Okay I got in 2 T-Mobile HTC one's and I'll be getting the Dev edition as well on tuesday.
Here's my Initial mini review.
First.
Serial and Batch Info
Both are FA345.
Phone 1. FA345W
Phone 2 .FA345W
April 5 2013 build date.
Issues.
They both have Gaps at the top, but no overhang issues. 1 is worse than the other. There are also small knicks on the top speaker grill near the gaps on 1 of them, Also there is a place where the plastic isn't filling in the gap at all on 1. Both will be sent back to replacement.
Sound.
1.Without beats turned on it's loud it's louder than the galaxy note 2, I can hear it upstairs from the other side of the house., However I did notice some static on 1 of the speakers. The sound is muffled with beats on so I'm using it without it.
Temperature
2. The phone is WARM very very warm, most of the warmth is concentrated in the middle>towards bottom near the usb charging port.
Branding.
3. There is no T-Mobile Branding on the back it's just like the international version.
Capacitive Button bleed.
4.The unit I'm using does not have any capacitive bleed onto the screen from the buttons. The droid DNA had this and many other htc phones but this doesnt I tested this in a dark room viewing all angles settings.
LCD Corner Light bleed.
5.The only bleed i detect is on the top left corner in a tiny section, the rest of the screen does not have any light bleed anywhere it's a huge improvement over the DNA which had alot of bleeding on all sides.
Stereo Sound Observations.
Watching a movie, If someone makes a noise on 1 side of the screen say the right side, and travels to the other side (left) the sound will move with them and come out of the left speaker. So it will start from the right and move to the left.
**Upcoming** Will Post video showing the sound/etc soon and more info.
Can't wait to get my Tmo HTC One
Hopefully my store has them in stock
Sent from my SGS 3 running 4.2.2
Is it only warm near the USB port while it's charging, or is it always like that?
AllyOmega said:
Is it only warm near the USB port while it's charging, or is it always like that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If your using the phone ( I was on youtube playing video's it's warm like very warm.) It's not only near the USB Port it extends all the way to where the camera area is and it's warmest near the port to middle of the phone and starts to taper off as it reaches the top.
I'll have to test the other devices to see if it's an isolated issue with this one or all of them have the same behavior.
Nyxagamemnon said:
Okay I got in 2 T-Mobile HTC one's and I'll be getting the Dev edition as well on tuesday.
Here's my Initial mini review.
First.
Serial and Batch Info
Both are FA345.
Phone 1. FA345W
Phone 2 .FA345W
April 5 2013 build date.
Issues.
They both have Gaps at the top, but no overhang issues. 1 is worse than the other. There are also small knicks on the top speaker grill near the gaps on 1 of them, Also there is a place where the plastic isn't filling in the gap at all on 1. Both will be sent back to replacement.
Sound.
1.Without beats turned on it's loud it's louder than the galaxy note 2, I can hear it upstairs from the other side of the house., However I did notice some static on 1 of the speakers. The sound is muffled with beats on so I'm using it without it.
Temperature
2. The phone is WARM very very warm, most of the warmth is concentrated in the middle>towards bottom near the usb charging port.
Branding.
3. There is no T-Mobile Branding on the back it's just like the international version.
Capacitive Button bleed.
4.The unit I'm using does not have any capacitive bleed onto the screen from the buttons. The droid DNA had this and many other htc phones but this doesnt I tested this in a dark room viewing all angles settings.
LCD Corner Light bleed.
5.The only bleed i detect is on the top left corner in a tiny section, the rest of the screen does not have any light bleed anywhere it's a huge improvement over the DNA which had alot of bleeding on all sides.
Stereo Sound Observations.
Watching a movie, If someone makes a noise on 1 side of the screen say the right side, and travels to the other side (left) the sound will move with them and come out of the left speaker. So it will start from the right and move to the left.
