HTC One M8s official, basically a One M8 repackaged with a mid-range Snapdragon 615

You thought HTC was done duplicating the HTC One M8? Here’s another — it’s the HTC One M8s. It’s identical to the HTC One M8, save for the chipset inside: it’s sporting a Snapdragon 615 compared to the Snapdragon 801 found in the original.

Going with a mid-range chipset is an odd choice for a refresh of yesteryear’s flagship, but we imagine HTC did it for the 64-bit compatibility it brings. It’s also not a terrible chipset performance wise, though it’s our understanding that it’s weaker in benchmarks compared to the Snapdragon 801.

Nearly everything else about the HTC One M8s remains the same, though HTC is now using a 13 megapixel rear sensor to go along with the secondary duo camera on the rear, while the front enjoys a 5 megapixel sensor. Here are the rest of its specs:

• 5-inch 1080p display


• 2GB of RAM


• 16GB of internal storage w/ microSD card slot


• 2,840mAh battery


• GPS w/ GLONASS, WiFi AC  2.4GHz + 5GHz, Bluetooth 4.1 and NFC


• BoomSound Speakers


• 146.41 x 70.61 x 9.55mm


• 160 grams

The HTC One M8s will see a launch in Europe, though there’s no indication it’ll make its way anywhere else. We’re not sure what compelled HTC to make this handset over simply offering a discounted HTC One M8, but there it is anyway.

Between us, we’re just about ready for something that doesn’t look identical to what the company has made for the past 3 years and we hope this is the last device on that long train.

The ASUS ZenFone Selfie is a mid-range selfie phone featuring a front-facing 13MP camera

ASUS had a new phone to flaunt at their Computex 2015 showing. Dubbed ZenFone Selfie, this mid-range darling takes its design cues from the ASUS ZenFone 2, but adds a 13 megapixel front-facing camera that has its own dedicated dual-tone flash. The lens is f/2.2 aperture and features a wide angle field of view to make sure you can fit you (and anyone else) into the shot with ease.

Beyond that, it’s pretty much a run of the mill smartphone, including a 5.5-inch 1080p display and Qualcomm’s octa-core 64-bit Snapdragon 615 chipset (which is interesting considering they went all-in with Intel for the launch of the ZenFone 2).

Unfortunately we don’t get many details on the other specs. The company didn’t even bother to mention the rear camera, though we’re betting it’s at least as good as the front-facing variant. They also showed off the “Selfie Swing,” a detachable bumper that can help you extend the phone in front of you to get more in your shot.

It also seemingly doubles as a kickstand, a feature that isn’t on nearly enough smartphones in today’s age. You can see a GIF of the Selfie Swing attachment below, courtesy of Engadget.

 

No pricing and availability yet, but we don’t doubt ASUS we will tell us when they know for sure.

A 7-inch mid-range HTC tablet has been spotted at an online export database

HTC has taken their time to reenter the tablet market (not counting the Nexus 9, of course), but recent murmurings have suggested the company would look to test the waters of the mid-range sector of the still-iffy product category. And now we have our first indication that those rumors were true.

A mid-range 7-inch HTC tablet has been spotted at online import/export database Zauba. The database surprisingly lists a few detailed specs, such as the fact that it has 16GB of internal storage and sports a 1.2GHz quad-core chipset. It will also support dual-SIM cellular connectivity and has 1GB of RAM inside.

Those aren’t the makings of an iPad or Galaxy Tab killer, but if HTC can get this thing onto the market at a respectable price point (around 0 is our guess) then they might have something compelling on their hands. Of course, the company has more important things to worry about in the meantime so we’ll have to see if this device ever sees the light of day.

[via PhoneArena]