Review: HTC One M9
Price: $999, 32GB
4 stars
What the company says :
“Premium design with premium software: Behaviour-detecting software for info based on where you are, when you’re there. Unrivalled dual-tone design with polished edges. You’ve only got one life, so live it in style.”
What we say :
“A gorgeous, premium handset that challenges – and in many respects outshines – the latest offering from Android market leader Samsung.”
Review:
While the battle for smart phone supremacy has increasingly been fought along Apple versus Samsung lines, the Korean electronics conglomerate has serious competition at the premium end of the market for the title of best Android flagship handset.
The HTC One M9, an update from last year’s M8, is a worthy challenger to the crown. Its brushed metal body construction is gorgeous and while it comes down to personal preference, I found it to be a more compelling design than Samsung’s latest Galaxy S6.
HTC’s advertising copy boldly proclaims “Let them stare”. The M9 is beautiful to look at and feels premium in the hand, albeit that if I owned it I would probably cover its curves in a case. Like all premium smart phones, it feels one nasty drop away from a shattered screen.
Speaking of the screen, the 5-inch panel’s resolution is crisp, viewing angles are strong and colour reproduction is accurate. It’s not quite as saturated as the almost hyper-colours of the Galaxy S6, but this could be a good thing depending on your preference.
The 5-inch screen dictates the form factor, which is slightly larger than a standard iPhone 6 but makes more effective use of the real estate with a screen that is noticeably larger than Apple’s offering. Compared to my daily driver, an LG G3, the phone felt slightly small but that is because I have become used to the G3’s 5.5 inch screen, which sits between the 5 inch standard and larger “phablets” like the iPhone 6 plus or Galaxy Note 4.
The M9 comes in three variants: gold on gold, gold on silver and gunmetal grey. It comes with a standard 32GB capacity, which can be upgraded with a microSD card up to 2TB.
HTC has not always been loved in the Android community for its relatively heavy skinning of Google’s stock operating system.
The latest iteration of the Sense interface is slick and smooth, however, and I prefer it to Samsung’s TouchWiz.
Screen fonts are cleaner and more business like, and swiping left off the home screen brings you to BlinkFeed, an amalgam of news, social media content from your Facebook and Twitter accounts, weather and other location-specific information which can be customised and tailored to your preferences.
The M9’s BoomSound speakers, powered by Dolby technology, are outstanding, producing loud, clear, surprisingly bass-y music without too much distortion. The camera, while touted as a 20MP shooter, is only so-so. It’s slow to respond in low-light situations and there are definitely better smart phone cameras around.
Battery life is solid without being outstanding. Moderate users will get through the day but heavy users will need to dive to the charger after a full day at the office.
While Apple fans will prefer iPhones, Android devotees who value the platform’s customisability are now spoiled for choice at the premium end of the market. The HTC One M9 is as good as any flagship Android phone available today and is a worthy challenger to Samsung’s Galaxy S6.
