Motorola clearly cannot stop teasing us about the ‘shatterproof’ tech of its new Moto X Force. In yet another series of teasers, the company now mocks Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and HTC One M9; both fairly decent devices if you ask us. But Motorola is quite bent on making you think otherwise.
So this is what happens when HTC One M9 is dropped from a height.
It was a little painful to have One M9’s little particles flying around in all directions. But Motorola is truly having fun mocking the device in this video. And it obviously is not done yet. Because a jab a day is not enough, Motorola came out with yet another teaser. This time the device in question was Samsung Galaxy Note 5.
https://youtu.be/Mcj-ITG44d0
Motorola is asserting the uniqueness of its device at the expense of other flagship devices. A lot of feathers have been ruffled all over in the promotion of Moto X Force. Let’s see if it eventually turns out to be worth all the hype when the phone finally arrives in India in the first week of February. Would you be willing to place your stakes on Motorola or do you think the device is going to be bit of a downer? Let us know in the comments below.
A new report suggests that HTC is all set to give their smartphones an update to the new Android Marshmallow 6.0. Obviously, this update will not be available to all their smartphones, but a select few which include the HTC One M9 and HTC One M8 before the end of this year.
We’re roasting marshmallows this fall! We’ll begin our Android 6.0 rollout to devices before the end of the year. pic.twitter.com/Zd59NaqTjx
The list is however longer than this, since it also includes – the One M9+, One E9+, One E9, One ME, One E8, One M8 Eye and the HTC Butterfly 3.
All the above phones are HTC’s high-end phones, but it has also been said that HTC’s mid-ranged Desire 826, Desire 820, and Desire 816 will also be updated in the future. No dates have been confirmed for this update, but what we also know is that HTC will be adding more devices to this list. So sit tight and hope that one of them is yours.
HTC unveiled the Butterfly 3 and the HTC One M9+ Supreme Camera (Aurora Edition) smartphones on Tuesday. While the HTC Butterfly 3 is essentially the same as the J Butterfly that was launched in May, the HTC One M9+ Supreme Camera is almost identical to the One M9+ but with an upgraded rear camera.
The HTC Butterfly 3 comes with a 5.2-inch QHD LCD display, Snapdragon 810 chipset, and 3GB of RAM. It runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop and come with a 32 GB built in storage which can be expandable via microSD card up to 2 TB, theoretically speaking of course.
The Butterfly 3 also sports a massive 20.2 megapixel rear camera with dual-LED. The front is a 13-megapixel camera which has a fast f/2.0 aperture and can shoot 1080p videos.
HTC One M9+ Supreme Camera
The HTC One M9+ Supreme Camera edition now has a new laser autofocus system and better rear camera at 21-megapixels and an f/2.2 aperture. The rest of the specs are similar to the M9+ with 5.2-inch Quad-HD (1440×2560 pixels) display and powered by 2.2GHz octa-core MediaTek Helio X10 processor with 3 GB of RAM. It is available in 32 GB inbuilt storage with up to 128 GB expandability via microSD card.
Here’s a detailed look at the specs for both the Butterfly 3 and the One M9+ Supreme Camera. Global availability and price details are yet to be disclosed.
Now that iPhone 6s has hit the markets, it’s time to pit the newest Apple wonder against the best of the smartphone industry. Apple has never failed to woo its users with its fluidity and smoothness in the past. One wonders if it’s likely to happen now as well in the face of tough competition from equally snazzy and up to date tech names like Samsung, Sony, LG and HTC.
Specs
LG G4
Samsung Galaxy Note 5
Samsung S6 Edge+
HTC One M9
Sony Experia Premium Z5
iPhone 6s
Display
5.5-inch Quad HD LCD
5.66 inch Quad HD
5.7 inches
5.5 inch HD
5.5 inch 4K
4.7 Retina HD display with 3D Touch, LED-backlit widescreen
Despite not being able to match its competitors in terms of specs and numbers on paper, Apple has always managed to fulfil the demands of the tech world so far. On the launch of the very first iPhone eight years ago in 2007, Steve Jobs had promised to “reinvent the phone”. This promise has indeed been taken care of if statistics are to be believed which suggest that 53% of the smartphone market is dominated by Apple.