**Upcoming** Will Post video showing the sound/etc soon and more info.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
are you sure about the branding, because i went on the tmobile website and it shows a branding in the back , on top of the beats audio logo
angel.mariano said:
are you sure about the branding, because i went on the tmobile website and it shows a branding in the back , on top of the beats audio logo
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The photos are normally photoshopped ones ... I tend to believe the guy who has the phone than pictures in website. Mine will come on Monday and can't wait.
kirdroid said:
The photos are normally photoshopped ones ... I tend to believe the guy who has the phone than pictures in website. Mine will come on Monday and can't wait.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ohh niceee... lucky you , can you please tell me if theres any branding once you get your phone ..
angel.mariano said:
ohh niceee... lucky you , can you please tell me if theres any branding once you get your phone ..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure just follow the T-Mobile USA thread and there will be many people reporting there. Bunch of us have our phones getting delivered tomorrow.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
no tmobile branding on the phone physically though software wise there is tmobile on startup and shutdown
Related
Dear Friends,
I have a problem with my SGSIII
When I tap a bit stronger on the upper half of the screen the frame makes a quiet but audible cracking sound creaking/squeak sound. When I squeeze the top part of the frame tightly with both fingers and tap again the noise while tapping is gone. It seems that the frame is a bit loose. Can you please check if there is a noise difference between when you tap strongly on the lower half of the screen as opposed to the upper part?
This is very annoying when working with the phone and occasionally tapping a bit harder to bring down the notification bar.
EDIT: Don't get me wrong here, the sound is not very loud, it's a slight "clicking" sound for the lack of a better description but it's definitely hardware based. When i tap softer I won't hear it.
I am bummed out that such a premium phone fails on such basic criteria.
Would be delighted to hear your thoughts.
If it's not the same with you and the sound of tapping is the same on every part of the screen then I will return the phone.
Make sure your battery cover is on completely. If it is, return phone. It should not creak, crack etc.
So you are saying that wherever on the screen you tap you cannot hear a difference? I took off the bat cover and still I hear a slight clicking sound when I tap on the upper half.... It's going to be such a hasstle to return it
Sounds fine to me, and honestly is the least creaky Samsung phone I ever owned.
Crap, it really sucks that I have to return it now because I have to send it back manually and wait another week to get the replacement
ADDITIONAL QUESTION: Do you have any problem pink screens or other colors on white saturation? But please keep checking if the creaking sound is present on your device. tap the notification bar hard and listen if there is a difference. I am worried that If I xchange I get a bad screen and then I have to xchange again. Arghh! it's always that decision between 2 evils ..
I can hear a sound when I tap the earpiece, but it sounds more like a rattle from the camera's auto focus mechanism. If that Is the sound, I'd say it's relatively normal.
Don't worry its normal. Typical Samsung build quality.
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2
Diablo81588 said:
Don't worry its normal. Typical Samsung build quality.
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There will always be haters, build quality is what i expected after owning an sgs2, Samsung prefer light agile handsets over bricks you could hammer nails in with. Treat it with respect and it will be perfectly fine.
Excellent review of build and quality by XDA member here .
http://www.androidnz.net/2012/06/samsung-galaxy-s-iii-real-user-review.html
jje
Mine seems perfect. No creaking, no rattles, perfect screen. A friend had an iP4 delivered that had marks under the screen, and another had one with loose glass on the back!
I noticed the same thing on the iPhone. Both phones have their speakers on the bottom of the phone. What does this mean? When you hold the phone in landscape to play games and grip it in gaming grip, the base of your forefinger (first finger) covers the speakers and muffles the sound. I noticed this a lot playing games on my old iPhone. Speaker should be on the back ideally or on the sides.
tboy2000 said:
I noticed the same thing on the iPhone. Both phones have their speakers on the bottom of the phone. What does this mean? When you hold the phone in landscape to play games and grip it in gaming grip, the base of your forefinger (first finger) covers the speakers and muffles the sound. I noticed this a lot playing games on my old iPhone. Speaker should be on the back ideally or on the sides.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
use headphones
I haven't seen one up close yet, but I thought the power plug was on the bottom now. So, would that be in addition to the speakers on the bottom?? or did they move them elsewhere?
eortizr said:
use headphones
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for your wonderful useful tip. So I am only allowed to play a game with sound when I plug in headphones. Great practical advice from you! I like to see you hold the phone with the headphone plug digging into your finger too! I know because I made a mockup of the phone and held it in gaming grip.
alodar1 said:
I haven't seen one up close yet, but I thought the power plug was on the bottom now. So, would that be in addition to the speakers on the bottom?? or did they move them elsewhere?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The speakers are on the bottom of the phone on either side of the USB port.
