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HTC has officially unveiled the HTC One M9

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Talk about the HTC One M9 at AndroidForums.com!

htc one m9 announcement 2

It’s finally happened, folks — HTC has officially unveiled the HTC One M9. What you see here is what you’re going to get this year, which is a refined design based on the HTC One M7 and HTC One M8.

HTC One M9 Specs

The HTC One M9’s specs are as we’ve always known:

  • 2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset
  • 5-inch Super LCD3 1080p display
  • 3GB of RAM
  • 32GB of internal storage with microSD
  • 20 megapixel rear camera, 4 megapixel (UltraPixel) front camera
  • GPS, WiFi AC, Bluetooth 4.0 LE, 4G LTE
  • 5.68 x 2.73 x 0.38 inches, 4.96 ounces
  • Android 5.0 Lollipop with HTC Sense

Nothing crazy, nothing huge, but solid all around. The most significant jumps are in areas of camera, RAM and chipset — those were bumped from 4 megapixels (UltraPixel) to 20 megapixels, 2GB to 3GB, and a Snapdragon 801 Quad-Core to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 810 octa-core, respectively.

HTC One M9 features

BoomSound speakers on the HTC One M9 enjoy the same design, but a new partnership with Bose will bring “5.1 channel” surround sound. It likely isn’t true “surround” sound, but its stereo speakers should do well enough to emulate that unidirectional audio experience.

IMG_0237

HTC didn’t have much to show on the software side of things, but they did reveal a new contextual home-screen experience that can attempt to predict which apps you need depending on location and time of day, and even suggest new ones that you haven’t downloaded.

HTC One M9 Dot View case

Making a return this year is the HTC Dot View case for the HTC One M9, and boy is it looking good. Alongside basic functionality of showing info about weather, time and incoming calls and notifications, you can customize Dot View with your own pictures and text, play games and do more great things that weren’t previously possible.

htc one m9 dot view

Many of these ideas were already made possible on the HTC One M8 thanks to the development community so it’s great to see HTC embrace that and bring a new level of customization for those who crave it.

HTC One M9 Pricing and Availability

The HTC One M9 will be available from mid-March in the EMEA, Asia Pacific, EU and North America, and will be available in Gun Metal Gray, Silver + Gold, and Pink. Expect it to cost $650 off contract here in the United States, with standard contract pricing likely to be in the $200 ballpark.

Quentyn Kennemer
The "Google Phone" sounded too awesome to pass up, so I bought a G1. The rest is history. And yes, I know my name isn't Wilson.

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91 Comments

  1. I’ll pass….

  2. Ugh, same ole same ole. Wish evleaks had been right.

  3. Disappointed.

  4. I like the Dolby Sound, new camera, dot view case. But the phone is like the M8 build wise, and that’s too conservative. It really depends if you want the new processor and more ram, unlike Touchwiz, 2GB works on Sense 6.

  5. Good the ultrapixel camera is where it should have been in the first place on the front while the back gets a much better camera

  6. A little disappointed that they kept the same dosing, a refresh would’ve been nice

  7. A 3 year design! ======== people won’t buy this crap! Bye bye HTC. The leaks were always true

  8. Thanks Samsung, now everyone is making VR for phones. It’s annoying since it means less timely software updates perhaps?

  9. It’s to thick! Unbelievable… Will wait for the z4 or g4.

    1. I hate the fact that phones and tablets are getting thinner and thinner as in they are getting to hard to hold for me as they get thinner hence why I add a case to increase the bulk so its easier for me to hold.

      1. Adding a case to this will make it a brick. I got huge hands, but I still prefer slim phones. Got the g3 at the moment (thinner than the m9) and it’s just to thick in my pockets. Almost no bezel yet still i need to do hand gymnastics to reach the entire screen. IPhone 6 is great as is the Sony xperia z3. Hoping for something similar for the g4.

        This is of course about taste, but at least you can put a case on yours to make it thicker. I can’t remove anything to make it slimmer. Also, it’s not very impressive tech wise to release a flagship phone almost 1 cm thick. IMHO.

        1. The g3 too thick? Do you wear skinny jeans?

          1. I live in Europe so it’s all slim fit.

  10. Htc will start losing money again with this M9 and VR crap.

  11. HTC just pulled a Samsung…

    1. Why they announced a big screen phone worth buying? I must have missed that.

      1. Lol

  12. You guys realize you don’t have to buy it day one to make it feel worthwhile. Imagine getting it for $400 by fall? Is that a bad failure proposition if you’re not in a dire need of a phone?