The last phone that HTC released was its One M9, and we were expecting it to be called, One M10. But, if reports are to be believed, HTC might change the name of their upcoming smartphone range to O2.
This new handset is said to feature a 6 inch OHD display powered by a Snapdragon 820 chipset with 4GB RAM space. It is said to come in two storage variants – 64GB and 128GB with a 3,500mAh battery. The O2 could be environmentally sealed for water and dust protection.
Rumours also suggest that there might be another O2 model scheduled to release next year. This rumoured device could feature a 5 inch display and the unannounced Snapdragon 82x chipset.
However, these facts have not been confirmed as yet. So watch this space for more updates.
Since the launch of the One M9, the whole world has been conflicted on whether HTC did enough of an upgrade from the One M8 to the One M9. The HTC One M9+ made things more confusing for the buyers and eventually led to unhappiness all round. While the original HTC M9 was launched in the European and American markets, there was more demand in the Asian region and vice-versa with the M9+, which was launched in the Asian market, and had more takers in Europe.
HTC One M9 (Original ) Unboxing:
Apart from the name, there are quite a few differences between the One M9 and the One M9+. For starters you have a completely different chipset. While the global M9 is packing Qualcomm Snapdragon the M9+ packs a MediaTek MT6795T. The M9+ does have DUO cameras at the back, just like the M8. However a mix of 20MP+2MP vs the Ultrapixel combo on the M8 or the single 20MP on the M9 makes for better photographic options.
Another difference is the way HTC M9+ handles storage, allowing upto a 2 TB microSD to be inserted into the handset and used as storage.
Build Quality
HTC keeps up to tradition with the new HTC M9+ and it’s quite identical in design with the HTC One M9. A brushed two-tone finish with the same all Aluminium back as seen earlier on the M9. The gold trim is easy on the eyes, and even though not everyone has shown a lot of appreciation towards it, the material trip is unique. The front has new-gen Gorilla Glass 4 and a centrally located fingerprint scanner, which may be confused for a main button.
Although, when the phone is unlocked an activated finger would allow you to jump back to the home screen. So it is touch button that looks like a real button with a fingerprint scanner embedded in it.
Hardware
Hardware wise the HTC One M9+ truly brings it to the table; great cameras, excellent display, ample storage and a large battery. However the Mediatek chipset was a real surprise to consumers and to us alike. This new chipset is actually much better than we anticipated, and puts the M9+ right back up in the flagship league.
The questions around the One M9+ are bang on. Is the Mediatek chipset a mistake? Should HTC have stuck with Qualcomm? Is the performance getting affected?
However the answers are even simpler. HTC found the new Mediatek MT6795T to be refined and powerful enough to power their flagship. We find it difficult to disagree. The processor does not tire, it’s efficient and highly performance driven and allows the user to truly take advantage of the handset.
Also, unlike the dual setup of the Qualcomm Snapdragon, the Mediatek chipset comes with an 8 Core CPU.
The HTC One M9+ scores positive results on benchmarks, with a happy 48000+ on AnTutTu 64 bit. The performance report pitches it against all market flagships and gaming performance is better than 85% of the other devices at hand.
Gaming is not a problem on the HTC One M9+, the chipset is quick at CPU calculations and load times are highly improved. GPU renders 2D and 3D graphics with easy and most games perform well at high graphics.
Display and Multimedia
It’s a pity that the original HTC One M9 didn’t get a high resolution display. A 2k display makes sense on a handset with over 5 inches to spare, and HTC has managed to get it all well within the sweet spot. As with most HTC displays in the past, this too gets a SLCD panel with Gorilla Glass 4 and great brightness indoors or outdoors.