It would be more practical on the back but in terms of design it looks uglier. That's why they put the speakers on the bottom. My Atrix has its speaker on the back and it is much better than when I had an iPhone.
Speakers never bothered me on the iphone 4s when I had it for 6 months so I don't see it as a design flaw here. I am terribly concerned about the size and weight though. I know that the older Lumia phones are thicker but it definitely does not look that way. The 920 looks HUGE and that is saying a lot since I currently have a GS3.
I hope that my concerns disappear after handling or I might have to get an HTC 8x, which I really want to avoid after owning two crappy HTC One X phones.
Personally I kind of like the thickness. Gives it substance. I have held ultra thin phones and think that I'll break them. Speaker placement to me doesn't matter as long as they sound good. I just hope it's more water tolerable than the L900. Saw the torture test on c|net and it wasn't pretty.
Sent from my A100 using Tapatalk 2
tboy2000 said:
The speakers are on the bottom of the phone on either side of the USB port.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just on one side, the other side is the mic.
vioalas said:
Just on one side, the other side is the mic.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, tboy is right. They are on both sides.
The 800 also has the speaker on the bottom. It doesn't bother me since I have a light grip on it when I play.
Anyway I think there are always some problems with the placement of the speakers. There is just no perfect solution. If you put it on the back then some people will complain that the sound will get muffled while it's placed on it's back e.g on the bed or the couch. If you wanna put it on the side then you are forced to put one on both sides but most windows phones have 3-4 buttons on one side and adding a speaker would make it look really cluttered and one may end up being muffled again. Top has the same problem as bottom and front wouldn't just work because of aesthetics.
I personally think that the speakers on the bottom are the lesser evil compared to the other options.
The speaker is placed on the bottom is actually a good idea.
With the iPhone it was placed on the bottom due to the alarm, so that the sound would not get blocked.
I always place my phone (s3) upside down just to hear my alarm better , Since I'm a deep sleeper.
The Lumia 920 has no flaws. It was designed hand manufactured by the hand of god. Just kidding. Speaker placement is actually very fine with me. It's more of a preference issue that you brought up. Cnet's torture test of the 900 shows that it will die from water. That should be an indication of what to expect. Then again, it's the only phone I know that you can hammer a nail with and still be fine. The 920 is supposed to be even tougher. So if my phone drowns... At lest I'll still be able to fix thins around the house with it. LOL. Most indestructible phone design I've seen so far was the Galaxy S3. Survive a washer cycle with ease.
Sent from my T8788 using Board Express
When I push (lightly) on the bottom area of the display - the capacitive button area - there is a pretty loud creak every time, as if the display pops out of the case and pushing it snaps it back in. All I have to do is touch either corner of the bottom of the display and I get this creaking. At that point, it stops, but if I try it again five minutes later it creaks again. Does this happen to anyone else, and is it a big enough deal to consider an exchange?
Sent from my HTC One X+ using Tapatalk 2
ShotSkydiver said:
When I push (lightly) on the bottom area of the display - the capacitive button area - there is a pretty loud creak every time, as if the display pops out of the case and pushing it snaps it back in. All I have to do is touch either corner of the bottom of the display and I get this creaking. At that point, it stops, but if I try it again five minutes later it creaks again. Does this happen to anyone else, and is it a big enough deal to consider an exchange?
Sent from my HTC One X+ using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have that problem. In my opinion, that is something pretty annoying and I would look to get a replacement, if possible
Sent from my HTC One X+ using xda app-developers app
I experienced a similar issue on the TOP of the screen, where it the screen is flush with the body on the left side of the earpiece, but NOT completely flush on the right side of the screen (just under the front facing camera). The right side of the screen pops out a little bit. Anyone experience this? I am going to bring this to AT&T to see if I can get a replacement.