  13. HTC turning to Samsung, Samsung to Apple…. where’s the Nexus 6.1 at?

  14. A bit disappointed by the same design and I already own the One M8..but its good for those who did not buy the M8…I mean the camera is good, hardware and software are great

  15. flop. We’re not iPhone users. We want innovation.

    1. Kind of hard to innovate on what most call.the best designed phone in history!

      1. If so, then they should do it again. Design the new best phone in history. What’s the point in reinventing the old one? I’d understand it, if they were like Apple, ’cause iSheep flock to the new model, no matter what, but HTC doesn’t have that sort of brand loyalty.

  16. I don’t have a problem with this design rehash. Everyone complained that the m8 had an AMAZING design but sub-par camera. From what I see, the design has been slightly improved and all the other problems that people had have been ironed out. The difference between HTC and Samsung is that Samsung rehashed a bad design for years, and HTC rehashed one of the best designs.

  17. I am slightly disappointed with the design, I don’t hate it, it seems they fixed every minor problem with the M8 with the M9. However, I would be lying if I didn’t prefer the one evleaks showed. Before I make up my mind I’ll see what Samsung has to offer this coming Friday. Then decide if either is worth of replacing my Nexus 6.

  18. What a waste of a yr, HTC !! Your engineers just can’t seem to get rid of that stupid black bar. Same old shell albeit different stuffing. You must be enjoying being in the red. EPIC FAIL !!

    1. I agree, Makes me wonder what these guys do in 365 days.. My bet is going to be on the g4 looking at all this and learning as they did with the g3..Its going to be a looker..

  19. Looks like a great phone as the previous from the series. Some of you screaming change. They upgraded a top of the line phone! Look at apple, they dont do any changes look vise, they all look the same for the most part. HTC is the apple of android. Most of you posting just want a new shinny toy, for me I want an improved tool that I use daily, and that is what HTC did. I will be going from m7 to m9.

    1. I want an improved tool as well but also want the new shiny toy to go along with it hence the word progression.. Android fans aren’t apple.. They want to see evolution atleast when revolution can’t be had.. Think this was htc chance to dethrone Sammy and they will come up short yet again.. Let’s get some fresh blood on ur design team Boyz!

      1. Sammy didn’t do all that much either. Android is not Apple, but what i meant was that they are using simplicity just like apple for their design. Not an iphone fan by any means, but i respect what they did. If you like samsung better go ahead and get it, to me i like the HTC, it has not disappointed me yet.

        1. As a note 3 owner I like neither.. Simplicity is for Apple.. They can release the same phone year after year and sheep will flock.. Us android fans want to see some changes and yes that includes design.. The renders online are mind blowing by some of these tinkering artists.. Let’s see some of these brought to fruition.. Sammy, htc, and Apple could stand to maybe get some tips from some of these guys.. I think that’s what leaves me bewildered.. All these beautiful pre press renders and then BAHMMM! The real device hits and it’s like whagghhhttt! That’s it, That’s how u upped ur game in a year.. Be Interesting to see how many more jump ship to Apple as well as how many these new devices sell.. As stated earlier.. Let’s see what u got LG! It’s wide open for you now..

    2. The point that should be made here is that Android is not Apple. The phones should not look the same, and comparing it to Apple is a slap in the face. Android should be about making choices, not buying the same exact device with upgraded specs. After all Androids motto is “be together, not the same”

  20. I have a HTC one m 7and m8 but why would I ware either a up grade or 600 bucks for the same phone my m8 works fine with the ram it has. You can only putnoutnthe same craps when 1 you have sheep followers or two you own 40 percent of the droid market. Such a let down. Come on give me the design of the iPhone 6 but the freedom of the m8 . I thought HTC listened to their customers I guess I was wrong. And the design being different come on its not different if anything it’s closer to being a twin than being different .

  21. Everyone complained last year about the camera being 4mp which was horrible and now its 20mp lol..now they complain about it looking the same. Consumers always have to complain about something. The phone didnt need a design change since its the best/ most elegant looking phone on the market plus the speakers are insane now that its dolby surround sound its even better. Consumers also dislike the black bar but its there for a reason people and its not a deal breaker. Stop being so nit picky this phone is gorgeous and the hardware/software is top notch.