Gorgeous 2K Display
Boomsound is much better on the M9+ when compared to the audio quality of the HTC One M8, larger speaker cavities improve the native sound and an enhanced audio chip improved audio from the headphones. The Boomsound speakers are possibly the industry’s best and they have seen significant improvement on the M9+.
Camera
HTC has also majorly overhauled their camera strategy. From saying “Megapixels don’t matter” to stuffing a 20 MP sensor in their latest flagship, HTC has truly gone with what the market wants. A wide f2.2 enables good low light shots, however, the Samsung Galaxy S6 takes the cake on low light with their f1.7 aperture lenses.
The images from the HTC One M9+ are sharp and the colours are well balanced. The contrast is good and the light compensation in low light is excellent. Native image stabilization is hugely missed on this handset.
The Camera app is a lot more simplified and easy to use. While certain things that came naturally on the HTC One M8 are now slightly difficult to operate, like the Dual-Camera capabilities. The addition sensor on the dual setup measures the field of view and allows the user to capture images with defined and adjustable depth. It’s mostly gimmicky, however in a perfect light and area setup, it works flawlessly. An idea example would be a landscape shot with a subject in the foreground. These type of shots will work best and will also allow customisations using HTC’s inbuilt features.
Duo Camera 20 MP + 2 MP
ZOE, now independent of the camera app on HTC devices, is more of a cross platform photo sharing app. Important filters and features make it fun to use and allow the user to experiment a lot more with the camera on the HTC One M9+.
Front Ultrapixel Camera
The front camera is an Ultrapixel camera from HTC, the same sensor we saw on the back of the M7 and the M8 last year. This drastically improves the front facing camera’s quality as well as low light capabilities.
OS and Blinkfeed
One of the best things HTC has done on the M9 and the M9+ is reduce their control of the Android OS space. The new HTC Sense 7 is a lightweight skin vs what it used to be in the past. Less customisations by HTC also mean that Android Lollipop and Android M (in the future) get to display their full glory.
If you do miss customizations, like HTC’s flip clock, they are now included in the widgets section and are just a simple long tap away. You also, still get themes which you can further customize, by changing colours, images and layouts.
Blinkfeed has also upped its game, with a faster re-hash of feeds and a better layout. The higher resolution display of the M9+ helps in highlighting the content.
The OS and the UI elements are highly optimized, this helps improve productivity and reduce battery consumption.
Phone Network & Battery
The HTC One M9+ supports LTE networks as well as all bands in India. It has a fantastic antenna and excellent voice quality, something that has become synonymous with HTC in the past. No dropped calls and hit network in places with poor reception, are great things to have.The reduced search for strong network also improves battery life on the handset.
Both the speaker and microphone are loud and responsive, allowing parties on both sides to communicate effectively.
The 2840 mAh battery is more than sufficient in getting through the day and then some. The chipset along with the optimizations on the software front make the battery-drain end up on the lower side of the spectrum. The battery life could have been better and things like fast charge are missing from the mix, we honestly don’t mind.
Type
WiFi
Cellular
Talk Time
N/A
6 Hours
Standby
150 Hours
48 Hours
Music
12 Hours
10 Hours
Internet
5 Hours
5 Hours
Video and Gaming
4-5 Hours
4 Hours
Conclusion
With the One M9+, HTC has put all its cards on the table. Their experiment with a relatively newer chipset manufacturer may have paid off well. Consumers in Europe are craving the One M9+ while being served the One M9, and there is good reason for that. The M9+ turns out to be a much better handset than many already in the market, it also is a much better handset than the company’s own M9. Excellent build quality, great design and aesthetics, premium materials, great hardware and excellent cameras make the HTC One M9+ a better device. The camera improvements will satisfy those that missed it last year, and the OS improvements will really push the envelope on making the One M9+ ownership worthy.