ashamir said:
I experienced a similar issue on the TOP of the screen, where it the screen is flush with the body on the left side of the earpiece, but NOT completely flush on the right side of the screen (just under the front facing camera). The right side of the screen pops out a little bit. Anyone experience this? I am going to bring this to AT&T to see if I can get a replacement.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i had the exact same problem with the onex, what ever you do, dont squeeze it back in, you will end up with a yellow spot from what ever is underneath it, i went round the whole xcreen pushing and sticking it back in,it was all flush, no popping out on the corners or creeking, after about an hour i started getting yellow spots and lines at ther top under the speaker ans in the corner where it was popping out before, i actually got angry in the end and smashed the screen lol, cost me £170 from htc repair centre, phone is now better than when i purchased and a i regret to say its better than the onex+ i purchased while phopne was in repair, the scrolling on the onex+ is reall peaing me off now, its double clicking things, when i scroll it rubberbands and goes the other way lol, also it clicks on stuff in a different area to where my finger is sometimes when i scroll,i have a thread and im reporting it to htc after christmas, and i hope everyone else is, i want as many people as possible to get in touch with them so they no its serious, with a bit of luck we might get 4.2.1 earlier or at least a hotfix ota.Improved scrolling my ass.
picked up my phone earlier this afternoon, (preorder 32gb) 1st im told that my wireless hdmi will arrive at a later date, when i open up my box once im home i see that the top speaker grill did not adhere properly. only half of it is sitting right (camera side) but the half with the sensors is floating ever-so slightly. i am in love with the phone but this is really bothering me. i can clearly see the red adhesive and some is even on the side of the phone. after a quick phone call to at&t i was told i can go back to the store i which i pre-ordered and recieve a new phone.
picture with the headphone port shows a normal adhered corner and the other shows the gap on the grill
Has anyone else had a problem like this?
so take it back get it replaced
ofcourseimnaked said:
picked up my phone earlier this afternoon, (preorder 32gb) 1st im told that my wireless hdmi will arrive at a later date, when i open up my box once im home i see that the top speaker grill did not adhere properly. only half of it is sitting right (camera side) but the half with the sensors is floating ever-so slightly. i am in love with the phone but this is really bothering me. i can clearly see the red adhesive and some is even on the side of the phone. after a quick phone call to at&t i was told i can go back to the store i which i pre-ordered and recieve a new phone.
picture with the headphone port shows a normal adhered corner and the other shows the gap on the grill
Has anyone else had a problem like this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very similar to mine but not quite as bad as what your pic shows. I decided not do anything because it is purely a cosmetic issue and you have to look really hard on mine to see it plus all my parts are aligned spot on so everything is flush with no over hang. If I had yours I would take it back to the store and demand another 32 GB asap. They should have em. 64 GB will take some time to reach stores so I may decide later to exchange.
You have a one year warranty so you could wait too. Remember iPhone 5 had similar quality issues at launch.
Lol, I'm just waiting for mine to come in. I presume I will get one that has a perfect body, but a dead pixel or two, I will then return it for one with a flawless screen, but screwed up body, and then be forced to live with it.
I went to a store to buy mine and made them open the box before I took it
Sent from my M7 using Tapatalk 2
ofcourseimnaked said:
picked up my phone earlier this afternoon, (preorder 32gb) 1st im told that my wireless hdmi will arrive at a later date, when i open up my box once im home i see that the top speaker grill did not adhere properly. only half of it is sitting right (camera side) but the half with the sensors is floating ever-so slightly. i am in love with the phone but this is really bothering me. i can clearly see the red adhesive and some is even on the side of the phone. after a quick phone call to at&t i was told i can go back to the store i which i pre-ordered and recieve a new phone.
picture with the headphone port shows a normal adhered corner and the other shows the gap on the grill
Has anyone else had a problem like this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
mine has a very slight gap, similar to yours on the right side, except mine is more uniform. I think it's the fact that it's glued on. personally I'm not worried, but yeah if it bothers you go demand another one. they promised you zero gap construction, if you don't thin theyve met that promise you go back till you get one that does bro.
Guys, anyone has dead pixels on their Ones? Got them on two of mine....any idea how many considered defective by HTCs standards?
Sent from my HTC One X+ using Tapatalk 2
I called AT&T and they told me to go to my nearest store and they would replace it, even if it were a minor cosmetic defect it would still worry me. Even the slightest bit of water could go in through a gap like that and damage anything or even worse activate a water strip forcing you to go through Insurance for such a new phone. They were pleasant and accommodating over the phone, I'm glad it was an easy fix.....
Now I'm just sitting here staring at the phone, it makes no sense to do anything software wise to it because I'm going to return it in the morning..... No fun for me today
Dottcent said:
Guys, anyone has dead pixels on their Ones? Got them on two of mine....any idea how many considered defective by HTCs standards?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure about HTC but AT&T will exchange it for you..