    1. SUPER… Ugly… Black… Bar

      1. I don’t get the hate for the bezels. I think most of you are complaining just to complain!

        1. They’re valid criticisms. For many it’s disappointing seeing makers like Moto creating a smartphone with front-facing speakers yet still maintain the minimalist possible of bezels. It’s proof it can be done yet HTC still can’t seem to design something similar.

          http://phandroid.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Nova-Launcher-Moto-X-2014-DSC07206-640×439.jpg

  22. I currently have an HTC One M8 and my only complaint about it was the camera. Since they improved on the camera I might make the jump to the M9.

    The design isn’t an issue with me(although I wish the other renders were true) because I think the M8 is one of the best looking phones on the market.

    1. The camera on the M8 was awesome. As was the one on the M7.

      1. It’s awesome……until u have to zoom in on something.

        1. The zoom on mine worked fine. If you want that much detail from a cell phone camera you prob should be using a professional camera.

          1. I’m not expecting “professional camera” quality detail, just something better than what my M8 could offer. The M9 seems to fix that.

  23. The M9 is an upgrade to the M8 in almost every way. Better camera, better battery, better processor, better side bezels, and keeps the micro-SD slot.
    What the M9 didn’t change is the design language, and the bottom bezel.
    It almost checks off every wish-list the Android community wanted from the M8, and HTC delivers it on the M9

    As a M7 owner, seems like a good upgrade for me, but it wouldn’t be much of an upgrade for M8 users, unless the camera really speaks to you.

    1. M7 owner here, as well. I am torn because (a) my M7 just got Lollipop, and (b) its black bar at least has a purpose with the home and back buttons. I’m perfectly content double-tapping home for recent apps, and the power button placement isn’t that big of a deal to me. The M8 and M9 black bar makes me cringe… such a waste of space. Also, I got a refurb a few months ago to fix the purple haze issue, so I guess I’ll be holding onto this M7 for a while.

  24. I was expecting more of the HTC One M9, and I was blown away by the render Phonedesigner had made. The other ones that we had seen were beautiful as well, and it made me believe that HTC could unveil a brand new M9, and they didn’t.

    They make great smartphones, but this one looks like the M8, which isn’t ugly, but a redesigned smartphone would have been great.

    Maybe I’ll buy it, I don’t know yet…

  25. I’ll still upgrade my M8 to the M9 I just can’t have a phone without speakers in the front of it. Phones with speakers on the bottom or back just sound like crap.

  26. I’ll still upgrade my M8 for the M9. I just can’t have a phone without speakers in the front of it. Phones with speakers on the bottom or back just sound like crap.

  27. I’ve been htc since G1 but they deserve this heat ……this might be the end of the line RIP HTC

  28. Real shame they went with essentially the same design for a third consecutive flagship model. I totally understand the m8 looking like the m7 as many buyers are on a 2 year contract cycle. But as an m7 owner looking for my next device this is a bit of a letdown. Don’t get me wrong, the m7 is the best phone I’ve ever owned…But I was hoping they would change things up a bit. Not sure I want to look at the same basic design for another two years. Now I’m torn on what to buy.

    1. M7 4 LIFE I might go back from my note 4 …I’m so pissed rn

    2. I feel you, but aren’t all phones pretty much the same? It’s kind of like the world of supercars, they all begin to look the same because there are only a few optimal designs at that level.

  29. I’ll still upgrade my M8 for the M9. I just can’t have a phone without speakers in the front of it. Phones with speakers on the bottom or back just sound like crap.

    1. I was just thinking this last night as I was laying in bed trying to watch a show…how awesome would it be to have front speakers!? My sgs4 doesnt cut it anymore! Looking forward to speakers in the front!

    2. Get a Nexus 6. Also has dual front facing speakers.

  30. The door is open for Samsung to nail the lid shut on HTC. Granted, some of the gimmicks on galaxy phones are useless battery hogs. But at least Samsung pushes the envelope. I’ve been HTC since the Dinc, but I’ve had such a bad taste in my mouth for the purple hued camera that I’ve had to live with on my M7 for the past year, Samsung might just win me over now…or LG.

