*HTC One M9 Review!* goo.gl/bFgn3l Does the latest HTC flagship do enough to differentiate itself from the competition? We find out, in this comprehensive HTC One M9 review!
I guess but if you can't see the difference between 720p, 1080p,2k and 4k? Something is wrong. There is a big difference in all. And if you are going to be using for phone for more than call and text you are going to want the display to be great and not just washed out. There are accessories out here to help with battery life including other apps and settings in your phones.
jacob9hawkes I have a G3 and am somewhat tech savvy and always look for things like pixelation just because. It NEVER affects my choice in phones, this phone was just free with a 2 year plan from Verizon and I snagged it on a whim. In terms of stretching, I've noticed no lack of quality. Everything is as sharp and clean as can be. I do believe 1080p is "enough" for smart phones, but having this G3 set to 2k with 560 DPI nearly puts it on tablet-level screen space, which is what I prefer. Running a stock based lollipop rom and custom kernel nets me good enough battery life, but stock out of the box battery life is extremely poor with heavy usage. I don't think the resolution affects it as much as the type of display it has though.
***** better use a 1080p and a 2k phone 1st before saying anything about it.I for one used a 2k phone, nothing really good about the screened. it's almost same with the 1080p screen. but the 1080p screen doesn't hug much of the battery life compared to the 2k variant.
i bought the phone , made the switch from iphone and im glad i did , screen is much better 1080 is enough we dont need more , battery v good , very fast phone with no lag , you can handle the phone perfect for gaming plus boom sound its a killer . Best phone on the market period. Camera is good , not amazing .
You guys make awesome reviews, specially you Joshua. But I was really dissapointed to see that the m9 got editor's choice, and the s6 didn't, considering the s6 has a better screen, better camera, finger print sensor, multitasking features, and much more elements that simply overshadow the m9.
Okay.. i am not a very big fan of 2k resolutions but lets do a comparison here.. The s6 has a 2k screen with 2500 mah battery against a 1080p screen with 2900 mah of the m9 and still delivers the same on screen time or even better, a slightly lower resolution 16 mp camera than the m9(i know mp's aren't everything), has a thinner and lighter body. Believe it or not Touchwiz is faster and smoother than sense this time, although not by a huge number but still it is. M9 is a great device but s6 wins in every aspect!
This phone is DOA 1. Premature processor 2. Camera is still meh 3. Battery life is about the same as the M8 4. Can't use "premium" feel over Samsung this yr 5. The M8 is still a beastly phone, and will be cheaper w/ the M9 out.
Am definitely trading my m8 for the m9 especially after trying it out in the store today i just have to upgrade. It felt much more premium and gripper then the m8 and it just looks outstanding, love the dual tone finish! The m9 just feels amazing to handle. Camera was never a big deal for me i only take pictures to post them on places like WhatsApp, Kik or maybe Instagram otherwise i would only take Selfies which the m9 does well! However am sure the camera will improve over time. Other then that the M9 does well in every other aspect of a phone.
Kp2066 i don't get why people dont find it a worthy upgrade. If it had an apple on its back everyone will find it a worthy upgrade. I mean its better then the M8 in every way. I also belive the camera will be fixed even tho camera isnt a biggie for me. Other then that everything is perfect and improved on the M9.
I agree with you. Camera has never been a priority for me. The reviewer talked about a slightly thicker M9 phone, but, I'd rather have longer battery life in my phone, which I believe accounts for the thickness of the M9. I will also be upgrading to the M9 next month.
Abdullah Al-Marhuby The processor is really no better than the M8, screen is the same, design looks the same(but feels different), battery is the same and the camera is worse in some areas compared to the M8. I can see why people are underwhelmed with the M9. Some people like you don't mind, but if I'm to shell out money for a phone, it has to at least perform better than its predecessor. I don't care about looks, because this phone looks great. In my opinion, the cheaper M8 is going to cannibalize most of the M9s sales. There's no killer feature the M9 offers over the M8. Even Apple offers one thing that's drastically different for people to upgrade. The iPhone 5 and 5s were damn near identical, but touch ID and the A8 being twice as fast as the A7 was enough. HTC just doesn't have that. Nevertheless, the M9 is a beastly phone. But if I(average consumer) can buy the M8 on craigslist or eBay for half the price of the M9 with no distinguishing factors between the 2, why would I?
