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Phone Comparisons: Nexus 6 vs HTC One M8

Phone Comparisons: Nexus 6 vs HTC One M8

By Cory McNutt
October 29, 2014

Introduction

This is a comparison of one of the most beloved smartphones to hit the streets, the HTC One M8 – the follow up from the HTC One M7 – one of the few devices made completely out of metal with curved sides and back.  It is a pleasure to hold and very comfortable in your hand – but it can become a little slippery and hot or cold depending on the ambient temperature.  It is getting a little older now when compared to the newer competition, but we thought it would be interesting to see how it compares to the new Google Nexus 6 from Motorola, which is like the new Moto X pulled out in every direction.  The same, comfortable curved back – although no leather or wood – a beautiful metal frame that stands between the display and matte finished back…very comfortable, if not large, in your hand.

These two devices have very little in common, other than they both make phone calls.  They both have dual front-facing stereo speakers, although the HTC One M8 does have the BoomSound feature.  Both devices have the usual Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC and a microUSB port for charging and data transferred.  Both devices are available on all the major U.S. networks and run about the same off-contract, and from what we have been hearing so far, the Nexus 6 may only cost around $50 on a two-year contract – much cheaper than other flagship devices.

Please take a good look at the detailed specifications below and after that we will look at each individual device to determine their pros and cons to help us pick a winner for this comparison.

Specifications

Nexus 6

The Nexus 6 comes with a 6.0-inch display versus a 5.0-inch on the One M8 – this can be good or bad, depending on your tastes.  However, the Nexus 6 has a QHD AMOLED display with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels with 493 pixels-per-inch (PPI) and the HTC One M8 only uses the Full HD LCD technology.  The Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor in the Nexus 6 is the next generation of the Snapdragon 801 in the One M8.  The Nexus 6 has 3GB of RAM versus the 2GB found in the One M8 – both devices have a 32GB model with the Nexus 6 also offering a 64GB with no expansion available.  The HTC One M8 offers a 16GB/32GB model, but also an expansion slot.

There is a lot of difference in the camera area as well – the Nexus 6 uses a new 13MP main camera with auto-focus, OIS and a dual-LED flash ring that encompasses the lens. We will discuss the Dual 4MP UltraPixel cameras on the One M8 later, but suffice it to say that the Nexus camera should take better pictures.  The Nexus 6 also has a much larger 3220mAh battery versus the 2600mAh in the One M8 and with Motorola’s excellent track record with batteries, the Snapdragon 805’s battery management and Turbo Charge option, you can expect great battery life.

Other features and observations – this is a much larger device than the HTC One M8 – and is about 13mm taller and wider and weighs about 24 grams more.  People with very small hands may not be happy with the Nexus 6, so make sure you check it out before making your purchase.  The Nexus 6 also has a water resistant nano-coating, wireless charging, and can use the Motorola Turbo Charging that will give you 6-8 hours of usage on only a 15-minute charge.  It also comes with the latest Android 5.0 Lollipop operating system and all of the improvements that come with new 64-bit system.

HTC One M8

The HTC One M8 is a great device, but it is showing its age in this fast-paced technical world.  The 5-inch Full HD Super LCD3 display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 and with 441 PPI is a great display, but not up to the specs of the new Nexus 6.  The same with the processor – the MSM8974AB is a souped-up 800, but not quite an 801 – and is just not up to the newest Snapdragon 805 found in the Nexus 6.  The One M8 comes with 2GB of RAM compared with 3GB in the Nexus 6.  The One M8 does allow the user to expand the 16 or 32GB of internal memory via a microSD card of up to an additional 128GB – the Nexus 6 has no room to expand beyond its 32 or 64GBs.

HTC decided to go a different route with their camera – last year on the One M7, they introduced a 4MP camera using UltraPixels…pixels that are much larger than the usual megapixel.  Did HTC succeed in allowing their flagship to take better pictures…not really, but when it came to the camera on the One M8, rather than adding more UltraPixels, they introduced a second, Duo Camera.  The second camera is used for depth perception in photos and is not used for better picture quality…just special effects.  Whether with one or two camera lens, the One M8 camera should not stand up to the camera on the Nexus 6.  HTC did use a large 5MP FFC that will offer a terrific video chat or selfie – this is better than the 2MP on the Nexus 6.  The 2600mAh battery is also rather small when compared with other flagships and especially when compared to the 3220mAh found on the Nexus 6.

The HTC One M8 does have one of the best speakers found on a smartphone – dual, front-facing stereo BoomSound speakers and while the Nexus 6 has dual front-facing stereo speakers, we have yet to hear them for a proper comparison – but the BoomSound will be hard to beat.  It also has a built-in IR Blaster and stereo FM radio.  It runs Android 4.4 KitKat with Sense 6.0 running on top, is available on all major U.S. networks and costs about the same as the Nexus 6 off-contract, but actually costs more on a two-year contract.

…And the Winner Is…

Summary

I had no choice but to pick the new Nexus 6 in this comparison, especially when you throw the pricing into the mix.  To get this much technology for prices like this is a real bargain…AT&T and T-Mobile are talking about a $50 price tag on a two-year contract.  The Nexus 6 has a QHD display, a Snapdragon 805 processor, 3GB of RAM, a great camera with 13MP, auto-focus, OIS and a dual-LED flash ring, a larger battery, is water resistant, has wireless charging, and the Motorola Turbo Charger.  To top everything off, you get the newest Android 5.0 Lollipop with the fastest upgrades possible.

The HTC One M8 is a nice device, but the couple of items it has over the Nexus 6 are certainly no reason to purchase it over the Nexus 6.  Please hit us up on our Google+ Page and let us know which one of these devices you would pick as the winner…as always, we would love to hear from you.