  31. Lol at all the HTC fanboys positively SCRAMBLING to defend them regurgitating the same terrible, flawed design. Enjoy your third M7 that’s as tall as my nexus 6 but with a full inch smaller display. Lmao
    Oh and, DAT BLACK BAR…

    1. Don’t see how anyone is really scrambling to defend it. Yes, they fixed the camera. Other than that it’s the same excellent but getting somewhat tired design.

      I’ve been exclusively an HTC user for at least 8 years now, mostly because they have been innovative. That seems to have slowed down the last couple releases. What do I do now?

      1. Excellent, lmfao! It’s a horrible design. It’s like 10 feet tall with a giagantic, horrendously ugly black bar for their logo.

        1. To each his own. My m7 is a fantastic device that looks and feels great. Personally I thought the m8 was no better…perhaps a bit less premium looking even. Now the m9 is basically more of the same.

        2. That bar, while I understand it’s uselessness, isn’t that bad. You all are making it seem like the phone is rendered useless because of it. LoL!!

          1. With how much everybody harps on one handed usability, screen to bezel ratio, all the nexus 6 hate, etc. There is no logical excuse for the blind fanboy defense of the HTC one, which is the worst offender in the industry in these areas. Even Sony has better screen to bezel ratio yet it is constantly criticized for its large bezels.

  32. Quentyn, the partnership is with Dolby not Bose as cited in your article.

  33. least impressive phone ever

  34. You had 1 job! Ugly, worthless, awkward black bar.

  35. As a former HTC fanboy I’ve notice they are slow to change or address consumer complaints of there phones. For a long time people use to complaint about there terrible battery life and their UI being slow or laggy. You all know how long it took them to figure that out. Now the main complaints about the 1 series is the camera and that infamous HTC black bar. Well they finally got it right with the camera and i guess it will take the M10 to get rid of the black bar.

  36. Dam HTC… That black baaaaar. But as I watch the S6 announcement I dont see myself leaving HTC….lol and Samsung just took a shot at Apple on stage lol

  37. Debated about taking this droid turbo back for the M9

    On the plus side….. I’m glad I don’t have to waste time and can now remain happy with my moto.

  38. Err, this is identical to the M8. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a beautifully designed phone but there needs to be some changes, really. And that stupid black bar once again here to ruin an otherwise flawless design. Stupid.

    1. I am glad they kept it. And whenever I’d say so people would freak out and say there was no way. Muahahahahahahahahahahaha.

  39. Where the hell is the m9 plus. Forget this phone it’s a rehash a la iPhone. The real innovation should be on m9 plus. Similar specs with a bigger screen will make this worth it.

    1. No. The “real” innovation will be the M10. Mobile tech isn’t advancing they fast anymore.

  40. Lmao 1+2 to the rescue

  41. Will this phone process OK Google commands with the screen off (and not charging)?

  42. Disappointed. Was hoping the new design that Spigen had a case for was the real deal. Oh well. Ill just hang onto my Nexus 6 and wait to see what the M10 looks like.

    1. I would have preferred that as well. Spigen has deceived me. LoL!!

      Guess I’ll be keeping my M8. The mobile world has slowed down again. Can’t wait for that random spark to happen.

  43. I understand, from a design point of view, that the black bar adds no real purpose to the phone. However, some people are making it seem like that bar just ruined the phone completely. LoL!!

    There’s no point in changing the design since not much has changed in the phone. So why make it different?

    That black bar is not that bad. I don’t think a large amount of customers complained about the black bar. I think there are a select few people who would prefer all the screen be all the screen and nothing else. And I’m not bashing you all, it just seems HTC won’t be your phone.

    Be happy that you have choices with Android. At least you’re not forced to have a phone with an All-In-One Home Button. LoL!! Like really? No.

    1. i for one dont mind the black bar. i do mind that this is the M8.1 apparently.

  44. To all yall black bar haters, stop being racist! Hopefully the cops don’t beat up my phone. Now on a serious note, i think they have the speaker hardware behind the black bar. It is also possible that phone company’s required a space to slap their logo on there. Black bar is not a deal breaker. The m7 and m8 have been a top phone in the past years and i think it will still be up in the charts this year. Only thing i like from Samsung is their SSD’s, everything else i owned from Samsung failed in some way (TV, Printer, Phone)… That edge on the phone? not so sure i want to have a curved screen that will hot pavement easier, at least with my htc m9 my case will have a lip.