Good display, good battery life, best speakers, super fast and snappy ui, best design out there, OK camera (those photos looked OK for my use) = The phone that I've been waiting for... Thank you HTC😍😘 Just missing that finger print scanner, ois and laser auto focus... These 3 features would make this phone the best ever!!!
Best design? I realize that it comes down to personal preference, but those bezels and in particular that black HTC bar look horrible to me. Also I'd prefer the power and volume buttons to be laid out out like a Samsung Galaxy, but other than that the back and sides look fine to me.
Best speakers? Good display? Best design? No. I don't care about speakers on my phone because I know I'll never use them. It's always my Bluetooth speaker or earphones. Everyone I know with the M7 & M8 say they're a waste of space because they use earphones anyways... Good display? It's sucks ass. 1080p for a 2k flagship standard is pathetic. Everyone is making the move to 2K... The Note 4 and S6 don't have a good display, they have the *BEST* displays. Best design? My Note 4 actually has the best design. The huge screen, aluminum border and removable battery + SD slot is amazing. And fuck off with those stupid build quality arguments, EVERYONE puts a case on their phones, so who gives a shit about the aluminum unibody? It's a midtier phone. The S6 will be the same price and it will fucking wreck. The M8 will be like $200 cheaper, so just buy that
Catslasha Catz I think design wise HTC One looks a lot better than the new Galaxy. The glass does not look as premium as the aluminium body. I believe that is why Apple copied the design. I am surprised the black bar bothered so many people, I never really paid much attention to it.
Itaku I agree.. I waited so long for this handset and now I'm extremely disappointed with its camera! Even though never been a fan of Samsung but I surprisingly prefer Samsung S6 now!
Cory Weston What does "one of the best" mean to you? Top 3? 5? 10? It's not a bad camera but if you look at comparisons with the iPhone 6, S6, Note 4, it falls short. Show me one camera shootout that has the HTC on top in comparison to other flagships. You'll see why OIS isn't a rubbish gimmick when all the phones with it beat the M9 in low light shots and video recording.
So in other words Josh -Same great build from yesteryear -Same great UI 1080p screen from yesteryear -Same Wack camera quality shooter from, that's right yesteryear... Ok got it! *Galaxy S6* it is.
That massive black boarder puts me off straight away. And the touch home button takes up space with the top info bar. What I like about the note 4 is that it has a home button and the touch buttons next to that. Saves screen space and I love that.
The thing with the power button is that you're not supposed to use your thumb to press it, but more the ball joint between your thumb and palm (Which is always over the power button if you hold it normally). Things get less awkward when you discover that. Granted the fact people don't instinctively do this means it's a bit of an issue.
I just came from the HTC event in Atlanta, and I'm very impressed. Camera software appeared to be updated, but I did not get a good test of it. I've tested the GS6 and loved the screen and camera, but the M9 feels ridiculously powerful. Sense is lightning quick and fully customizable, and the device just feels great in hand. Can't wait till I get mine!
+Henry “Adda” Chaisritha same here. what you said is true, and that they actually got a decent design people thought it was god like. I think the m9 is better.
HTC did a good job with this phone as usual. I like how they went their own direction. You now see phones getting thinner and larger screen resolution, HTC did what was best for the experience, and not for comparison purposes. They even ditched the UP camera on back, which shows they are humble enough to realize when something needs to be moved. Two thumbs up from me.
There is no fucking point for mobiles to have resolutions over 720P. BLABLABLA I can see pixels if i stick my fucking face to it. But in reality you don't do that.1080p 1440p resolutions are killing battery life insanely fast and it kills performance of the phone overall. I'll take extended battery life and games performing 5 times better than some more pixels any day.
***** No it doesn't look terrible. Geez everyone's fucking monitor is 1080p and they're 20 times the size of a mobile screen. Does it look terrible? Of course fucking no.
Htc's one flagship smartphones look and feel entirely the same way with slight modifications. Is it really worth upgrading for the same design and just for better hardware.
I believe they did. This phone is on stores in Taiwan only. It will be available outside Taiwan in a couple of weeks. Thus, software must be final. It does not mean the can't fix it though. The can push OTAs to patch things uo.
I think this has to be the best review of the HTC M9 on TH-cam. I generally follow Fischer from Pocketnow but most of the reviewers highlight what is wrong with the phone. I find no reason to change the looks of the phone, especially if its as sexy-looking as HTC. Put an m9 and s6 (or edge) side by side and ask anyone to pick..You'll know the answer! Great review mate. Loved it!
