HTC One E9+ review: A great buy for the price

Ratings: ****
PRICE: Rs 36,790

SPECIFICATIONS: 2Ghz Mediatek octa core, 3GB RAM, 32GB storage + microSD (up to 2TB cards), 5.5inch IPS LCD (2560 x 1440 pixels) with Gorilla Glass 4, 20MP rear + 13MP front cam, Boom Sound stereo speakers, 2,800mAh battery, 150 grams

Pros: Increased damage resistance with Gorilla Glass 4, superb highdensity screen, powerful stereo speakers, great performance and camera quality

Cons: Plastic shell makes it look cheaper than it is

What do you do when you want a flagship-level phone but don't want to spend an absurd amount of money? HTC's got your back! Coming in quick on the heels on the premium-looking One M9+, this phone has all the specs you could crave but at a more palatable price.

Up front, it’s instantly recognisable as a premium 'One' device with the Boom Sound stereo speakers and thin bezels. There are a couple of colours available — our unit is a handsome matte white and gold. The back panel is matte white and the metal chassis is a champagne gold. The entire phone is just 7.9 mm and feels lightweight (for the size).

The screen is a surprise: HTC has used a 2K display (2560 x 1440 pixels – 534 pixels per inch). This is the same resolution screen as on the M9+ but owing to the slightly larger 5.5-inch screen, pixel density is a bit lower. Not that it matters though!

It offers some great colours, brightness and viewing angles. It has loud and clear, front-facing stereo speakers that have become sort of like a hallmark of the HTC One series. Under a flimsy plastic flap on the left side are slots for two nano SIM cards (it has individual, slide out trays) and a micro SD slot that theoretically supports up to 2TB cards (128GB is available so far).

The 64-bit Mediatek octa core processor and 3GB RAM combo is more than up for anything you throw at it –—and it doesn’t get too hot either. Camera is super-fast and captures some nice detail and bokeh (with a special mode).

Macros aren’t too great but performance generally hits above its price. If we were to nitpick, the looks of the device are sort of generic HTC. Most people who look at it will pass it off as just another mid-range phone from the Desire series. It's only when you start using it, look at the screen and capture some photos that you start to see this for the beast that it is.

And finally, in a couple of weeks of use, we noticed a fair number of scratches on the back camera glass which could affect results in the long term. A good buy for the price.