


Yes, the earlier HTC One M8 easily ranked as one of last year's best smartphones, but it competed against the small-screened iPhone 5S and the plasticky Samsung Galaxy S5, each of which felt like me-too throwbacks to their respective predecessors. If taking a gamble on a conservative design upgrade sounds oxymoronic, consider the current chaos at HTC: the move may have already cost HTC CEO Peter Chou his job.

HTC's 2015 top-of-the-line phone recycles the same sleek design as last year's M8, sticking to the luxurious all-metal case and 1080p HD screen while incorporating key spec improvements - most notably a speedy, state-of-the-art Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor and upgraded front and rear cameras, the latter an attempt to address the M8's biggest shortfall: that its primary camera just wasn't as good as the competition.