M9 software update significantly improves camera performance.... even in the dark... so i dont know what everyone is whining about.. this phone takes some wicked shots
Shellymon™ Johannes B.R Not just that, but because of the lag issues it's having. Seriously, the LG G Flex 2 got destroyed because of the Snapdragon 810, even with a 1080p display and 3GB of RAM.. 805 was much better, imagine that with 3GB of RAM and the 1080p HTC display with a smaller 5 inch screen implemented with Sense 7. That would be fabulous.
AnimeFan i don't think the case is the same here, LG couldn't be more different from HTC in terms of the software running on that SOC. this phone flies and overheating has been fixed, so i think it may have just been that particular phone so far
AnimeFan that's because LG hasn't optimised it's Android skin for Lollipop and the newer processing package. It's a very heavy Android skin, much like the TouchWiz of old, which will result in lag. Sense is much more bare-bones making it lag free.
I'm thinking of buying m9 but I've heard alot of negative feedback about its overheating problems so that kinda keeps me away from it. Is m8 still good choose and would it be able to keep up these days?
People love to complain about the design not changing much, but that's one of the best parts about this phone. The only place they can really go with the design is making the camera flush with the rest of the casing.
Camera looks ugly and just because it's a bigger pixel doesn't make it a better camera. iPhone only uses a 8mp sensor yet they have one of the best if not best cameras in the market. Htc could have made a 8mp ultra pixel camera and it would have been better.
I love the design! I've had the M7 for 1.5 years now. The only problem I have with it, is that it's too beautiful to hide in a case, but since I've dropped my M7 once and had the front cracked, I see the necessity of it. So this year, when choosing between the M9 and the Samsung Galaxy S6, I took 'looks' out of the equation, because I know I'm going to put it in a case anyway...
If you have turned the phone OFF to save battery (as none replaceable) perhaps for later use and you want to double check later whether you really did turn off or not as you are confused. With a home button you can verify easily as screen will lit up if it's on and won’t if it’s off. However, with no home-button, you end up turning it back on again or vice versa which is extremely annoying.
after owning 3 Samsung phones I know that at one point my apps are gonna crash and my phone will turn off and turn back on again! never again Samsung getting an m9.
The two biggest deal breakers on this handset were the camera and more importantly, the QC SnD 810, which was found to run hot, and therefore, throttle... That's why Samsung used their own SoC in the S6, and Motorola instead opted for the lesser SnD 808 in the X Pure...
Great review, I didn't know about the RAW mode was in the works and I've already pre-ordered my M9. I'm confident this will make a fine upgrade to the M7 (which I would happily keep if it wasn't for the broken camera sensor)
Bought it on the midnight preorder. I got it today and it's supposed to be a gift for my sis. I checked out the interface and it's pretty much similar to what HTC has on the M8 and the E8. The camera is in need of an immediate overall. I thought it wouldn't be as bad as the reviews say, but HTC needs to look into it pronto. The 13 MP shooter on the E8 (which I own) is much better. The Ultra pixel on the front isn't too bad. If my sis don't jive with it, I'll return the M9 and get her an iPhone 6 or an E8.
I currently have the HTC One, I also had the HTC Evo before that.......So, I've been an HTC customer for the past 4-5 years or so..... I was really excited and ready to go online and pre-order the HTC M9. I really was....... I would have pre-ordered it a few days ago when pre-order was made possible, but I had to wait until April, 1st for the 2 year contract discount. I'm glad now.......(you can see where this is heading) After reading multiple reviews from different sources, several different type of comparisons made available online to date (e.g. Camera, Battery, screen resolution, etc.........) and also comparing the phones in person. I can honestly say I have put in quite a bit of time doing my research at Sprint stores, work, driving and at home. I always love the design of the HTC phones.... but in my personal opinion the Edge looks absolutely amazing and even better than the M9, I went to the store in to take a look at it in person and it's absolutely beautiful and will stand out from other phones. The only thing I see going for the HTC over the EDGE really is the speakers, but I have Bluetooth speakers and barely play music on the phone speakers.....And because of that.... sadly.........(for real)....sadly........... In almost every aspect, even though by a small margin, the Galaxy 6 Edge simply beats HTC M9. Consequently, I will be buying the Edge over M9. Sorry HTC! :(
Ok so when the phone's screen is on it's brightest, with Google maps running constantly, let say for 4 hours straight on a hot day, you might experience a heat problem right?
