Whenever a new smartphone is released there’s always someone asking the inevitable question: what happens when I throw it across the ground, or maybe dunk it in water or give it a few blows using a hammer?

The HTC One M8 today joins the might of the Samsung Galaxy S5 and Sony Xperia Z2 in the mobile market, with each set to do battle and attempt to cement its place as 2014’s most popular high-end handset. Here, we take a closer at the Big Three, including specs and form factor, in order to try and determine which of these humdingers will emerge victorious once the retail battle commences.

Today is, as many of you will know, the day of the announcement of the new HTC flagship, which we now know to be called the HTC One (M8). As well as taking the wraps off the device itself, the Taiwanese company has also shared some of the official accessories it plans to launch alongside the device, and we’ve got all of the details right here.

After quite a lengthy build-up, the all new HTC One (M8) is finally upon us. Even though we knew most of the details thanks to a spate of pre-announcement leaks, HTC has still revealed a couple of interesting tidbits in its simultaneous showcasing in New York and London, and we’ve got all of the details coming up after the jump!

Like most companies involved in the ultra competitive smartphone market, HTC would never turn down the opportunity to drum up some consumer interest in a new product pre-launch. And HTC is on the verge of making an official announcement regarding the all new HTC One, or M8 as it is more commonly referred to, but it seems that the cat has been let out of the bag for the second time from another unofficial source. Leaks and product speculation certainly get the tongues wagging of those who may actually be going to purchase the hardware, but we don’t know if HTC will be entirely happy about this latest HTC One hands-on video that has emerged.

Following the announcement of the Samsung Galaxy S5 at Mobile World Congress, HTC’s March 25th unveiling of its next flagship handset seemed a fair way off. Now, though, we’re just a few days away from seeing what the Taiwanese vendor has planned, and while it would be nice if the company could throw in one or two surprises, the diligence of the tech community has seen most of the key details already unraveled before now. Adding to the stack of info we’ve collected on the so-called HTC One 2, Nowhereelse.fr has posted a series of comparison images, pitting a dummy version of the upcoming device up against industry titans such as the iPhone 5s, Galaxy S4 and Xperia Z2.

HTC’s elusive ‘M8’ handset is due to be announced later on this month, but while the Taiwanese company will have wanted to save some details until the official unveiling, the cat is already out of the bag thanks to an unofficial hands-on video. The lengthy clip arrived amid a wave of leaks pertaining to the so-called “HTC One 2,” and now, the device’s new stock wallpapers have emerged and you can download them right away.

Executives at HTC will be waking up like bears with sore heads this morning after learning that an internal sales brochure has been leaked ahead of the official announcement of the all new HTC One. It seems that someone within Telstra has not only been responsible for letting the document get into the public domain, but has also managed to inadvertently confirm the majority of the new HTC One’s specs, including the purpose of that dual camera module which we’ve seen in plenty of leaks before.

Although both Sony and Samsung managed to keep the pre-announcement sightings of their respective flagships down to a minimum, the same cannot be said of HTC, which, after an abundance of leaks, yesterday got a 12 minute-long hands-on demo from an unofficial source. Still, as techies, we’re delighted that the Taiwanese company is struggling to keep its next big thing under wraps, and today, as well as more photos of the device, we’ve also got some benchmark figures.

With Samsung and Sony having already shown their respective hands with the Galaxy S5 and Xperia Z2 at Mobile World Congress last week, much of the Android world’s attention has turned to HTC. The Taiwanese outfit made waves last year with the One, and naturally, talk of the HTC One 2 – otherwise known under the ‘M8’ technical moniker – has been prevalent. Today, a brave kid has leaked a 12-minute video running through some of the device’s tech specs, features, and design, and while, as displayed through a Twitter exchange with an HTC official, his actions may see him land in a spot of bother, we can now enjoy his fairly thorough walkthrough of the upcoming flagship device.

A new flagship device is almost invariably exciting if you’re a tech junkie, and we all at Redmond Pie surely are, even if we don’t plan on getting our hands on every new device that sees the light of day. Yesterday, we brought to you news of HTC One’s successor – a device that has so far been recognized only by its codename, M8 – being leaked in high-quality press images courtesy of the reliable leakster Evleaks, and today, another image has surfaced, thanks to the same source.

Coupled with the revelation earlier today that the next HTC flagship will be unveiled on March 25th, a new render of the device paints the clearest picture yet as to its probable form factor. Since this particular leak has been dug up by the ever-reliable Evleaks, we can say with relative authority that we now know what Taiwanese manufacturer will be showcasing in one month’s time, and although, on first glance, it does look rather similar to last year’s flagship HTC One, there are some notable differences.