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.