Hey Josh, do you think that the camera will be better after the update? Please reply because i can afford only one phone every 2-3 to 4 years. Thank you! :)
I was thinking. The HTC One has no image stabilization. The Alcatel One Touch idol 3 has "only" electronic Image Stabilization. And it does the job. Sooo, couldn't HTC pump out a bug fix thing where they add that and some other tweaks that makes their 20MP camera less noisy and pixely in darker areas?
You're review was very nice. You speak very well Joshua and you're arguments both positive and negative are credible. Though the HTC One M9 is not enough for me to leave my M8, I do find the M9 exceptionally beautiful. I will be waiting for the One M9+.
I went with the M9. I had the M7 a few years ago and I loved that phone to bits, but my cousin caused it to get water damaged and I switched to the iPhone 6s. I'll honestly say that the iPhone is garbage, Itunes is terrible, and IOS is super annoying. I felt like a prisoner with the iPhone because EVERYTHING has to be Apple/IOS. I was going to get the LG G4, but those things bootloop nonstop and to this day people are still bitching about their phones glitching or never turning back on. I read countless reviews and skipped on it along with my past horror experiences with LG phones. I was thinking about getting the Galaxy Note 5, but I had a refurbished Galaxy S5 in great condition, but it wouldn't charge half of the time. It was a pretty damn good phone, but the fact that it wouldn't charge, while getting a hot battery is not a good thing at all. That ran me away from Samsung. Sure, the M9's selfie camera isn't going to blow you away, but it's a really good phone.
I just bought an M8 Developer Edition instead of the M9 because I couldn't find a reason to justify the $150 difference. I've tried the M8 and LOVED IT, especially coming from a GS2
Shoutout to android authority for another great review. I got the Galaxy S4 when it was first released two years ago and regretted not getting the HTC One M7 after only a few months. My Galaxy S4 drains in only a few hours and constantly freezes up. Not to mention, it's complete bull crap that Samsung allows AT&T to lock the bootloaders on their phones. Samsung, you are a large company that is supposed to support the openness of Android. Grow a pair and tell AT&T that it can't lock down the phone. I for one will be getting the HTC One M9 straight from HTC. Samsung, you did great with the GS6 but no expandable storage and a locked bootloader are deal breakers.
I got HTC M8 instead. Tried the M9 and the Galaxy s6 and have to say the M8 was the winner. I liked the camera on the s6 but the camera on the m9 not as impressive. The m8 camera was great and the speakers blew my mind they were the best out of all three. I was so surprised by this. I have had this phone for a week now and have to say every day use this is the best phone that I have ever used. The phone is fast and battery life very good. For an everyday driver this is a great phone. Love listening to music and videos on this phone with the speakers amazing.
How much stock can we put into HTC improving the camera via future updates? Will it get much better? Can you actually polish a turd? Lol. Pre-ordered my M9 yest. Can't help it, love HTC.
Aaaah I love that you guys upload in 1080p 60frames rather than 4k 23,9fps... It´s just sooo much smoother and better to look at! 4K is clear AF but most people don´t have 4K monitors and the extra bitrate that comes with 4K still dosen´t make it better than 1080p 60fps! Oh my gad so smooth! Keep uploading in 60fps guys! Hot damn! :D
the only thing that truly differentiates this phone from it's older brothers is the hardware, software and slight buff in camera...otherwise than that it's not the best upgrade but it is a welcomed one, hopefully i can get my hands on the m9 by May and see for myself if it's really like the m8...but for now Xiaomi mi 4 for me :)
Love HTC , I'm still using my HTC one m7 which is still pretty looking, fast, and eye catching but I feel like the galaxy s6 edge is the better looking phone this year... Any more HTC one m7 users struggling to decide which phone to upgrade to this year?
My HTC One M7 will forever be my favorite phone I've ever had. I have the Galaxy S5 right now, and I think when it's time for an upgrade, I'm going back to HTC. But I like the M7 design much better than the M8 and M9.
