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[h=1]HTC One M9 hands-on: You cant fix what isnt broken[/h] Preview
By Jacob Siegal on Mar 1, 2015 at 10:45 AM
Email @JacobSiegal
After months of rumors and speculation, the HTC One M9 is finally here.
Then again, you might not have realized it unless you were paying very close attention. HTC says that the design of the M9 is a mashup of the best aspects of the M7 and the M8, and although that may be the case, it has resulted in a phone so familiar that you might mistake it for last years model.
Heres the catch: last years model is still one of the best Android smartphones on the market.
DONT MISS: HTC Grip hands-on: The fit band for casual athletes and pros alike
If youre upgrading from an M8 to an M9, the first thing youll notice is the updated user interface. Sense 7 isnt a complete overhaul of the HTC UI, but its cleaner and integrates well with Android 5.0 Lollipop.
Sense 7 is also packed with new features. One of HTCs primary goals when designing the new software was to make customization as painless as possible. This is clear from the moment you wake the phone up as HTC has included contextual local content on the lock screen that you can interact with.
One of the major new additions to the lock screen is Yelp integration at around noon, youll see mealtime recommendations for nearby restaurants. Dont like what you see? Keeping swiping for more without ever having to unlock your phone and open the app.
Once you do unlock your phone, youll be greeted to the new adaptive home screen, a feature HTC is calling SenseHome. If you decide to leave SenseHome on, your M9 will automatically shuffle the apps on your home screen based on your location. If youre at work, your productivity apps like email clients and document readers will appear. At home, you might see games and weather apps.
SenseHome will only pull from the apps you already have installed, but it will learn which apps you use most frequently, tailoring its suggestions more appropriately the longer you use it. You can pin apps permanently for certain locations, create folders of apps (in case SenseHome isnt big enough for you) and if you dont like SenseHome, you can just remove it altogether.
The cherry on top for fans of customization is the new Theme Store. Not only can you download themes and follow designers whose themes you prefer, but you can make your own as well. Theres even a web-based theme maker that will make it easy for amateurs to personalize their phones without ever downloading any software.
As for the hardware, its a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to notable improvements over last years model. The most disappointing exclusion is that of a Quad HD display. Instead, HTC fans will be stuck with Full HD 1080p, but the company was adamant that any higher resolution on a 5-inch display would be a waste.
On the other hand, the One M9 absolutely flies on its upgraded Snapdragon 810 processor, even with all the new features present in Sense 7. And with its 2,840 mAh battery, youll be able to explore all the phones new features to your hearts content without worrying about it dying on you.
Sticking with the positive additions, mobile photographers will be happy to hear that the Ultrapixel is finally dead at least on the main camera. HTC has replaced its iconic Duo Lens with a standard 20-megapixel camera, and although weve lost the neat depth sensor, weve gained a more competent camera overall.
HTC has also included software to back up the new camera. Once youve taken a refreshingly crisp 20-megapixel photo, youll be able to perfect it straight from the phone with what seems to be a surprisingly useful one-touch editing suite. I only had a few minutes to toy with it, but it fits in well with HTCs theme of simple customization.
There are other minor changes that wont stand out at first, but will make for a better user experience when handling the device. The shape of the M9 will look all but identical to the M8 from a distance, but with its sharper edges, its much easier to grip than its predecessor.
HTC has also relocated the power button to the side of the phone, which doesnt sound like much on paper, but makes all the difference in the world when youre trying to quickly turn off the display and put the phone back in your pocket.
The HTC One M9 will launch in March in the U.S., and it will be available from Verizon Wireless, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint and U.S. Cellular, as well as from popular retailers such as Best Buy and Amazon.
Looking for more coverage from MWC? Be sure to check out our MWC 2015 hub!
Complete HTC One M9 specs can be found here.
By Jacob Siegal on Mar 1, 2015 at 10:45 AM
Email @JacobSiegal
After months of rumors and speculation, the HTC One M9 is finally here.
Then again, you might not have realized it unless you were paying very close attention. HTC says that the design of the M9 is a mashup of the best aspects of the M7 and the M8, and although that may be the case, it has resulted in a phone so familiar that you might mistake it for last years model.
Heres the catch: last years model is still one of the best Android smartphones on the market.
DONT MISS: HTC Grip hands-on: The fit band for casual athletes and pros alike
If youre upgrading from an M8 to an M9, the first thing youll notice is the updated user interface. Sense 7 isnt a complete overhaul of the HTC UI, but its cleaner and integrates well with Android 5.0 Lollipop.
Sense 7 is also packed with new features. One of HTCs primary goals when designing the new software was to make customization as painless as possible. This is clear from the moment you wake the phone up as HTC has included contextual local content on the lock screen that you can interact with.
One of the major new additions to the lock screen is Yelp integration at around noon, youll see mealtime recommendations for nearby restaurants. Dont like what you see? Keeping swiping for more without ever having to unlock your phone and open the app.
Once you do unlock your phone, youll be greeted to the new adaptive home screen, a feature HTC is calling SenseHome. If you decide to leave SenseHome on, your M9 will automatically shuffle the apps on your home screen based on your location. If youre at work, your productivity apps like email clients and document readers will appear. At home, you might see games and weather apps.
SenseHome will only pull from the apps you already have installed, but it will learn which apps you use most frequently, tailoring its suggestions more appropriately the longer you use it. You can pin apps permanently for certain locations, create folders of apps (in case SenseHome isnt big enough for you) and if you dont like SenseHome, you can just remove it altogether.
The cherry on top for fans of customization is the new Theme Store. Not only can you download themes and follow designers whose themes you prefer, but you can make your own as well. Theres even a web-based theme maker that will make it easy for amateurs to personalize their phones without ever downloading any software.
As for the hardware, its a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to notable improvements over last years model. The most disappointing exclusion is that of a Quad HD display. Instead, HTC fans will be stuck with Full HD 1080p, but the company was adamant that any higher resolution on a 5-inch display would be a waste.
On the other hand, the One M9 absolutely flies on its upgraded Snapdragon 810 processor, even with all the new features present in Sense 7. And with its 2,840 mAh battery, youll be able to explore all the phones new features to your hearts content without worrying about it dying on you.
Sticking with the positive additions, mobile photographers will be happy to hear that the Ultrapixel is finally dead at least on the main camera. HTC has replaced its iconic Duo Lens with a standard 20-megapixel camera, and although weve lost the neat depth sensor, weve gained a more competent camera overall.
HTC has also included software to back up the new camera. Once youve taken a refreshingly crisp 20-megapixel photo, youll be able to perfect it straight from the phone with what seems to be a surprisingly useful one-touch editing suite. I only had a few minutes to toy with it, but it fits in well with HTCs theme of simple customization.
There are other minor changes that wont stand out at first, but will make for a better user experience when handling the device. The shape of the M9 will look all but identical to the M8 from a distance, but with its sharper edges, its much easier to grip than its predecessor.
HTC has also relocated the power button to the side of the phone, which doesnt sound like much on paper, but makes all the difference in the world when youre trying to quickly turn off the display and put the phone back in your pocket.
The HTC One M9 will launch in March in the U.S., and it will be available from Verizon Wireless, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint and U.S. Cellular, as well as from popular retailers such as Best Buy and Amazon.
Looking for more coverage from MWC? Be sure to check out our MWC 2015 hub!
Complete HTC One M9 specs can be found here.