Though HTC has failed to raise its HTC One smartphones to the level of the iPhone or Samsung’s Galaxy series, the devices are consistently some of the best-reviewed smartphones on the market. In addition to their category-leading hardware, the HTC One devices have proven to be some of the toughest high-end smartphones. The first HTC One X was subjected to a barrage of cringe-inducing tests and still managed to remain functional.
This year the tradition of putting new smartphones through a gauntlet continues. Various tech sites and contributors have now tested the recently announced HTC One (M8) with everything from hammers to pools of water.
Tech Smartt kicks off the gauntlet with a few classic tests such as key scratches and hammer blows. As seen in the video, the M8’s aluminum backing is susceptible to deep scratches, though the actual display hold up well in opposition to even knives. Even a few powerful blows from the head of a hammer aren’t enough to put the device out of commission.
Tech Smartt followed up by putting an HTC One (M8) into a sink full of water. Surprisingly, the device is able to survive perfectly fine under the shallow water.
Rounding out the series of tests is a classic drop test. PhoneBuff took a new HTC One (M8) and dropped it three times: once on its back, once on the side, and once on its screen. Though the device shows surprising resiliency in the first two tests, it does succumb to gravity, shattering its screen when dropped directly on concrete.
As seen in these tests, the new HTC One appears to be just as durable as its previous incarnations, though the aluminum backing is extremely susceptible to scratching and scuffing. Now all that remains to be seen is whether HTC can successfully market its high-quality device and reclaim its place among top smartphone manufacturers.