HTC One M9 Now Official: Snapdragon 810, 20MP Camera and Android 5.0 Lollipop ~ The World is Mine

Mar 1, 2015

HTC One M9 Now Official: Snapdragon 810, 20MP Camera and Android 5.0 Lollipop

3/01/2015 08:27:00 PM

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As it has been hotly anticipated for the last few months, HTC is finally taking center stage in Barcelona at MWC 2015 to unveil the company’s latest flagship, the One M9.

The launch kicked off with an inspirational video narrated by actor Robert Downey Jr. which highlights the innate connection between human being around the world. We’re all the same, even if at times we feel so different, we are “One”, the voice tells us. So here we go. The latest arrival in the One family, is the One M9 handset, which succeeds the One M8 which made its debut in Barcelona last year. HTC is calling the new phone a “new industry standard for luxury” as the model takes advantage of a “dual-tone finish on a single metal unibody design”.

The new HTC One M9 looks pretty but not fundamentally different from the One M8

Overall HTC hasn’t tweaked much of the design of the One M9, when compared to the predecessor. For example, they are keeping the big black bar that holds the company’s logo. But the back and sides have received a subtle makeover, with the sides being mirror polished while the back is hair brushed in order to deliver a dual tone loo (the silver-gold version is mentioned). As we have been expecting, the phone is said to be built on Qualcomm’s new high-end Snapdragon 810 platform which albeit being quite controversial, will probably sustain all activities onboard without a problem. The chip works in concert with 32GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage (up to 128GB via microSD card).

The handset arrives with a 5-inch Super LCD3 display with 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution and worthy 441 ppi. Even if the size of the new One M9 remains the same, the screen-to-body ration has gotten a lot better with the new arrival. There’s also Gorilla Glass 4 protection the display from any accidental scratches. Compared to the One M8, M9 is a tad lighter at 157 g (with 3g to be more precise) and measures 144.6 x 69.7 x 9.6 mm (146.4 x 70.6 x 9.4 mm for the M8). The new HTC One M9 bundles an impressive 20MP frontal camera and takes advantage of sapphire glass covered lens. On the back we get the company's own UltraPixel camera which has been perfected to snap better selifes. The company is also adding a new photo editing tool that arrives with effects like double exposure.

Sense 7 UI is bringing in a host of new feats

Naturally, the new smartphone comes pre-loaded with Sense 7 UI (based on Android 5.0 Lollipop) that offers new software enhancements as well. For example, Image Match will be able to locate all photographs that include a particular person. Also, as previously leaked Sense 7 UI bundles themes to help users better personalize their phone by virtue of setting wallpapers and customizing app layouts. These themes are also easily shared onto social media. The company has also slipped something called Sense home widget that shows application on a widget in the home screen based on your location (home or at work).

Those familiar with HTC probably know the company is focused on delivering a rich audio experience. BoomSound has been improved with Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. HTC Connect also makes it easier to watch music and video on your smart TV, while All Play allows several users to combine more speakers to get that holistic sound experience. To round things up, the One M9 takes advantage of Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 4.0, A-GPS, GLONASS, FM radio, infrared, microUSB 2.0 and NFC. The phone also supports VoLTE and LTE Category 6 speeds. The device lives off a 2,840 mAh battery. HTC said the new phone will be available in mid-March. Customers will be able to pick the phone up in gunmetal grey with black accents, silver with gold accents and amber gold option.

We were not told how much the HTC One M9 will sell for, but according to a leak coming from the direction of Best Buy, the handset will start shipping for $649 / €579.