcomm has been working with image tech experts to make something like this possible on the next wave of Snapdragon processors, and HTC’s unique smartphone photography experience falls perfectly in line with these plans. With a second flash to help address one of the few criticisms of HTC’s camera on the One, there’s a lot to be excited about here.
Something that other HTC M8 sources seem to disagree on is the body of the device. While this photo clearly shows a design that is nearly identical to the M7, several prominent HTC leakers have spoken out and claimed that this is a prototype body and does not reflect the final design of the M8.
As we saw when HTC shared the manufacturing process for the M7, it’s not unusual for there to be multiple iterations of a partially complete design while they work on software and work on choosing a final design. The M8 design may not deviate too far from the M7, but it is likely to have a style all its own.
More...
