HTC One M8 Gets Reimagined as a Windows Phone Battleship

The HTC One M8 is one of the most well-received Android phones of the year, so when Microsoft approached the company about making a new Windows Phone, it requested the M8 specifically.

 The HTC One M8 for Windows has the exact same hardware as the Android M8 — with the familiar 5-inch full HD screen, Snapdragon 801 chip and robust "BoomSound" speakers — with just the Windows Phone logo beneath the "HTC" on the back betraying the operating system onboard. The phone is exclusive to Verizon for the launch, and it's available today for $99.99 (with a two-year contract) or $29.99 a month under Verizon Edge.

The phone runs the latest Windows Phone software (version 8.1.1), which includes Microsoft's virtual assistant, Cortana. HTC also worked closely with Microsoft to ensure the One's signature features, such as the built-in TV remote control, carry over to the Windows Phone version with few changes:

•  BlinkFeed — the Android home screen that's loaded with "snackable" information from social feeds and news sites — is accessed via an app on the Windows version, rather than by swiping to the left. The color-coding that HTC introduce with the M8 (green for articles, orange for media, etc.) also gives way to the color theme the Windows Phone user has seleced.
• The Duo camera is one of the best features of the HTC One M8, and many of its tricks are preserved in the M8 for Windows. You can refocus photos after the fact, add stylized textures to the background and even create the same crude 3D effect you can on the Android version. One thing missing from the camera experience, though, is the Zoe camera that helps in the automatic creation of highlight videos (also absent).
• And, yes, the phone's infrared port (which is built into the power button) also doubles as a remote control, something Windows Phone doesn't inherently support. Microsoft had to give HTC some special sauce so it could get the IR port working on the Windows model. In both cases, the port works with an HTC-made remote app that presents content visually, with graphical title cards.