The One M9 was a huge disappointment, failing to play catch up with what was happening in the industry. However, with the new M9+, HTC not only caught up, they set precedent.
HTC’s latest flagship has arrived and it might just live up to expectations. HTC has made a more mature incremental upgrade to an already promising product. The new HTC One M9 highlights everything that was good about the M8 and M7 and fixes what was horribly bad about them.
Big major fixes include a bumped up camera, a 20 MP shooter with a sapphire lens cover. The camera now not only looks good, but also shoots 4k video. However we are majorly missing the OIS found in the Korean rival’s handset.
Last year’s main camera the Ultrapixel snapped, is now the front facing camera, improving low light selfies and it looks really good. The camera adds a lot of details and pictures are actually very visible in low light. HTC claims that the camera sees more light than the human eye, our tests confirm that.
The M9 is powered by an all new Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset, a 64 bit SOC, with an Octa core 2.0 GHz CPU and Adreno 430 GPU. 3GB of RAM and 32 GB storage makes the memory part complete, but, you do get a 128 GB card support and 115 GB of Google Drive.
The two tone color of the Silver One M9 looks fantastic and will be an instant hit, with anyone who appreciates quality handsets. However the new Samsung Galaxy S6 looks too fancy to ignore. HTC has found inspiration from luxury watches, and the minute we look at the M9 we see Hublot.
Everything runs on a highly optimized 2800 mAh battery, bundled with Android Lollipop 5.0.2 out of the box and HTC’s new Sense 7 promises a major improvement in the battery life, and out of experience there is a big difference. The quick charge also improves the charge times and you will be on the go in just a few.
HTC has included a new flurry of covers, none of which come with the device. The new rugged cover will make the device IP 67 and it honestly feels great on the phone and does not add much bulk. The DOT case has been improved quite a lot, adding more functionality. Including Dot-breaker (a cool game) and custom wallpapers that you can sketch, see below.
While the world puts its eyes onto MWC 2015, HTC has basically stepped on board with an excellent start. HTC has launched and announced a bunch of new products, also showcasing their connected concepts which include Connected Home, Connected Life, Connected Entertainment and Connected Self.
The new HTC One M9 falls right into their connected formula and is not a whole lot different from the HTC One M8; it follows in HTC’s design lineage and adds a whole lot of new elements. HTC claims that the new design is inspired by luxury and mostly luxury watches.
The new HTC One M9 has a newer notched design and a two tone finish, the gold bezels on silver is their hero product and will be available globally, a new graphite and an all gold will be available in select markets. The HTC One M9 still has a IR blaster and the native TV app has been replaced by the Peel remote app. The phone supports TDD and FDD LTE across the globe so is essentially a 4G world phone, and should work worldwide if you buy it unlocked.
The Golden Edge Looks Better
Spec wise you don’t see a major bump up either. However a more powerful 64 Bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 runs this handset along with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage. It sports a 5-inch screen with a 1920×1080 display. You do get micro-SD support upto 64 GB as well. Optics is where you see a major increase the new 20 MP shooter at the rear along with a 4 ultrapixel front camera make for a fashionable lot. The HTC One M9 also shoots 4k video natively and can parse it onto a class 10 card.
The battery on the inside is a 2840 mAh, bundled with Android 5.0.2 out of the box and the all new HTC Sense 7. HTC is touting excellent battery life on this iteration of the One.
HTC has also improved upon the camera app, allowing for better edits, filters and fun effects on the phone, along with a prismatic mode that indulges a trippy audience.
New Dot Case
Along with the HTC One M9, the company also introduced a flurry of cases, including a number of dot view cases. The new design has a transparent back and allows for more customization of what is visible from the dot matrix. You also have a fun game called dot-breaker included as a freebie.
New HTC M9 Cases
HTC has also made a rugged case with iP67 certification and 2 Meter drop resistance, giving you the rugged you have missed on the HTC One series in the past.