  45. I wish they would just make an indestructible phone already, so we wouldn’t have to put cases on beautiful phones or at least phone drop prevention classes.

  46. I’m still hoping for a One M9 plus… my note 4 is good though but not sure about the S6. Plus the Z4 or G4 could be great.

    1. Same here, disappointed both of the S6’s and this one have a smaller screen than my Xperia Z2. It would just feel like a downgrade to me, I want bigger!

  47. Annnnnnndddnd The S6 has NO SD slot?..
    Phuck you Samsung, HTC is my new hero.

  48. Looks like a great phone, but I have some complaints:
    1. I prefer stock Android
    2. Wish they got rid of the HTC logo chin
    3. Back to 4 button bottom row are they joking?

    1. Download an app called nova launcher. It’s very similar to stock android, it’s awesome

      1. Yea I’ve used Nova for years, it’s great. It’s just the whole experience I prefer stock. Notification bar, apps, menus, etc.

  49. What about the battery? How many mAh is it?
    Nevermind, saw it in the other article comparing the M9 and M8.

  50. I think it’s a super sweet looking phone and now that it comes in pink, it’s a very sexy phone! I’m so excited about paying HTC only $650 off contract. I wish I could pay them a $350 tip just for making the device pink!! This is a dream come true! I’m a HTC One M7 owner, soon to be a Pink HTC One M9 owner! That awesome big black with the silver HTC logo bezel will look soooo hot on my brand new pretty pink all metal M9! Music means the world to me and every phone on the market from entry level to flagship has the same poor audio quality and spending more money for a flagship phone doesn’t drive your headphone cans any harder with better sound quality. Enter HTC One series. 80% more powerful audio output than the rest of the market. Thanks for designing a phone for people who actually care about the audio performance of every sound system from, home, car and mobile that they own. Your amplifiers can only amplify the sound that they receive. So it only makes sense to feed your amplifiers the very best audio signal that you can. The hotter the signal you input on the amplifiers, the lower you can keep the gain. The lower the gain, the better the sound quality. Plus my headphones never sounded better than when I heard them on my M7. Support HTC or we will loose a the only sound quality phone in the world. Thank you HTC, yes I’m a fangirl! I love you….. Xoxo!! !

    1. I could’ve swore the first half of this comment was sarcasm. Especially the part about the bezel. Needless to say, I was disappointed when I got to the end.

      1. Why are you disappointed with the fact that HTC has a dedicated amplifier for sound quality. Seems as though you’re not interested in audio and the world’s only device that brings the best sound quality in a smart phone. It might be just a visual thing for you?? But I challenge you to actually see the difference between the two screens with your bare eyes. The iPhone has a lower resolution than the two devices and it even looks beautiful to the naked eye. Besides the HTC One m9 will be able to take pictures at a higher resolution than both Samsung and the iPhone. Then you will be able to take your photos and videos to a real 4k television and see the actual difference in where where you actually need a higher resolution on a screen. HTC stands alone in the audio department of smart phones and that’s what I and maybe a lot of other people use to play their music libraries. It’s just a convince thing to use one device and the way it’s able to connect with such ease to all sorts of different wireless options available now days with just a three finger swipe up while still playing it’s untouchable front facing smart phone speakers. It’s like paradise for real music enthusiasts. I’m sure going to enjoy using the HTC One M9 while in my home, driving my car, and at the party! I’ll be the dj girl for sure and I’ll be turning the crowd into a mosh pit for real! I’m so a HTC fangirl, changing the way you think there are only fanboys! Xoxo HTC!!!

  51. I’m so annoyed my HTC DNA couldn’t make it till this month. I bought a M8 last December with renewed contract. While its a good phone I really like to upgrade to the latest device when I renew my contract with Verizon.

  52. Man… I’m pretty disappointed. If the evleaks version had been true I would have bought that thing straight cash, now I’m thinking I’m just going to hold onto my m7 until the m10 comes out. It still works great and I love it. It’s just kind of a shame because the evleaks render got my hopes up big time so now it just doesn’t seem worth it to get the m9. It’s a shame for htc too because those with the m8 have very little incentive to upgrade due to it looking almost identical and also from what I’ve read the camera is disappointing as well. I think HTC m9 sales are going to suffer to some extent. If they’re smart, when the m10 comes around they need to notice how everybody was in love with the evleaks render and make it happen

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