Trying to decide if I should grumblingly accept...this unit or return it. Don't know if I will get one that is any better, not sure if I want to "roll the dice".
I would definitely take it back. For the price of the M8 it should be in perfect condition.
...
My opinion: Never settle for less than perfection when that is what they are telling you they are selling!
You should probably bring it back.... you know it will drive you nuts if not
Strike One: Took it to a different local store than I purchased it at (trying to get a different batch), right around closing time - I apologized to them for that but my work schedule sucks.
The store rep was clearly frustrated but willing to help, to a point. He told me right off the bat they had 4 units left earlier in the mid-afternoon, but after looking in the locked cabinet he said he had only one unit left (probably a made up line) and I could look at it without powering it on. He said, "I don't want to burn a phone". After looking it over for a bit I noticed dust under the screen in the lower corner, unable to verify if it inhibited the screen behind it without turning it on, he sent me packin' with a smarmy "good luck with your search".
Strike two: Took it back to the store I bought it from a day later than ^ and they were going to let me exchange, but pay the restocking fee. The rep un-boxed one, powered it on, and let me look it over. The screen looked good. Similar color temperature and no dust that I could see - but like I said before their un-natural lighting sucks for seeing detail. I turned it over and it had a big 1 cm linear scratch next to the 'H' in HTC and a smudgy little scratch/scuff under the C. Showed it to the rep, he was speechless. I said I was almost willing to take it, since I don't look at the back of the device everyday. I DO however look at the screen everyday.
He told me to come back on May 1 (Day 12 of 14). He is under the impression that is when the Harman/Kardon version M8 will be released. I asked if he thought it would be a software update (my line of thinking) and he thought hardware refresh, surprisingly.
He is nice. In a prior conversation he said he was switching from iPhone to the M8 and was going to miss the lifeproof cases for Apple, amongst other things. He had tried to order an M8 the day prior, for himself, but was not able to place a new order until May 1 - "with the re-release of the device", he says.
We all know the track record of hapless info from store reps, but maybe we will see the press released for "H/K enhanced devices" and marketing start on May 1, as well as a date for the M8 software update rollout?
My past few visits I have heard multiple store associates trying to sell this thing:
HARMAN - Onyx Studio
On sale, with device purchases.