When HTC announced the One (M8), I was happy not because of its specs, but the fact that the Taiwanese company didn't call it the HTC One Two. Sad joke aside, this is probably the only Android phone that iPhone and Windows Phone users wouldn't mind picking-up.

Stylish unibody design; Crisp display; Excellent multimedia perofrmance; Interesting camera features; Can work as a TV remote; Excellent speaker setup; Good battery life

4 "ultrapixel" camera loses out on details; Not ideal for single-handed usage; Colours (on screen) look dull

Windows Phone is defined by its failures. So entrenched is the mobile duopoly of Google and Apple that the only way to talk about Microsoft's fledgling platform is by noting what it lacks in comparison to Android and iOS.

Excellent build; Vibrant; sharp display; Best speakers on the market

Windows Phone is still lacking; Mediocre main camera; Minor setbacks with performance and battery life

The new HTC One is a very, very nice phone. It has even better hardware than last year's model , and a few new smart and well-chosen software tricks. Some of the new software are mere gimmicks, but in the time I spent testing it, I came away more pleased then puzzled.

Highly refined hardware with a beautiful all-metal finish; Excellent battery life; Sense has been streamlined even further, with a cleaner Blink interface and new launch gestures; Good speakers for a phone

Camera still disappoints; Some of the features are gimmicks and not useful beyond impressing the other guests at the pool party; Skip the plastic Dot case accessory - it's cool, but way too expensive

Premium fit and finish to a point that can rival Apple. Battery life is not great though...

It's all the more impressive that HTC, after making the best-looking phone of 2013(the HTC One), managed to make the HTC One M8, a phone crammed full of power and great features while improving the design that won it so many accolades.

If you are looking for a phone running Microsoft's mobile OS, the HTC One M8 for Windows is the phone to buy. And even if your preferences stray toward other operating systems, the One M8 still deserves some serious consideration (there's an Android version, too).

Great battery life; Luxurious metal body; Rich front-facing BoomSound speakers; Strong performance; Innovative Duo Cameras

Small Windows app store; Missing ZOE media files and restaurant suggestions in Blinkfeed

The M8 has a great 5in display and excellent battery life, but it's expensive and there's no protection from water or dust.

Great screen; Expandable storage; Good performance & battery

Gimmicky camera; Annoying cover flap; No protection from the elements

Editors' note: This review shares many sections with the standard HTC One M8 review , as the devices are almost identical.

Unless you need a great deal on earbuds, there’s no reason to buy the HTC One M8 Harman Kardon Edition.

The HTC One M8 HKE's sumptuous aluminum body makes a beautiful background for this top-flight smartphone's brilliant 5-inch display. It runs on a powerful quad-core processor and Android KitKat, the stereo speakers deliver excellent sound, and the depth-sensing camera brings a ton of useful features. It comes with premium Harman Kardon earbuds.

The One M8 HKE’s special audio prowess is overrated and slathers on the bloatware extra thickly. The One M8’s battery is not user-removable. The phone's sealed chassis is not water-resistant, and the One M8's photos look less sharp than competitors'.

Editors' note: Due to their similarities, sections of this review have been taken from our review of the original HTC One M8 and HTC One M8 Harman Kardon Edition .

While its camera isn't best-in-class and Windows Phone's underwhelming app selection still stings, the elegant and sophisticated HTC One M8 is an enticing alternative to Nokia models.

Verizon's HTC One M8 brings premium style to the Windows Phone franchise, has a brilliant 1080p display and excellent audio speakers, and it's powered by a robust quad-core processor.

The Windows Phone OS has a smaller app market, the handset's battery is nonremovable, and like the Android M8s before it, photos aren't as sharp as those from its competitors.

The HTC One (M8) is a smartphone with a lot to live up to. Its predecessor, the HTC One, was our favourite smartphone for six months, until the Nexus 5 rolled up. There's more competition coming, too, in the form of the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the Sony Xperia Z2.