HTC One M9 has been officially announced and unveiled by HTC during its keynote event at the MWC 2015 expo. The device looks similar to the HTC One M8, but offers a number of improvements in the camera and processing department. It features a 5-inch 1080p SLCD3 display, 64-bit 2.0GHz octa-core Snapdragon 810 processor, 3GB RAM, 32GB storage, 20-megapixel primary camera, 4MP UltraPixel secondary camera, and a 2,840 mAh non-removable battery. It runs Android 5.0 Lollipop with a newer version of HTC Sense 7.0 UI.
HTC One M9 Specifications
- 5.0-inch Super-LCD3 display, FHD (1920 x 1080 pixels) resolution, Gorilla Glass 4
- Android 5.0.2 Lollipop with Sense 7 UI
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 (MSM8994) processor, 64-bit octa-core CPU (4 x Cortex A57 @ 2.0GHz + 4 x Cortex A53), and Adreno 430 GPU
- 3GB RAM, 32GB internal memory, microSD card slot (up to 128GB)
- 20MP primary camera, autofocus, LED flash, OIS, 4K video recording
- 4MP UltraPixel secondary camera, wide-angle lens, 1080p video recording
- 4G LTE, 3G HSPA+, Nano SIM, FM Radio, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, Beidou
- dual-band Wi-Fi ac/a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Hotspot, DLNA, Bluetooth v4.1 (A2DP, LE, and Apt-X), and IR port, and microUSB v2.0 port (with USB OTG and USB Host)
- BoomSound 2 front-facing stereo loudspeakers, Dolby Audio 3, and 3.5mm headphone jack
- Accelerometer, gyroscope, ambient-light sensor, electronic compass, and proximity sensor
- 2,840 mAh battery; 114.6 x 69.7 x 9.61 mm; 157 grams
Compared to the HTC One M8, there isn't much change when it comes to design of the HTC One M9, but it is available in four colour combinations – Dark Gunmetal, Gold, Gold-Silver, and Pink. HTC has also improved upon its already commendable front-facing stereo loudspeakers. The BoomSound 2 speakers now also feature Dolby Audio 3 sound for even better audio quality. It will compete with the Samsung Galaxy S6, the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, the Apple iPhone 6, LG G Flex 2, and the LG G3 for time being.
P.S. HTC has also announced that they will roll out Sense 7 UI to the HTC One M8 and other One line-up of smartphones later this year.
Along with the One M9, HTC has also announced a wearable device dubbed "HTC Grip". It is a Gear Fit like device featuring a 1.8-inch PMOLED display with a resolution of 32 x 160 pixels, 16MB flash memory, 8MB SRAM, 100mAh battery, 2-day battery life, and runs RTOS. It can pair and work with Android as well as iOS devices, and can track and measure fitness related data.
Our Take on the HTC One M9
The HTC One M9 looks like a good device, but it isn't anything different in terms of design compared to the One M8. The Duo camera is gone, and HTC has settled for a no non-sense 20MP camera sensor, but without OIS. It misses out on things like a fingerprint sensor which is present in the Galaxy S6, the Galaxy S6 Edge, the Apple iPhone 6, and the Apple iPhone 6 Plus, but it makes up with a powerful front-facing BoomSound 2 stereo speakers with Dolby Audio 3. It also offers a battery bigger than the Galaxy S6, but if Snapdragon 810 processor has heating problems, the Galaxy S6 will have an upper hand over this.