Dead pixels is a definite return in my book.
Wow!!I was wondering it's only me or a wide spred issue. Now I know it's not just me. My phone looks perfect at the top but the bottom has imperfections. There is a very slight gap and I can feel the ups and downs when I move my finger around the edges. I think I should go to AT&T sore and see if the replace it.
Dottcent said:
Guys, anyone has dead pixels on their Ones? Got them on two of mine....any idea how many considered defective by HTCs standards?
Sent from my HTC One X+ using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had the same issue with mine, and the store manager said he would only exchange it if it had three dead pixals. The phone had about five dead pixals but in two different clusters which made it seem like only two pixals, due to the high dpi. The store manager than called att and asked what he should do because he was only able to see two dead spots/pixals. They probably told him it was up to him and that the defective pixals should be clearly seen with the naked eye. He refused to exchange it because he felt uncomfortable not being able to see more than two dead spots/pixals. I tried a different store with much success. Probably because the store manager was so understanding of the issue.
I went to the store and replaced mine. The first one they showed me has the same issue (uneven flow of construction with the bottom speaker top) and pulled another one which still suffers with similar issue but not that evident. I took the second one and left. It looks like the bottom part of the phone is little complex and very wide spread build issue with these phones.
rajbsn said:
I went to the store and replaced mine. The first one they showed me has the same issue (uneven flow of construction with the bottom speaker top) and pulled another one which still suffers with similar issue but not that evident. I took the second one and left. It looks like the bottom part of the phone is little complex and very wide spread build issue with these phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've looked at many phones. I have yet to seen one without the small gap. It seems that only some have smaller gaps than others. But make sure your speaker grills are at least align correctly.
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2
Dreadsteel said:
I've looked at many phones. I have yet to seen one without the small gap. It seems that only some have smaller gaps than others. But make sure your speaker grills are at least align correctly.
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Their Display phone was perfect. It looks like they are displaying Apples and selling Oranges.
hey i was finally able to recieve a new phone, i walked into my local at&t and spoke to a rep. i was reffered to the assitant manager who looked at his own phone and refused me a replacement phone. i pressed him and gave my phone to the store manager who only agreed to give me a new unit once she saw the red adhesive showing on my top speaker grill. i went and looked at every display model they had, bottom grill on the phone shows a miniscule gap towards the center of the device. speaker grill on top also shows a gap that is more prominent towards the ir blaster. Not sure if this is normal but i will try to visit other locations even a sprint or t-mobile store and look at the build quality on their versions and take pictures to compare. im not too sure of why something like this should happen, but my 1st guess would be an unlevel surface underneath most likely from the injected plastic... i really hope it isnt, such a beautiful phone. something like this should not have a rushed manufacturing process.
About the gap, I got 3 Ones from Att and they all got tiny gaps, but seem to be glued tight, but I mostly looked at uneven speaker grills and screen, since all had some!
Ps, Double Dip is lovely case, got one with the purchase
Every single One we have sold at my store has has zero gap. I've made it a point to look at each one.
Sent from my HTC One X using xda premium
CraigP17 said:
Every single One we have sold at my store has has zero gap. I've made it a point to look at each one.
Sent from my HTC One X using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just got my "baby" yesterday. And with trying to entertain a 1 year old with a slight head cold, plus do all the data transfers from my One X+ to this one, I never thought to actually look the thing over. But I'll be darned, after reading the first few posts just now, I took my case off and yep, there is an ever so slight defect as well. Their not gaps..but a slight "wavelike" unevenness all around. I have very sensitive tactile sensations in my fingers, so i can feel roughness on certain spots. Trying not to let it bother me, but my neuroticism is trying to kick in.
davidper said:
I had the same issue with mine, and the store manager said he would only exchange it if it had three dead pixals. The phone had about five dead pixals but in two different clusters which made it seem like only two pixals, due to the high dpi. The store manager than called att and asked what he should do because he was only able to see two dead spots/pixals. They probably told him it was up to him and that the defective pixals should be clearly seen with the naked eye. He refused to exchange it because he felt uncomfortable not being able to see more than two dead spots/pixals. I tried a different store with much success. Probably because the store manager was so understanding of the issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really, they refused you an exchange? When I had my Optimus G, they exchanged it for me because it got too hot. If you get a new device and it has dead pixels, they should not be able to refuse service. Dead Pixels should not be a standard.
rajbsn said:
Wow!!I was wondering it's only me or a wide spred issue. Now I know it's not just me. My phone looks perfect at the top but the bottom has imperfections. There is a very slight gap and I can feel the ups and downs when I move my finger around the edges. I think I should go to AT&T sore and see if the replace it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine is fine, I don't think this is WIDESPREAD issue.
