ss than a month after HTC released its new flagship phone, the One (M8), there’s already a new model: the Harman/Kardon edition, an exclusive phone for Sprint designed for hardcore music fans.
Harman’s engineers developed Clarifi sound technology for smartphones, it makes your old phone’s speakers sound like you’re listening through mud. th the new One (M8), available May 9 for $229 with a two-year contract, you can toggle on Clarifi Harman’s veStage options in your phone’s settings reverse the damage caused by file compression, letting your Spotify playlist come to life.
The Harman/Kardon edition costs a little more than the regular HTC One (M8), but comes with beefier speakers better headphones.
“There are scientific algorithms that analyze in real time put back music notes, the highs lows, the reverbs,” Harman/Kardon CEO Dinesh liwel said at a Tuesday press event in New York unveiling the new phone. “That’s what makes a magical difference. Boosting the base or the equalization—that’s not a scientific solution.”
The pricier phone also includes an expensive pair of Harman/Kardon earbuds to take in the sound. Headphones are required to use the new phone’s veStage setting, which pushes the sound out to re-create more of a live performance experience.
It all seems very impressive, but is the higher price worth the cost of better sound? It depends on how much you enjoy music. liwel said up to 90 percent of streaming music gets compressed, I could tell the difference in a demo of Harman/Kardon’s Clarifi technology both on the new HTC One (M8) in a BM5 Series sedan. Songs just sound fuller.
New sound, new look
HTC CEO Chou said the Sprint exclusive version of his flagship phone, which has already garnered rave reviews, “puts us even further ahead in the industry.”
“It is incredible,” Chou said. “The sound is pure rich. It is really impressive. A phone with world-class sound has to have a world-class look.”
If better sound isn’t a big enough selling point, the Harman/Kardon edition of the One (M8) has a fancy new matte black finish champagne highlights.
The matte-black finish looks great.
“th one look, you will know this phone is premium powerful,” said HTC CEO Chou.
To make the phone even more appealing, Sprint got Spotify on board with discounts for Framily plan suscribers. On May 9, all Sprint Framily customers will get a six-month free trial of Spotify emium. Non-Framily plan subscribers will get three free month of emium. After the trial ends, subscribers on Framily plans with five or fewer members get emium access for $8 a month (cheaper than its usual $10). ans with six or more subscribers get an even bigger discount at $5 a month.
For Sprint customers, the new HTC One (M8) could be a deal that can’t be missed. But will anyone switch to Sprint just for better sound? obably not.
