Earlier today, HTC unveiled the metal-clad HTC One M8 for Windows. Just like its Android counterpart, the device comes with a full metal design, featuring top-of-the-line specifications with one major change — it runs Windows Phone 8.1 Update 1 as its operating system out of the box rather than Android.
The Windows Phone market was long dominated by Nokia — now Microsoft — with it’s Lumia range of smartphones, but it seems more OEMs are jumping on the Windows Phone bandwagon. We’ve seen several manufacturers release budget-friendly Windows Phone devices in the past, so HTC One M8 for Windows is likely the first one to give high-end Lumia devices a run for their money. Let’s just take a close look at how it stacks up against the recently announced Lumia 930 — Lumia 1520 may be its competitor, but the device features an oversized 6-inch display.
As far as the display is concerned, both devices feature a 5-inch 1080p display, but one area where HTC One M8 for Windows kicks its competition out is its premium aluminum design. I’ve used the Android version of the handset, and I must say that it feels premium, better than a majority of high-end handsets available in the market.
Comparatively, the device also comes with a faster processor — the Snapdragon 801 — compared to the Snapdragon 800 SoC in the Lumia 930. Both devices comes with 2GB of RAM, but another area where I’d prefer HTC One M8 for Windows is the expandable storage. Lumia 930 comes with 32GB of internal storage which could be enough for casual users, but the presence of a microSD card is always better. HTC One M8 comes with 32GB storage as well, but there’s a microSD card slot which supports up to 128GB.
As for the photographic capabilities, I’d say Lumia 930 takes the lead with its 20MP PureView camera, but that doesn’t mean that the Duo camera setup — Ultra Pixel camera with a depth sensor — is not good. It can capture decent photos as well. On the front, there’s a 5MP camera on the HTC One M8, compared to 1.2MP on the Lumia 930.
HTC One M8 also carries a bigger battery, a 2,600 mAh one, compared to 2,420 mAh on the Lumia 930. The difference in the capacity is minor, but it can have a noticeable effect on the battery time of the device.
One thing which may disappoint users across the globe is that HTC One M8 is available exclusively on Verizon in the US, while the Lumia 930 is an international version of the Lumia Icon in the US. There’s no word as of now if we’ll see the HTC One M8 for Windows hit retail in global markets.
Here’s a summary of the specifications of both devices:
