HTC One M9 – 10 things you need to know
Here is a quick list of 10 things you need to know about the HTC One M9. When you already have a winning formula for a smartphone, why change it. HTC One M9 embodies everything with like about the M8 while taking what we don’t and make it better. Refinement is the key approach.
Top 10 Things You Need to Know About the HTC One M9
Thinking if you should upgrade to the new HTC One M9? As with every generation of flagship smartphone, every manufacturers’ emphasis have been on the hardware, how the new generation smartphone is bigger, faster, higher and more compared to its predecessor which satisfies most techies. But that approach does not always highlight the best the smartphone has to offer to its end users. HTC takes the end users’ approach and focuses on the real benefits for them instead. It does not mean that HTC is easing off on the throttle in the flagship race, far from that. Here are the top 10 things you need to know about the latest flagship smartphone from HTC.
1. Full Metal Body Now in 2 Tones
With the M9, HTC retains the generous use of metal, as with all previous HTC Ones. Ergonomically tapered to fit in your hand, its unibody back is curved to achieve the streamlined look and feel, in keeping with the signature look. The only difference on the M9 is, it is now available in polished shades of Gold on Gold, Gold on Silver and Gunmetal Grey, with the middle option, a dual-tone design. The twice anodised finish exudes quality and gives the phone its premium look.
2. Much Improved Rear Camera
Dropping the UltraPixel™ rear facing camera on the M8, HTC One M9 favours the standard camera setup, but not simply any camera, one of ultra high resolution at 20MP. If it was solely a numbers game, the move away from a pair of 4MP rear facing camera to a whopping 20MP resolution camera made sense. 4MP just don’t have to same ring even though its sensor is twice the average size and is capable of capturing over 300% more light.
The 20MP main camera with F2.2/27.8mm lens records video in incredible 4K Ultra HD. The M9 also lets you control your photo and imaging features like never before. HTC Eye™ Experience software allows you to create Split Captures, take Voice Selfies, apply Live Makeup and more. Plus, you can combine your photos and videos with your friends for footage from multiple points of view with the Zoe app. More on Zoe app later.
3. The Low Light Performer Front Camera
Remember the UltraPixel camera, HTC did not get rid of this entirely. The front-facing camera built with UltraPixel technology takes in more light lets you take incredibly detailed selfies, both day and night. Its wide-angle lens is designed to capture a larger field of view, so you’ll get wide backgrounds and all your friends with every shot.
The built-in camera tools include the HTC Eye™ Experience that synchronises both cameras for unique effects. You can create split capture images from both the main camera and your selfie reaction, apply live make-up skin tone beautification before taking your selfies, enjoy photo booth-like effects and take selfies on voice command.
Additional Photo Editor camera tools include Shape Masking, Photo Masking, Prismatic, Double Exposure and Element effects. Transform your photos with one press!
4. One Gallery – To Rule Them All
Once you have taken your shot, your photos and videos are available easily on HTC’s One Gallery, an app that groups your photos and videos with easy organisation and search controls. You can search locally stored footage, as well as photos and videos on social media and online sites.
The One Gallery extends your search for photos and videos on your phone to social media and cloud storage. You can search with facial recognition (Image Match), dates, locations or tags.
All the photos and videos you and your friends took from your events can be found and organised easily. The One Gallery can also be accessed from other devices, so you’ll protect your favourite shots from getting lost with your smartphone.
5. Crowd Sourcing Photos For An Event with Zoe
The HTC Zoe app allows users to combine photos and videos for one-of-a-kind results from multiple points of view. Collates photos and videos from an event with footage captured from different angles, and edit the footage into a professional-looking video from different perspectives with the Zoe app and share them at Zoe.com. If you need some ideas how or when you would use this, what about a wedding, complete stage views of a concert, 360° sporting event playbacks, unique family reunion footage and much more.
6. Theming – Don’t Like The Skin, Swap It
The Sense UI or HTC Sense, HTC’s custom interface is one of the best Android customisation in the market. Built into the operating system is the HTC Themes app. With it, you can change the look and feel of your phone using your favourite personal photo or even an online image.
