Will do a quick little list now, and add to it if I’ve missed anything.
And, as always
This is a list for regular unlocked EMEA (possible the same as APAC as well) version of the phone. A carrier/network version will/might be different.
What HTC says
System and Power improvements
- HTC Sense 6 update
- Color coded themes for easy navigation
- Personalized font style
- Addition of new Extreme Power Saving Mode
- Add a button to clear all recent apps
Imaging experience improvements
- New interface for Gallery and Camera
- Add Image Match to find photos faster and easier
- Support POI (Point Of Interest ) in Map view
Blinkfeed improvements
- Smooth, continuous scrolling
- New interface to intuitively add new content
- Enhanced sidebar for easier navigation
- Nearby restaurant recommendations
HTC Sense TV improvements
- Check sports scores, stats and social media buzz in real-time
- Redesigned interface for better user experience
Others
- Enhanced music app for more visually stunning themes
- Add schedule function to specific time and event in Do Not Disturb mode
- Improved Mail, Message, Calendar, Phone apps
Droider finds
Generic
- Wifi icon looks different
- Widgets redesigned to match the new look
- Lock screen reworked, you can swipe in 3 directions to get to “just unlock”, “unlock to regular home screen” or “unlock to blinkfeed”. Swiping up starting over home button unlocks directly to Google Now.
- Auto Answer, just put phone up to your ear to answer. Actually works pretty well. Feels a bit odd though. You disable it under Settings > Call > Auto answer calls if you don’t want it
- HTC Guide app, whichs helps you troubleshoot the phone and can help you to contact support etc. I liked it. Very clean look of it as well.
- HTC Power to give app is now default installed.
- The Zoe app isn’t live yet, so I will get back on that.
- Double tap on active lock screen to turn off the display
Be aware of
- Enable lock screen widgets under Settings > Security is OFF by default, so Enable it if you want to use lock screen widgets.
- Panorama in camera is STILL there, things have just moved around.
Personalize
- Lock screen wallpaper, you can now set if you want your lock screen to use the same wallpaper as home screen or a custom one.
- Theme, you can select 4 different themes that gives you a selection of colors. No customization on the themes yet. If you don’t like colors there’s a black/white (dark) theme.
- Ringtones are new and different, since it’s a new main version of Sense. If you’ve used custom ringtones/etc then those will of course stay as they are. Will do a post on just how you get back the ringtones you’re used to from previous sense versions.
- Home screen, gives you a simple way of selecting the default launcher if you have more than just HTC Blinkfeed installed.
Security
- Screen lock, you can now set it to “None”. Which is a very welcomed change.
- Setting to Enable lock screen widget is there, but by default OFF.
Display
- Font style, you can now choose a font style. There’s 3 there, and more you can download. Will take a closer look at this later.
What you don’t get from M8
Since they don’t share the same hardware platform, there’s of course things from Sense 6 in M8 that you will not see in the Sense 6 update for M7.
- Ufocus and any other hardware dependent feature, 360 panorama could be this as well. Since it’s not on the M7. You can use Google Camera if you want such a feature on your M7.
- Motion Launch. Could be because M8 got more sensors than M7 and that it uses s801 instead of s600 in M7.
- Boomsound, you have Beats Audio in M7 instead.
I’m sure I’ve missed stuff now
That I will add the second that I find it.
What I think about it
It’s a VERY good update. The phone feels quick, it feels smooth. The extreme power saver is BRILLIANT. It makes M7 almost to feel like a new phone. It makes the other phones released at the same time to look old and outdated. Again.