HTC One M9 deals and reviews

Should you buy the HTC One M9?

The HTC One M9 is an attractive smartphone that, despite being very similar to last year's M8, can get away with these similarities thanks to added improvements (including its high-speed performance and new Themes app), and the fact that the M9 is thought by some reviewers to be the only Android phone that can match the iPhone in terms of design.

An all-round great performer, the M9 is beautifully designed and feature rich. Despite some disappointment over the quality of photos taken in low-light conditions using the new 20.7-megapixel rear-facing camera, this shouldn't be a deal-breaker if the quality of design, speed of performance, and impressive battery life rates highly for you.

Design

Those who are familiar with the HTC One M8 might think, on first glance, that the M9 is very similar – but it's worth noting that despite looking like last year's model, the M9's body is formed from one full piece of brushed aluminium, creating a two-tone metal finish that sets the standard for the M9's premium design.

The M9 is exceptionally crafted, with the hardware design and construction of the phone unique amongst Android phones. Digital Spy commented: "Design is where HTC has always excelled. Not only do their devices look good but they also feel really good, and the One M9 follows on in this tradition. The unibody is incredibly solid - there are no flexes or creaks in the body whatsoever."

The screen of the M9 is made from Gorilla Glass, one of the toughest glasses on the consumer market. Combining this with a scratch-resistant brushed aluminium surface makes the M9 an attractive but tough phone.

At 9.6mm the M9 may be slightly thicker than the M8, but the difference is barely noticeable. If there's one gripe to be had with the M9's design, it's that the power button, which has been moved from the top of the phone to the side, is now too close to (and sometimes confused with) the volume controls.

Speed

In reviewing the M9 for The Verge, Dan Seifert described it as "easily the fastest Android phone I've ever used."

The M8 was, of course, itself a very fast phone, but the significant improvement in the M9 can be attributed to the new Snapdragon 810 processor and 3GB of onboard RAM that helps to bring the M9 up to a whole new, speedy level. You'll no longer have to put your phone down and go do something else while you wait for Instagram to load!

Camera

If there's one major complaint from reviewers about the M9, it's the quality of its new, 20.7-megapixel rear-facing camera.

Don't get us wrong: the camera, with its f/2.0 lens, can take good photos, but the main issue many reviewers had with last year's M8 was the poor quality of the camera, and despite a huge overhaul in the software being used (the M8 has HTC's Duo Camera UltraPixel setup), the photo quality of the M9 is no better.

The Verge commented "It feels more like a camera from a smartphone in 2011 than a 2015 flagship." But despite the grumbling of hardcore smartphone reviewers, the camera is more than good enough in good light conditions, the camera software is great to use, and the front-facing 'selfie' camera remains a high-quality, 4-megapixel UltraPixel setup.

Battery

Despite being slightly larger than the M8's battery (the battery is the main contributor to the M9's slightly thicker phone body), you're likely to get about the same amount of general use out of the M9 - approximately a day and a half – though to be safe you'll want to continue charging your phone every night.

Should you find your phone in need of a quick top up, the M9 comes with Quick Charge, which, according to Alphr "mitigate[s] the battery-life issue somewhat, delivering a good wallop of charge in ten minutes or so, and a full charge in less than two hours."

If you don't have your phone charger handy the M9 also comes with a Power Saver mode which keeps tabs on the brightness of the screen, your data connection, and your CPU functionality to slow the drain of your battery. If you find yourself in an even tighter bind, the Extreme Power Saver mode dramatically pars down the features available on your phone in order to get several more hours out of the battery.

Android OS and apps

The M9 is built around Android 5.0 Lollipop with HTC's own Sense 7.0 UI overlaid - potentially the best Android overlay available - which adds several HTC-specific features to the M9, including a vertical-scrolling apps menu, and BlinkFeed, which collects together your favourite news sites into one convenient location.

An interesting, but potentially annoying, feature of HTC's Sense 7.0 UI is its home screen app predictor, which tracks your location; whether you're sitting at home, work, or you're out and about on the weekend, and uses this information to predict which apps you're most likely to use at this location. Though the home screen app predictor has potential, The Verge commented, "It takes too long to learn my habits and it populates the widget with a folder of suggested apps, many of which were comically off base or already installed on the phone."

Themes

The most exciting feature of the HTC One M9 comes in the form of the new Themes app which allows you to customise everything from the wallpaper to fonts, icons, sounds, buttons, and everything in-between.

Engadget commented: "Fonts, icon sets, wallpapers, colour schemes, sounds; all of them can be mixed and matched in HTC's Themes app, and to my utter surprise, making a Myspace-circa-2006-style train wreck harder than you'd think."

