HTC One M8 Harman Kardon edition should please Sprint audiophiles

HTC One M8
Now you can hear in gold

Sprint's managed to nab its very own special smartphone, the HTC One M8 Harman Kardon edition.

Sound is of course the highlight of this HTC phone flavor, and Sprint touted its real FM tuner, Sound Sessions access and more. But for all the HTC One (M8)'s speakers and do-dads, the secret sauce in this special phone really rests in the software.

Harman's Clari-Fi app is installed in the hardware, restoring and "rebuild[ing]" music fidelity that's squeezed out during audio compression. Essentially any compressed digital track - like an MP3 download - is enhanced thanks to Clari-Fi.

The phone, which is decked out in a "unique" black finish and champagne highlights, also features Lossless HD Audio music reproduction thanks to a 24bit/192kHz DAC, capable of delivering close to six time the info of a CD and 60 times the data of an MP3.

Sprint's exclusive HTC One M8 edition will come bundled with a pair of Harman Kardon AE-S headphones, worth $149. Finally, customers who pick up this version of the phone will be treated to a Harman Kardon Onyx Studio speaker system, normally $399.99, for $99.99.

The new Harman Kardon phone will be available online or via Sprint's 800 number on May 2, with in-store availability starting May 9.

Spotify for all (Sprint customers)

Tuning into its new passion for music, Sprint also teamed with Spotify to cut its customers a premium access deal.

Starting May 9, all Sprint Framily plan members will get six months free of Spotify Premium. Once those six months run out, Framily customers will still be able to enjoy a discounted price.

Framily plans with 1-5 members will pay $7.99/month and those with 6-10 Framily members will lassoed in at $4.99/month. Unfortunately for customers, these pricing terms are only good for 18 months. When the time runs out, customers are due for the full $9.99/month charge.

Non-Framily customers will also receive a three month free trial followed by the service's standard fee.

Michelle Fitzsimmons

Michelle was previously a news editor at TechRadar, leading consumer tech news and reviews. Michelle is now a Content Strategist at Facebook.  A versatile, highly effective content writer and skilled editor with a keen eye for detail, Michelle is a collaborative problem solver and covered everything from smartwatches and microprocessors to VR and self-driving cars.