HTC One M9 review

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

As iterative as it may seem, the HTC One M9 really does bump up the specs where they count. More powerful and efficient processors, more RAM, a larger battery and an incrementally smaller size, make it a real step forward from its predecessors.

The new HTC One (M9) refines HTC”s ideal of what a smartphone should offer. Revisiting the design and function of the previous M7 and M8 models, HTC’s gone for subtle refinement over drastic re-invention, which means that while familiar, the new HTC One M9 is definitely new and improved. 

The M9 feels refined and polished. The new gunmetal finish of my TELUS review unit had a smooth texture that was not slippery. The edges and corners are now rounded, the unibody case has  a unique hairline texture and the corners are no longer prone to chipping and denting. This is still one of the best-looking flagship devices on any platform. 

HTC has employed the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 810, octa core 64-bit processor, 4 x 2.0GHz + 4 x 1.5GHz. There's enough power under the hood for anything you can throw at this device, aided by a generous 3GB of RAM, the HTC One M9 zips through multiple applications and multitasks with ease.

The aforementioned processor has been linked to heat issues and while I did notice the HTC One M9 getting warmer than usual during some intense games, heavy video playback, and using a GPS, it never got so hot that it was uncomfortable to hold. 

Despite its experimentation with UltraPixel technology, HTC has fallen way behind in camera technology and picture quality. The HTC One M9 aims to correct this oversight by moving the UltraPixel camera to the front. The rear now sports a singular, and promising 20-megapixel camera as well as a whole suite of image and video editing tools.

Sadly, image quality on the HTC One M9 is nowhere near one would hope. Images are out of focus, the colour accuracy is off,and more often than not, pictures look terribly blown out.  (see below)

The M9 features a 20MP rear camera with sapphire cover lens, auto-focus, BSI sensor, f/2.2, 27.8mm lens and even 4K video recording capabilities.

On paper, these are top-of-the-line specs that we’d only see from Sony (who makes  some of the best camera sensors) and HTCs intent to provide the very best smartphone camera is clear, even if the current quality is subpar. 

HTC has an upcoming firmware update to fix these issues so I’ll say no more until I’ve had a chance to try that and post photos after the update, the return to a conventional megapixel camera for HTC has been troublesome to say the least. 

HTC uses the same 5-inch 1080p HD display as last year but now has a zero-gap construction making for clearer images and video. With the new BoomSound speakers (now backed by Dolby Audio), the HTC One M9 is the best smartphone for consuming video and audio without needing an external speaker. 

I tested this with Netflix App a well as Slingbox for accessing my Rogers Cable TV subscription remotely and was amazed at the vivid and accurate image and the great sound I got each time.

The HTC One M9 runs Android Lollipop on HTC Sense 7, the overlay has improved immensely over the years and now brings some customization by way of themes, wallpapers and even fonts that can be downloaded and applied. Every aspect of the HTC One M9’s user interface look and sound can be tweaked to some extent, which is great for users who want their device to stand out. 

The HTC BlinkFeed news and social media aggregator, which can be accessed by swiping to the right, features at a glance access to news, updates, tweets and other information that users can subscribe to. I’ve always liked BlinkFeed, but two years on, I’m still scratching my head for the lack of coverage of certain topics.

You can get tons of cricket news but good luck finding anything related to basketball, which is possibly the more popular international sport. The selection of topics on BlinkFeed just feels so random.

HTC Zoe, which remixes photos and images into short music videos, was fun and now you can collaborate with other M9 users to connect all your images and video (say, from a concert) to create a music video. Good concept, but unless all your buddies have the same phone, its hard to imagine it working as expected in real life.

You can also use both cameras simultaneously, something we've seen on Samsung phones. This is convenient when shooting a performer with the rear camera and shooting yourself singing along with the front facing camera.

All of these extras are the features that make the HTC One M9 unique and HTC loves to drum up these perks that come free with each new smartphone. What stood out for me was the level of functionality as a modern smartphone. 

By this, I mean the impressive battery life as well as the quick charging feature (60 per cent faster than previous devices) that makes the HTC One M9 a reliable device. Battery life is good for a day and a half for average use and should easily last the day and even up to the early morning even with moderate media use.

As iterative as it may seem, the HTC One M9 really does bump up the specs where they count. More powerful and efficient processors, more RAM, a larger battery and an incrementally smaller size, make it a real step forward from its predecessors.

I like the familiar look and feel, the improved material and design treatment as well as the overall practicality and sterling build of the HTC One M9. Sure, the camera promises a lot and has yet to deliver truly stunning performance and accurate image quality. 

Despite this, the HTC One M9 is still a powerful smartphone and one that’s worth considering if you like HTC’s approach to design and functionality. 

Rating: 4 out of 5