I just figured I'd make this to get a sense of other people's experience in this regard. This is my first HTC phone after three Samsungs in a row so I don't really know what to expect, in addition I understand the risks of being an early adopter.
My phone doesn't have any scratches or discoloration as I've seen mentioned elsewhere. However I have noticed that the top and bottom edges of the screen are not flush with the pieces used for the speaker grilles, to the point where I can feel the edge of the glass swiping down. Also, I didn't have much chance to look at it before the SD card was inserted, but tray for it does not fit perfectly flush with the outside of the phone once it's in. Minor gripes, otherwise this is the best phone I've owned and has no functional issues. I was just wondering whether this is within spec and just something people accept, or whether this one is worth replacing while I can still do it.
Any feedback is appreciated.
Mine has the same issue with the speaker grill at the top. I can push it down and it'll stay flush for 12 hours or so before I have to do it again. I don't know if I care enough or not to have it exchanged.
Tipo, these minor issues seem typical with HTC phones but fortunately in my case they don't affect function. My first HTC One M7 was a stealth black version and there were two visible areas on the lower speaker grill where I could see they applied some black touch up paint to cover up what were probably nicks that occurred sometime during assembly. it was a shame and i noticed them right away because I happened to be outside when the phone arrived and I opened it up in my screened patio. the sun's light made the paint more visible because indoors it wasn't noticable. Not a big deal because they were so small. I still have the phone today and it works as well as day one.
My second One was an M8 that I received earlier in the week. I noticed the volume rocker didn't sit parallel to the side of the phone and also the top and bottom speaker grills didn't sit flush with the phone. Not a big deal to me but when i made my first call, using speaker phone, the top speaker made a loud electrical crackling sound on every ring. Then when people were speaking, that same top speaker would emit the same crackling sound. I could avoid it by turning the volume down to about 75% but then it was a bit harder to hear. I took it to the AT&T store, tested their display unit and found that the display unit didn't do that. Store manager listened and agreed it was definitely a defect.
Today I received my replacement M8 and the speakers work fine. Fit and finish? Top grill is perfectly flush, bottom grill not flush. Power button is flush on it's right side and sits at proper height on the left side (which is where the IR blaster is.) Because of my experience with my other HTCs I'm keeping this one unless some other functional defect comes up which I'm not expecting. Years ago this may have bothered me but now I appreciate the function of a device much more than it's actual form..but of course I still appreciate form else I wouldn't have gone with the M8. Plus I'll likely put this in a case since I expect to keep it for a long time.
Sad to hear that this can still be happening. I had three m7s with fit finish issues.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
djpharoah said:
Sad to hear that this can still be happening. I had three m7s with fit finish issues.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I agree that it is sad but only because they are marketing these phones to people who care about quality. I admire HTC's efforts in designing and building something high quality because from my limited experience the only other manufacturers who care about this are Sony and Apple. Don't get me wrong, I think pretty much all smartphones are very good smartphones these days much like cars. But when we talk about a premium products some of there are two types of buyers: a) those who buy this stuff to show off but don't really know why it's better than more pedestrian competition and likely wouldn't use these products to their potential and b) those who demand premium build because of their discerning taste and requirement for a certain level of performance/durability. Nothing wrong with being in either camp but folks in category b may end up disappointed with some of these little quality issues in the M8 that the folks in category a would never notice or care about.
Before my M7, which was my first anroid device, I owned two iPhones and before that a Samsung Blackjack. There were no cosmetic defects or blemishes with any of those handsets, including the 3 iphones that my wife and daughter purchased as well. Sure it's a small sample but the build quality and consistency was second to none with those handsets, even though I wouldn't consider the Blackjack a premium product.
Enjoy your M8s people, they're fantastic phones and I feel a worthy upgrade to the M7. The swiping gestures alone seem worth jumping to the M8.