The app analyses and picks up the tones and create the best colour schemes to go with the rest of the user interface, with minimal input and effort from the user. Control everything from the shape and size of your icons, ring tone and even wallpaper of your phone to make it truly yours.
7. Location Based Information in a Glance
Sense™ Home is a behaviour-detecting homescreen widget that senses your location and provides apps based on where you are, as well as use preferences. Get tools and information you need based on where you are, for a completely personalised solution. The HTC One M9 keeps you connected wherever you go, the smart widget simply switches around the apps on your home screen depending on where you are.
Using your home and work address, the HTC One M9 creates a geo fence that tracks the apps you frequently use in those areas. Work-related apps come up automatically when you’re at work, and the apps that you use most often at home will surface as soon as you arrive.
Another enhanced app, the HTC BlinkFeed™ offers recommendations and links based on your location. You’ll get mealtime specials, local events and more in your area, based on your current location.
8. Still Sounding Great
The famous HTC BoomSound is taken a step further incorporating multipoint surround with Dolby Audio. The phone recreates the 5.1 surround sound effect to deliver true left and right channel sound for a cinematic experience. HTC BoomSound™ with Dolby Audio™ provides optimised sound, even from multi-channel online sources like YouTube.
The audio is projected from its iconic dual front-facing stereo speakers that surrounds you to deliver a unique experience you have to hear to believe, with or without headphones. Crosstalk cancellation technology produces a clean and clear center focus while maintaining an optimal spatial sound image.
The great sound reproduction is available both on BoomSound audio and headphone modes for an immersive film and gaming experience.
9. Tight Package
The internal components of the HTC One M9 are stacked to achieve a .37” thin, 2.7” wide frame. Its polished sides have a subtle, sweeping curve that fits your pocket or purse as easily as your hand. Full Dimensions are 144.6 x 69.7 x 9.6 mm (5.69 x 2.74 x 0.38 in) and weighs 157 g (5.54 oz).
The HTC One M9 boasts a perfectly sized 5″ screen size featuring a 1080 FHD display for incredible graphics and lifelike details on a chassis with ultra narrow side bezels as well as compact top and bottom bezels that manages to squeeze even the pair of front firing speakers. It also includes ambient light sensors that automatically adjust your screen for optimum brightness level.
Constructed with durable, scratch-resistant glass and full metal body the design of HTC One M9 well thought through, compact and grip friendly.
10. The Numbers Game
Finally, for the benefit of techies out there, we leave you with the specification of the new HTC One M9. The main highlights are:
The Powerful CPU; the 64-bit Snapdragon 810 processor with 8 cores.
The Full HD display instead of Quad HD; with a screen this size, you can hardly tell the difference, images are just as sharp and crisp.
The BoomSound, front facing twin speakers are well positioned to deliver straight to the user, deep, full and wide range of sounds now with Dolby DSP to make it even more expansive with multi-point surround.
The 20.7MP camera still works wonderfully in low light and grabs more detail than the previous main camera setup.
HTC One M9 Specifications
- Powerful CPU: Qualcomm MSM8994 Snapdragon 810 Quad-core 1.5GHz Cortex-A53 & Quad-core 2GHz Cortex-A57 Octa-core Processor with Adreno 430 GPU
- More Memory and Storage: 32 GB, 3 GB RAM, microSD, up to 128 GB
- Full HD Display: 5-inch FHDSuper LCD3 capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors display at 1080 x 1920 pixels resolution (~441 ppi pixel density) Corning Gorilla Glass 4
- Cameras: 20.7 MP, 5376 x 3752 pixels, autofocus, dual-LED (dual tone) flash and 4MP front facing selfie camera.
- Connectivity and Sensors: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, hotspot, Bluetooth v4.1, A2DP, apt-X, A-GPS, GLONASS, infrared, NFC, Stereo FM radio with RDS, microUSB v2.0 (MHL 3.0 TV-out), USB Host, Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
- Battery: Non-removable Li-Po 2840 mAh battery, Standby: Up to 391 h (2G) / Up to 402 h (3G). Talktime: Up to 25 h 20 min (2G) / Up to 21 h 50 min (3G)
- OS: Android OS v5.0 Lollipop with HTC Sense UI 7.0