The M9 allows you to do this in two ways; you can download pre-made packs through the Themes app (the majority of which are very slick), or you can choose a photo on your phone to act as your wallpaper, with the Themes app working off this photo to come up with a colour scheme for your phone that best compliments the photo.

What the critics say (scores are out of 100)

100	S21 The UltraPixel camera of the M8 has been replaced by a much better 20 megapixel main camera, and the processor has been upgraded to an octa-core Snapdragon 810. The M9 isn't a great leap forward, but is one step closer to perfection. Read full review
100	What Mobile | Alex Yau It's clear that the HTC One M9 is an outstanding smartphone. As the first major release of 2015, HTC has a natural advantage in getting its product onto the market unchallenged. Right now, the phone is unassailable. Still, we can't shake the feeling that in six months' time HTC might regret its "evolution, not revolution" approach. HTC doesn't enjoy Apple's luxury: people won't update their One handset on a yearly, or even two-yearly, basis simply because a new version has been released. Read full review
100	Stuff | Andrew Williams The HTC One M9 keeps all the bits we loved most about the HTC One M8. Its metal body, top front-facing speakers and snappy performance all mark the One M9 out as one of the year's top phones. Read full review
100	Digital Spy | Spencer Hart The company has implemented an 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' approach with the M9, refining aspects of the previous devices in order to produce one of the best Android phones available. Yes, HTC has done it again. Read full review
100	Mobile Choice | Sunetra Chakravarti With the HTC One M9 massive transformations internally are, sadly, thin on the ground. But then the One series already delivers on what key needs of the paying public is: size, performance, battery, camera and looks. We found its predecessors faultless and we find the latest addition faultless too. Read full review
90	The Independent | David Phelan Speedy, beautiful, elegant and effective - the M9 is ready to take on Sams. Still the best-looking Android smartphone money can buy. Still, this is a handsome - the best-looking Android smartphone money can buy- , effective premium phone, just as HTC usually delivers, and performs like a dream. Read full review
88	NotebookCheck | Daniel Schmidt The HTC One M9, unfortunately, lacks any real innovations, but the Taiwanese manufacturer can improve some aspects, so the M9 is a very good smartphone. Maybe there will be a software update that improves the quality of the camera, but the performance right now is a bit weak for a premium product. Another problem is the mediocre battery runtimes. Read full review
87	pocketnow | Michael Fisher For the regular Joes and Janes shopping for an Android phone, the One M9 still stands out amid a sea of plastic-clad rivals. Its metallic fuselage catches the eye, and going hands-on is like a firm handshake: reassuring and not soon forgotten. The M9 is for these folks – people who haven't owned an HTC phone before. Read full review
85	The Street | Gary Krakow A lightweight, dual-tone metal unibody shell protects the components and gives the device a luxurious feel. This new version, 7.0, brings a bit more restraint and refinement and much less intrusion into your daily smartphone routine. The refinements HTC has included with this year's model have improved what was had been a wonderful device. Read full review
84	Coolsmartphone | Dan HTC perfected the design and build a couple of years ago. This adds yet more tech and polish to what is already a winning formula. Read full review
84	Engadget | Chris Velazco Alas, the M9 is let down by a camera that isn't as good as it should be, strangely tuned BoomSound speakers and the occasional questionable design decision. And yet, despite those quirks, the M9 is still a very, very good phone. Read full review
83	phoneArena | John V. Looks alone, the cost is more deserving than other phones, but we can't help but to think about the looming competition on the horizon. It is yet to be seen if the improvement will prove to be big enough in order to guarantee the phone's leading spot for the remainder of the year. Read full review
83	The Verge | Dan Seifert For the third year in a row, HTC has produced one of the most visually alluring smartphones that feels as incredible as it looks. And for the third year in a row, it has show-stopping flaws, which bring the great experience you're having to a screeching halt. Read full review
80	Techdissected | Andrew Orr Overall, this an average phone, and a small incremental update from the HTC One M8. There are no mind-blowing features here, but the M9 is a capable phone that works well in most situations. Read full review
80	AndroidPit | Robert Zak The HTC One M9 is a solid high-end phone, but it does seem like HTC rested on its laurels a bit with the design and display. The One M9 is one of the fastest handsets available, and arguably the most luxurious-looking. Read full review
80	Toronto Sun | Adam Anick Jesdanun It's difficult to justify paying for a high-priced, top-end smartphone these days - unless, that is, you want to take good pictures. The camera, though, is where these phones really stand out from the pack. Read full review
80	TheEffect.Net | Tony If you're on an M7 and due for an upgrade the M9 is a really nice update and you will notice a big improvement in most areas. If you're currently rocking an M8, then it's a tougher one to call. Yes there is some upgrades, but enough to upgrade, it really will be up to you! Read full review
80	TechSpot | Tim Schiesser At the end of the day, the HTC One M9 is a great smartphone. Read full review
80	Expert Reviews | Christopher Minasians The HTC One M9 is fast and the Sense 7 UI is a big improvement, but it doesn't do enough to make it really stand out Read full review
80	TechRadar | Gareth Beavis A great phone if you're upgrading from two years ago, but doesn't deliver enough changes to be worthy of a perfect score. Read full review
80	Recombu | Alex Todd HTC has created a good phone with the M9, it offers a balanced overall experience and plays to its strengths, but good might not quite be enough for those laying down the notable amounts of cash such handsets demand. We like the HTC One M9 a lot, we just haven't fallen in love with it this time around. Read full review
80	Brighthand | Dragan Petric The HTC One M9 features more significant changes on the inside than its slight external tweaks suggest. It would be a shame if the stagnant design causes potential buyers to look elsewhere, because the HTC One M9's display, software, and chipset make it one of the best Android smartphones currently available. Read full review
80	Trusted Reviews | Evan Kypreos HTC has undoubtedly produced yet another great handset for its One range. The HTC One M9 is let down slightly by an inconsistent camera and some software grumbles, but this is still a solid all-round flagship. Read full review
