HTC has unveiled the One M9, a sequel to the HTC One, and HTC One M8. The was unveiled at Mobile World Congress 2015 in Barcelona.
Similar in design to the M8 the changes have been subtle, painstakingly thought through. Despite the similarities HTC claims it has refined 'the iconic design' that has become the centrepiece of the company's expanding phone lineup.
The One M9 now features a glistening band of contrasting colour around the edge while the bezel has been reduced slightly. The M9 is also thicker - a rare occurrence in an industry that seems intent on killing off the headphone jack for good. This accommodates a slightly larger battery which should then in turn explain itself.
People not only want a longer-lasting phone but they also want to replace their cameras with their phones once and for all. The M9 now has a massive 20MP sensor on the back while they've moved the iconic 4MP Ultrapixel camera from the original HTC One to the front for those ever-important selfies.
HTC has learnt that people hate having their photos dotted all over the place, and having no way of seeing them in one organised album. It's a problem that has been tackled a number of times with varying success. The M9's One Gallery wants to settle the debate once and for all. It'll pull in all your photos from across your cloud storage services and social accounts. It'll then intelligently analyse every one and created auto-curated albums that live update.
Smartphones always have to tread the line between being customisable and yet clearly identifiable with the brand. HTC's thought of a way round that too. The M9 now comes with a comprehensive theme creator tool. Take a picture, activate the theme creator and the phone will automatically create icons and apps that fit with that image. Alternatively you can just create something yourself.
Audio has always been a big focus point for the HTC One phone, the BoomSound speakers aimed to transform the current preconception that smartphone speakers are useless. Well HTC is taking that a step further by adding Dolby Audio hardware and software so not only will they sound better but Dolby will be working its magic on every piece of audio whether it's played through the speakers, a pair of headphones or Bluetooth speakers.
There's a trend here, which is that HTC is answering questions. The M9 is in every sense an evolution, it might as well be called the HTC One 2015.
The HTC One M9 will come in three colours variations: Gold/Silver, Black/Grey and Gold/Gold. It'll be available to buy on the 31 March.