Sleek metallic good looks, fine HD screen, powerful processor, decent camera, expandable memory, good battery life
Not waterproof, not cheap
The HTC One flagship continues to improve and the One M9 takes it to an all new level with improved processor, camera and a few other tweaks, while retaining its sleek unibody metal design. But is it a genuinely genius smartphone, or more a case of style over substance?
Screen & Chassis
Something HTC regularly scores high for is style, and the HTC One M9 is no exception, refining the eye candy of the M8 even further. Size and style-wise it's virtually the same as the M8, meaning it's a gorgeous looking slab of tooled metal with a gently curving back and mirrored edges. It now has a two-tone metal design though, with a different colour around the edges -- we had the silver version with gold trim, which frankly, looks gorgeous. HTC claims it's 'ergonomically tapered' but never mind the jargon, it does sit very comfortably in the hand, without any of the sharper edges that have blighted some high end smartphones -- Sony's Xperia series for example.
The casing now has a scratch-resistant coating, but HTC hasn't followed the lead of Sony by incorporating waterproofing, which is a shame; when you have a phone costing this much, it's comforting to know that you won't lose it to a drop in your drink.
There are recessed card slots on each side (one for nano SIM, one for microSD card -- up to 128GB since you ask, so you can boost the already generous 32GB on board, an opportunity you didn't get with the M8) and three buttons on one side for volume and power/sleep. On the back, the camera lens extrudes only slightly next to the dual LED flash but the LED blaster that takes up all of the top edge means that the headphone jack has been relegated to the bottom -- which could be irritating for some. That quirk aside, it's an extremely elegant design and one that begs to be picked up and held.
The HTC One M9 has the same 5-inch full HD screen as the M8, with a resolution of 1,920x1,080 pixels offering 441ppi. No change then, but in fairness it's a beautiful looking screen, and the decision not to up the resolution to a higher number, without much benefit to the naked eye, means that the battery shouldn't be put under unnecessary strain.
Nice to see that it's running the very latest version of Android 5 Lollipop, which provides the support for HTC's elegant Sense 7.0 interface, now adapted to match the flat, utilitarian style of Lollipop. We like the look, the impression of texture, and the functional additions are generally very useful, such as the BlinkFeed media aggregator and the Themes feature, which doesn't just change colours and wallpapers, but also textures, icons, sounds, the clock and type fonts; it will even suggest themes based around the picture you choose for your background.
Something HTC has clearly put some effort into is the sound of the M9. With front-facing speakers and amps courtesy of HTC's BoomSound concept, now with Dolby Audio processing technology, you get a loud, full sound that doesn't distort, even at maximum volume. You may be more likely to use your headphones, but when you want to share, for a movie or a conference call, it's an impressive sound for a device this size.
Software & Processor
The processor has been bumped up from quad-core to a more efficient and powerful octa-core, with four of those cores clocked at 2GHz and the other four at 1.5GHz. It's all backed by a hefty 3GB RAM and should provide better efficiency for the battery, but it's also delightfully fast, with that 'speed of thought' effect you get from the best handsets, where apps open in a twinkling, and controls seem to respond the instant you touch them.
Our regular AnTuTu benchmark test gave it a score of 58,833 which catapults it right to the top of our scores list, ahead of the Google Nexus 6, which held the record for at least a few weeks. A powerful processor contributes greatly to the elegance of the experience and even with a bunch of apps running at once, and playing HD games, we noticed no slowdown or stutter.
Photography
HTC has long struggled to help its cameras compete with the best but with the M9 it's excelled itself. The main camera is now a more conventional 20-megapixel model, rather than the UltraPixel style of the M8, and has sapphire glass over the lens. There's a full suite of settings and modes to play with, including HDR and macro, as well as extras like HTC Eye Experience, the software allows you to create split captures, take voice selfies and apply live makeup to smooth out your laugh lines.
HTC's Zoe app also allows you to combine your photos and videos with your friends for footage from multiple points of view. Picture quality is generally very good, with plenty of detail and realistic colours.
UltraPixels aren't dead however, as the front camera now boasts four of 'em, replacing the M8's 5 megapixel snapper. There's an argument that the UltraPixel approach, with larger pixels that let in more light, is actually better suited to the front, allowing you to capture better, clearer pics without the need for a flash, that curse of the hastily grabbed selfie. Gone are the days when selfies were seen as an afterthought, and HTC is definitely keeping up with the game here.
The battery has been bulked up from 2,600mAh to 2,840mAh and with the more efficient processor it lasts noticeably longer than its predecessor, comfortably delivering a couple of days of regular use - longer if you employ some of the power saving features.
Conclusion
With its improved processor and cameras, beefed up battery and the ability to add more memory, the HTC One M9 is a worthy successor to the M8, correcting most of that phone's main faults and while retaining all its virtues. Its sleekly elegant styling is a big plus too and now that it has the power to justify it, it's turned into a cracker of a smartphone. With its premium price it's no bargain, but it's as good an Android device as you'll find at the moment.
Software: Google Android 5.0.2 Lollipop
Processor: Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810, 64-bit, 4x 2.0GHz + 4x 1.5GHz
Memory slot: Yes
Display: 5in SuperLCD3, 1080x1920 pixels
Connectivity: Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0
Ports: microUSB, 3.5mm headphone jack
Camera: 20 megapixel with autofocus, LED flash and BSI sensor; 4 UltraPixel front-facing camera
Video playback: .3gp, .3g2, .mp4, .wmv, .avi, .mkv
Audio playback: .aac, .amr, .ogg, .m4a, .mid, .mp3, .wav, .wma, .flac
Radio: Yes
Battery: 2840mAh
Size: 145x70x10mm
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
