Next generation: HTC's new One M8 smartphone and its arsenal of compatible accessories

The HTC One M7
Following on from the HTC One M7, the new M8 comes equipped with clever photography tricks, and a host of sensors that respond to touch and proximity, plus the latest version of the brand's Sense software
(Image credit: press)

Another year, another smartphone. At the upper echelons of the market, in the rarefied realm of flagship devices, market share means very little. HTC has but a few per cent of global sales in smart devices (compared with Samsung's 30-odd per cent), but most analysts agree: last year's best phone was the HTC One.

Now there's a new One in town, the M8 (a quasi-public suffix that helps to navigate the complex world of smartphone names). We spoke to Daniel Hundt, HTC's global creative director, about the M8 and what it means for growing the company's profile.

'It's great to be working for a company that's so focused on design,' he explains. 'We're committed to creating an almost perfect product. The big challenge between M7 and M8 is how to make good better.' The first One garnered a clutch of design awards and its successor strives to build on what made it so desirable. The main response is more metal - up from 70 to 90 per cent of the case. Hundt describes the painstaking process of incorporating the phone's ten antennae into a metal case. 'It feels really solid and simpler,' he says. 'We got rid of the plastic.'

A phone designer's job is to steer a tough course between technological limitations and the sheer tactile quality of a device that never seems to leave our hands. 'It's extremely satisfying,' he says, 'because you're a designer and a user at the same time. We create products that people really rely on - we want to create phones that are an extension of who people are.' HTC's own CEO even walked around with a mock-up of the M8 in his pocket for a few months, just to ensure the 'feel' of the device was perfect.

The M8 is certainly shaping up to be a workhorse, albeit a stylish one. It comes with a five-inch screen, clever new photography tricks, a host of sensors that respond to touch and proximity, plus the latest version of HTC's Sense software, an Android addition that has a few tricks of its own. Still, the best phone you can buy? The gap is certainly closer than ever before, but the M8 is a worthy equal to the world of Galaxies and iPhones.

The next paradigm is having an army of little devices to keep track of, all of which wirelessly connect with your smartphone to 'improve the user experience'. Speakers and headsets are an obvious pairing, as is the plethora of fitness-tracking devices, but HTC has gone further with its Mini+, a phone for a phone. With phones getting ever larger, the market for peripherals is also growing fast.

The HTC One M8

The HTC One M8 incorporates a five-inch screen and has done away with the plastic edging in favour of a more refined finish

(Image credit: press)

The M8

The M8 features significantly more metal than the original One - up from 70 to 90 per cent of the case - with a unibody frame curved to fit your hand

(Image credit: press)

The next paradigm in smartphone

The next paradigm in smartphone use is having an army of little devices to keep track of, all of which wirelessly connect with your smartphone to 'improve the user experience'. Our round-up of compatible gadgets to pair with the HTC One M8 includes the HTC BoomBass, a speaker that doubles as a stand, which augments the tones of HTC's already fine-sounding phones

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HTC Sound box

HTC BoomBass: Connectivity is via NFC and one charge should give you six hours of sound

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HTC Dot View Case

HTC Dot View Case: This neat piece of product design clips around the One to keep the screen safe; an inbuilt magnetic catch automatically turns the phone on and off. The best bit is the dot matrix-style pattern lurking beneath the perforations, illuminated in full retro-style glory to show you the time, weather or call status

(Image credit: press)

HTC Mini+

HTC Mini+: Rampant smartphone growth has spawned the Mini+, essentially a tiny handset that connects with your One and takes on all the onerous tasks of calling and messaging - even doubling as a TV remote control and laser pointer

(Image credit: press)

Jawbone ERA Bluetooth Headset

Jawbone ERA Bluetooth Headset: Of the non HTC-specific devices to pair with the M8, we recommend this device, which goes some way towards making the ubiquitous Bluetooth headset into a truly discrete, wearable piece of kit. The headset has shrunk in size in recent years

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Jawbone ERA Bluetooth Headset

Jawbone ERA Bluetooth Headset: The ERA combines ten hours of talk time with a sleek Yves Behar-designed case, 'noise assassin' sound-cancelling features and a chargeable dock. Now that voice recognition is getting more sophisticated, this is a neat way of interacting with your phone without getting it out of your pocket

(Image credit: press)

Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.