HTC launches affordable One M8s with 13MP Duo camera

Hot on the heels of the One M9, HTC has just revealed the all-new One M8s, an affordable remix of last year’s One M8 with a dual-lens 13-megapixel camera and Snapdragon 615 processor. But is it different enough to justify its existence?

The One M8s looks to sit firmly in the affordable mid-range market, despite rocking HTC’s trademark all-metal body. Design-wise, the One M8s is very similar to the original One M8, with an identical 160g weight and just a tiny bit of extra girth at 9.55mm, and once again it’s a gorgeous (if familiar) slab of tech.

Unlike the HTC One Mini phones, mid-range spin-offs of the HTC One M7 which also sported smaller screens, the One M8s still boasts a full-sized 5-inch display. It’s a Full HD panel as normal, producing 1080p visuals, and you also get HTC’s BoomSound front-facing speakers, so there’s no compromise when it comes to media performance.

However, the One M8’s Snapdragon 801 processor has been swapped out for a budget-conscious Snapdragon 615 chipset for the One M8s, backed by 2GB of RAM. Android Lollipop should run smoothly, and of course you’ll have HTC’s Sense interface over the top.

HTC has returned to its dual-lens Duo camera for the One M8s, but rather than an Ultrapixel effort, you get a pair of 13-megapixel cameras on the rear which work in tandem. The f/2.0 aperture lenses will hopefully cope well with low-light conditions, although the One M9 didn’t perform as strongly in our tests as the Samsung Galaxy S6. We’re assuming that the Duo cameras will allow focus shifting like the One M8’s, so you can choose the focal point of your photos after they’ve been taken.

There’s also a 5-megapixel front-facer that can also shoot 1080p video. And the One M8s packs full 4G support, along with NFC, 16GB of storage and micro SD for expansion.

The HTC One M8s will initially be available in Gunmetal Grey from a range of operators and retailers here in the UK, from the beginning of April. It’ll cost £379, which is roughly the same cost as the original M8 right now. Here’s hoping that the new 13-megapixel snappers make the One M8s a worthy purchase, as it’s otherwise barely an update.