HTC One M9+ review: HTC's latest and greatest with luxurious finish
The design hasn't changed drastically from the previous generation One M8 and that's a good thing. The finish is luxurious and eye-catching.
By Hitesh Raj Bhagat, ET Bureau | Updated:
NEW DELHI: 2.2Ghz Mediatek octa core, 3GB RAM, 32GB storage + micro SD, 5.2inch Super LCD3 (2560 x 1440p), 20MP + 2.1MP rear duo cam with dual LED flash + 4MP front cam, FM, BT4.1, A-GPS, NGC, WiFiac, MHL 2.0, IR emitter, finger scanner, 2,840mAh battery, 168 grams The One M9+ is HTC's latest and greatest. The company decided to skip the M9 and go straight to the M9+ for India a smart move, because the M9 had people complaining about the lack of duo camera and fingerprint sensor.
The design hasn't changed drastically from the previous generation One M8 and that's a good thing. The finish is luxurious and eye-catching attention to detail is extraordinary and quality of workmanship is unrivalled. This is one of the bestlooking phones around and even beats the most sought after iPhone 6 in this regard easily .
Compared to the One M8, there's a slight kink in the armour though literally. While the M8 feels more `organic' and comfortable, the sharp edge on the M9+ (where the gold meets silver) cuts into your fingers.
Up front, the design is familiar and it still has those excellent HTC BoomSound speakers which are front-facing and much louder than any of the competitors. The lower speaker grill is split up by the new fingerprint sensor. You don't need to swipe a finger just place it (and it works really well). The sensor can also be used as a home button by pressing harder (though it doesn't click). Around the back is the duo camera: in duo mode, a second lens captures depth detail so that you can change focus, apply a 3D effect, add shapes and other elements into your photos.In normal mode, the camera captures 20MP stills and video in up to 4K resolution (3840 x 2176 pixels). The camera is really fast and there are shooting options on offer (split capture, photo booth, panorama) but the in our testing, the quality of results from the camera is not as good as the Galaxy S6 or iPhone 6 Plus.
There are no complaints with performance, even though it's a Mediatek on offer (instead of the Snapdragon 810). It does heat up with intensive gaming but is expected with the all-metal design.
At the time of writing, the One M9+ is already available online at Rs 48,000 which is great value and about the same price as the One M8. Price includes a 1 year accidentalliquid damage protection which further enhances the value. If you crave a premium all-metal design Android phone, the M9+ is king of the hill. However, you can get a better screen and better camera on the now cheaper Galaxy S6.
The design hasn't changed drastically from the previous generation One M8 and that's a good thing. The finish is luxurious and eye-catching attention to detail is extraordinary and quality of workmanship is unrivalled. This is one of the bestlooking phones around and even beats the most sought after iPhone 6 in this regard easily .
Compared to the One M8, there's a slight kink in the armour though literally. While the M8 feels more `organic' and comfortable, the sharp edge on the M9+ (where the gold meets silver) cuts into your fingers.
Up front, the design is familiar and it still has those excellent HTC BoomSound speakers which are front-facing and much louder than any of the competitors. The lower speaker grill is split up by the new fingerprint sensor. You don't need to swipe a finger just place it (and it works really well). The sensor can also be used as a home button by pressing harder (though it doesn't click). Around the back is the duo camera: in duo mode, a second lens captures depth detail so that you can change focus, apply a 3D effect, add shapes and other elements into your photos.In normal mode, the camera captures 20MP stills and video in up to 4K resolution (3840 x 2176 pixels). The camera is really fast and there are shooting options on offer (split capture, photo booth, panorama) but the in our testing, the quality of results from the camera is not as good as the Galaxy S6 or iPhone 6 Plus.
There are no complaints with performance, even though it's a Mediatek on offer (instead of the Snapdragon 810). It does heat up with intensive gaming but is expected with the all-metal design.
At the time of writing, the One M9+ is already available online at Rs 48,000 which is great value and about the same price as the One M8. Price includes a 1 year accidentalliquid damage protection which further enhances the value. If you crave a premium all-metal design Android phone, the M9+ is king of the hill. However, you can get a better screen and better camera on the now cheaper Galaxy S6.
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Text by: Anupam Saxena, TOI Tech
It is difficult to talk about an HTC One phone without recounting how the first iteration of the device set the benchmark for build quality and design among Android flagships. HTC has safely decided to stick to the formula with the second and now, the third generation One.
In India, a market which is extremely price sensitive, the Taiwanese giant has made the tactical decision of launching the One M9+ and not the One M9. The former sports some new features including a fingerprint sensor and a bigger QHD display while the latter is just an incremental update.
Keep in mind that HTC has also used a new MediaTek processor instead of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 which powers the One M9. MediaTek processors are majorly associated with budget phones but the One M9+ is run by the new Helio X10 processor, a high-end chip. Another reason for this decision could be the major heating problems being reported with the Snapdragon 810. So the One M9+ essentially addresses the One M9's shortcomings and adds more features. So can the new One M9+ compete with the latest flagship phones be a worthy successor to the One M8?
We spent a few weeks with the One M9+ to find out.
It is difficult to talk about an HTC One phone without recounting how the first iteration of the device set the benchmark for build quality and design among Android flagships. HTC has safely decided to stick to the formula with the second and now, the third generation One.
In India, a market which is extremely price sensitive, the Taiwanese giant has made the tactical decision of launching the One M9+ and not the One M9. The former sports some new features including a fingerprint sensor and a bigger QHD display while the latter is just an incremental update.
Keep in mind that HTC has also used a new MediaTek processor instead of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 which powers the One M9. MediaTek processors are majorly associated with budget phones but the One M9+ is run by the new Helio X10 processor, a high-end chip. Another reason for this decision could be the major heating problems being reported with the Snapdragon 810. So the One M9+ essentially addresses the One M9's shortcomings and adds more features. So can the new One M9+ compete with the latest flagship phones be a worthy successor to the One M8?
We spent a few weeks with the One M9+ to find out.
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