HTC One (M8) vs Mini 2 showdown

The Skinny's first impressions of the M8 were excellent, to say the least. Where even high-end Android handsets tend to have a cheap feel and a plastic body, the HTC’s brushed aluminium feels sleek, expensive, and classy. It’s weighty enough to feel like quality without giving the sensation of lugging around something from 1998, and big enough to be able to enjoy the screen without heading into phablet territory.

The Mini 2 also feels like a class act, and although it’s scarcely “mini” enough to be deserving of the name, it’s more comfortable to use with one hand, making it feel more like a phone and less like a tablet. However, the power button is in a genuinely weird place, on the top like the M8, but all the way over on the left. It’s hard to reach, and hard to remember where it is. Even though the M8 is a bigger phone, it’s easier to reach the power button one-handed, assuming you use your right hand.

In terms of software, the M8 was running Android 4.4.3 at the time of review, and the Mini 2, 4.4.2. In both cases, the HTC Sense overlays are much nicer than in previous iterations, but it feels like HTC have gone out of the way to change Google’s defaults just for the sake of changing them. That said, the look and feel is quite consistent, and there are some significant improvements, my favourite of which is the option to customise the settings shortcuts in the pull-down menu to put your most frequently-changed settings where they’re easiest to reach. A customised apps menu is also wonderful, if you prefer to keep your home screen clean and your most-used apps within reach at the same time.

A downside to both phones – and one that will be significant for some people – is the use of nano SIM cards, and the fact that batteries can’t be removed. As compatibility becomes consistently more important – for instance, if you want to buy a new sim easily when travelling in a foreign country or slip your sim into a friend’s phone in an emergency when your battery has died – decisions like these become increasingly irritating. For those who like to carry a spare battery or swap out the battery on a long day, both models would be a poor option.

When it comes to the screen, the M8 clearly outpaces the Mini 2, unsurprisingly. It’s noticeably sharper, with much higher contrast and more vibrant colours. The Mini 2 has a slightly strange blue-turquoise tinge on the whites, while the M8 runs yellowish. Both effects recede to some extent with full brightness, but not all the way. The cameras are a significant difference: while both feature a forward-facing 5MP camera, the M8 has a rear Duo Camera that allows the capture of depth and altering of focus even after the picture has been taken. The Duo Camera is only 4MP, but its performance is great, especially in low light. The Mini 2 has a standard single 13MP rear camera.

A quick test using Epic Citadel was a great way to compare graphics and, unsurprisingly, the HTC One clearly outperforms the Mini 2, with a higher framerate and resolution. The Mini 2 experience isn’t as smooth as the M8, and while you might think that the difference should only become apparent in graphics-heavy games, even Fruit Ninja had the occasional (brief) framerate drop. It’s certainly still playable, though perhaps not quite as smooth as could be hoped for.

The speakers, however, were a surprise. To my ears, the Mini 2’s sound is better. The M8’s sound is harsher, and quicker to fatigue the ears, whereas the Mini 2 seems more rounded for the same song at the same volume. Despite this, the M8’s speakers are certainly excellent, especially for a phone, and this is likely to be a matter of individual taste more than other features. The M8’s speakers can push out a higher volume.

Overall, they are both great phones. Power users who like everything to be high-end won’t be too impressed with the Mini 2, but don’t for a second think that it’s shabby – it’s an excellent option, sleek, fast, quality, and comfortable to use. Unless you’re the type to be irritated by slightly less-than-the-best pixel density, the Mini 2 is likely to be an incredible option for you. For the flagship faithfuls, the M8 certainly lives up to the hype.