80	What Hi-Fi? Its premium design and top-notch build quality makes it a seriously desirable handset, not to mention its slick performance, flexible interface and superb Boomsound speakers. However, we can't help but be disappointed with its camera and that less-than-ideal battery life, and while audio and video performances are good, they don't quite top the best of its competitors. Read full review
80	Pocket-lint | Chris Hall Overall the M9's focus on manufacturing precision feels like something of a distraction: were smartphone fans demanding increasing precision in manufacture, or were they calling for better battery life and an improved camera experience? As pretty as it is, the HTC One M9 doesn't feel like it's taken a big enough step forward. Read full review
80	Gizmodo UK | Darren Orf The One M9 is a pretty great update from the One M7. If you liked HTC's original flagship, and you don't mind a slightly bigger smartphone, then the One M9 is good! I think you'll be happy with it. And if you're a multimedia fiend-watching Netflix, streaming music, or whatever-the BoomSound speakers make everything better. But if you're looking for the best smartphone bar none, the One isn't at the head of the pack. This probably isn't the One for you. HTC played it safe this year instead of pushing things further. Read full review
80	T3 | Gareth Beavis The HTC One M9 is a phone that takes the design heritage, DNA and all the other good bits of last year's phone and, well, does them again. It's again shown the rest of the competition how to make a premium smartphone, and if it can iron out some of the wrinkles around battery and speed, it's another great phone – but the competition is catching up quickly. HTC has merely polished last year's model without adding much new – a very good phone, but not brilliant. Read full review
80	SlashGear | Chris Davies HTC took what was undoubtedly a handsome, capable phone in last year's M8, and thoughtfully polished away the rough edges. The One M9 smacks of HTC playing to the HTC faithful: a device that's designed to answer the lingering complaints of current users, and play up to their design tastes. Read full review
80	CNET UK | Andrew Hoyle ...for the two smartphone features you probably really care about -- battery life and camera quality -- the M9 doesn't rise above its two main competitors right now. Unless you're really in love with the physical design of the One M9, the Galaxy S6 and iPhone 6 look to be better bets. Read full review
80	V3 | Alastair Stevenson An elegant metal design, top-end octa-core processor and upgraded rear camera, plus the business benefits of Android 5.0 Lollipop, make the One M9 a solid choice for any business buyer. Read full review
80	Mobile Syrup | Daniel Bader The [HTC One] M9 builds on the excellent qualities of the [HTC One] M7 and M8, design and performance chief among them, and expands them into what is one of the most solid smartphone experiences available today. Read full review
80	Wired UK | Dave Oliver With its improved processor and cameras, beefed up battery and the ability to add more memory, the HTC One M9 is a worthy successor to the M8, correcting most of that phone's main faults and while retaining all its virtues. Read full review
80	PC Advisor | Chris Martin The HTC One M9 is a genuinely desirable smartphone with the best design and build available in Android land, even with Samsung upping the ante. Read full review
80	PC Pro | Jonathan Bray In order to command such a high price ... HTC needed to do much more with its flagship than this. Read full review
78	YourTechExplained | Ben Schoon There's really not a single thing that grabs your attention. It has a great build and great speakers, but it had the same thing last year. Read full review
75	Register Hardware | Andrew Orlowski The One M9 is a striking and attractive design, and I'm glad it hasn't changed it substantially.... Hopefully HTC can improve the image processing, pronto, and maybe even lose its tacky widget, so it can stay in the game for another swing at the market. Read full review
75	news.com.au | Harry Tucker If you want to have a half-decent camera on you, whether it be for social media or to keep memories, the camera on the One is just too disappointing to make up for everything else great about the device. But if the camera isn't important to you at all, the rest of the One M9 is brilliant. Read full review
75	Neowin | Nirave Gondhia The HTC One M9 is a curious smartphone; on the one hand, HTC have stuck to the design they know that's been very well received and updated it with the latest specs but on the other hand, HTC have kept to the same design without really innovating further. Read full review
70	Eurogamer | Damien McFerran As such, the HTC One M9 represents something of a crossroads for its manufacturer. It's not a bad effort by any stretch of the imagination, but it risks being lost amid a sea of more capable and alluring competitors this year. Read full review
70	Digital Trends | Malarie Gokey The HTC One M9 is a great Android phone, but there are options that are slightly better... HTC's One M9 shines in terms of software, and the hardware is nice... The HTC One M9 doesn't have the high ground in terms of design. Read full review
70	TechnoBuffalo | Brandon Russell The HTC One M9 is a great phone, but it's so much of the same. The M9 is beautiful both inside and out, there's no denying that. But, like Phil Collins in Groundhog Day, it hasn't yet made a big enough improvement to get out of its self-inflicted time loop. Read full review
70	The Inquirer | Carly Page There's no denying that the HTC One M9 is an excellent handset, much like its predecessor... However, the One M9 left us wanting more. Read full review
60	Know Your Mobile | Richard Goodwin Part of me loves it; the way it looks and feels in the hand and the ease and elegance it runs Android Lollipop. But (...) the improvements that are present (the camera, for instance) are so negligible in the grand scheme of things it's very difficult to stomach the price tag Read full review
60	IT PRO | Adam Shepherd, Andrew Williams The HTC One M9 looks and feels great, but issues with battery life and the sheer strength of competitors means it's only fair value Read full review
60	Mashable | Raymond Wong HTC's One M9 is yet another beautifully-machined metal phone, but its camera lags so far behind its biggest competitors Read full review
60	Digital Versus | Romain Thuret The HTC One M9 isn't a bad smartphone. It's elegant, well-built and doesn't have any major problems. Until some (significant) updates fix these flaws, we're unlikely to buy into an 'ultra-high-end' handset that proves as precarious as this. Read full review
60	AnandTech | Joshua Ho ...the One M9 is effectively a sidegrade of the One M8 at best. Read full review
50	Phone Scoop | Eric M. Zeman HTC has crafted a fine phone in the One M9, but it's not without significant shortcomings. The classy industrial design and leading-edge specs are impressive, no doubt. A single flaw, however, might sink the entire ship. Read full review
50	Tom's Guide | Mike Prospero Despite innovative software and booming speakers, there's little to recommend the HTC One M9. Read full review

