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The HTC One E8 is an odd phone, mostly because it's offering the best of the One M8 but in a lower-spec framework.
That doesn't mean it can't be a good smartphone in its own right, but it does feel like it's missing something of its soul simply due to the fact it doesn't have the emotional connection you get with a really solidly-made handset.
The loss of the Duo Camera will be a big deal for some and a blessing for others, in the same way as the missing infra red port at the top.
We liked
The HTC One E8 is built mostly on the foundations of an award-winning phone, but at a lower cost, so obviously many of things I appreciated before are present and correct here.
I'm a fan of BoomSound, and am very glad HTC kept that in there as a differentiator in a congested smartphone market. I'm also very glad that the microSD slot is present and correct once more, as expandable memory is something that a lot of users really engage with.
The design isn't as terrible as I thought it would be either - the choice of colours from HTC is strong, and the Electric Crimson I was testing got some admiring looks.
The Sense interface is the best Android overlay out there for those that aren't bothered by naked Android - it's simple to use, has a good companion in Blinkfeed and is easily identifiable, even for those coming from an iPhone.
We disliked
The problem with the One E8 is that which I mentioned above: it doesn't have the emotional connection you get from the One M8. I get why this phone was made, to offer some of the featureset to those that can't afford a really high-end phone, but it feels like that loss is slightly too great.
The camera is fine - it's not in the same league as the One M8 in terms of special ability, but the confusing thing is many will see this as a better snapper simply because the megapixel count is higher.
That's a failing from HTC to communicate the power of its Ultrapixel technology, but is an issue here. I do with the Duo camera power was on board, but for the price I'll accept it.
And while the battery is more than good enough for most, the fact is there are still better phones on the market that can last longer.
I'm loathe to put that in as a negative, as compared to the 2013 breed of smartphones this is miles better, but the fact is there are better options on the market.
Verdict
The HTC One E8 is a phone that I'm happy to carry around and use - as long as I don't remember than the One M8 exists.
I always say: buy the best phone you can afford, as you'll be thankful in a year's time when you've still got 12 months left to run. With this handset, if you can, jump up to the full-fat One M8 to get the best experience, both aesthetically and spec-wise.
This is a phone that's in the weird situation of being bettered by a device that came out months before.
That said, if you can't (or don't want to) afford that, then the One E8 is a really great entry point into the higher echelons of the HTC ecosystem. But then so is the Desire 816. Or the One Mini 2.
It has all the power the One M8 did, but that's still not as much as other top phones, like the Galaxy S5 and LG G3. With the M8, that was offset by a beautifully created phone, but here that soul is missing.
It's not a bad phone for the cash by a long way, especially if you're a fan of top specs, but without the metal body and other HTC headliners, it feels like the One E8 is missing something - and the price reduction isn't enough to really quantify the loss of soul that the M8 has in spades.