Compare HTC One M9 specs side-by-side with other phones COMPARE SPECS

Dimensions & Form	Form factor: Touchscreen bar Dimensions 144.6 x 69.7 x 9.61 mm (5.69 x 2.74 x 0.38 in) Weight: 157 g (5.54 oz)
Screen	Size: 5 inches diagonal Resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels Screen Density: 441 ppi Screen-to-Body Ratio: 68.4 % Display Type: Super LCD3
Runs
Performance	Chipset: Qualcomm MSM8994 Snapdragon 810 CPU: Quad-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 & Quad-core 2.0 GHz Cortex-A57 GPU: Adreno 430 RAM: 3GB
Camera	Main Camera: 20 megapixels with dual LED flash, 4K video recording Secondary Camera: 4 ultrapixels dual camera system for selective focus with dual LED flash (true tone), 1080p video recording
Storage	Built-in Storage: 32GB Expandable Storage: Micro SD
Battery & Charging	Capacity: 2840 mAh Removable Battery: No Wireless Charging: No Quick Charge: Yes (v2)
SIM standard	Nano SIM Compare SIM Only deals
Water & Dust Resistance	Not Available
Fingerprint Reader	None
References & More info	Official website GSMArena specs page

Photos taken with the HTC One M9

We've used Flickr to find a selection of pictures taken by the HTC One M9 camera. Here is a selection of photos taken by users from around the world so you can see what kind of picture quality you can expect from real-world use of the HTC One M9.

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All images shown are used under the rights and terms specified by the Creative Commons.