Coming out of MWC, I thought they were in really good shape vs. The S6. Higher megapixel camera on back with Ultrapixel up front. Higher capacity battery. SDcard support. Lower screen resolution, but perfectly fine for the screen size. This review, along with your chums at PocketNow and Phone Arena, are quite a reality hammer. Nothing about this that seemed like a strength really panned out that way. Having closed the gap on industrial design, the only area where the S6 does not win are on OEM interface and SDcard slots. Throw on Nova Launcher or Google launcher and one of those issues vanishes. Next year, HTC needs to get camera performance on par with the specs, improve the battery life, and reduce the damn bezels.
the biggest upgrade is for the m9 is the new sense 7 and power button moves to the side. i still love the sleek design of the m8, dont really like the two tone color in m9. so for me the m8 is still the best phone. for those who wants a better camera and processor then maybe m9 is the one for you, but i think m8 and m9 is not very far away in processing power and image quality.
Listen...Apple might be the clear choice, but there are a FUCKTON of Android products that are close to perfect without costing as much as the iPhone 6. Just look at the One Plus One review and see how AMAZING and CHEAP a flagship killer can be
This is completely out of context but may I ask what's the jet plane shooting game shown on the performance part of the review? Reminds me of my childhood. Thanks!
I recently discovered an appetite for HTC's sleek durable design and pro functionality. While the M9 looks appetizing I prefer the size of the M Max series scene in the M8 max. Does anyone know if an M9 Max release is a definite for 2015?
is it possible that you could explain to me I have this phone and its nice I cannot send a video message without a second party app can you answer that
I kinda wish the volume switch goes to the left side of the phone and the Sim tray on the bottom sides. Looks a little weird having every buttons all in one side in my opinion.
This phone is truly gorgeous! I don't own an M8 so I really can't relate those M8 owners in their dismay towards the M9's somewhat iterative design. Still I wish the camera was significantly better than the M8 and the screen should get an increase, say about 5.2 inches. Aside from that, I have no complaints in regards to the whole device.
I'm pretty disappointed in the camera and battery-life. I didn't mind the very similar design of the M7 and M8 because I loved those designs; however the lacking of my premiere features I don't think I can let that slide.
You can get themes by updating the software version which is already available. I don't see a single reason to switch from my M8, which is my favorite phone to date. I'll wait for the next one. Good review.
i am still using my M7 original HTC one and it works fine! I guess I must be getting older but i just dont care about newer models. i like my phone and have no issues with it. One day it will break, then I will upgrade! :)
The M9 might actually be the first HTC phone I actually like. I might have to start saving up so I can buy one out right, instead of on contract. Never again will I start a contract.
In saying I'm disappointed in the three year old design and lackluster camera, I still WANT the M9 but simply can't justify the upgrade from an M8. Love the straight edges and (IMO) perfect lock button placement, but I'll see what the G4 brings.
does higher resolution mean better colour reproduction? 442 ppi or 580 is the 95% same as S5 has little less sharpness than S6 but eyes hurt after trying to notice 1080 and 1440 so on 5' 1080 is enough.
Many people are making a big deal about the camera. The camera in the M9 is actually really good but it's kind of hit or miss. It may not be the best camera but the majority of us are not professional photographers so it will definitely satisfy most consumers.
GREAT REVIEW !!! I just ordered mine but I'm so confused currently i have the Samsung galaxy note 4 and idk if i should keep it and stick with the m9 as a daily driver or sell the M9 for extra cash ... AHHH SO CONFUSED lol
![[ ออกกอง ] วัยหนุ่ม 2544 โลกหลังลูกกรง..ทัวร์กองถ่ายหนังใน "คุกของจริง" | JUSTดูIT.](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/vB--aOkZCpw/mqdefault.jpg)
![ละลาย (LALALYE) - DAOU PITTAYA ต้าห์อู๋ พิทยา [OFFICIAL MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/wo6r9TgausI/mqdefault.jpg)
*HTC One M9 Review!* goo.gl/bFgn3l
Does the latest HTC flagship do enough to differentiate itself from the competition? We find out, in this comprehensive HTC One M9 review!
Definitely does not deserve an Editor's Choice award, this is not a 2015 flagship by today's standards this is a middle tier phone
Can you guys put time stamps in the description so we can go to specific parts?
selwyn gonzales curious to what you compare it to?
selwyn gonzales oh I saw your other comment.. Lost my interest in you answering.. Bad trol is bad..
Stefanos M the Samsung Galaxy S6 destroys this phone and even last years LG G3 is better this phone
I'm really glad that HTC sticked to a 1080P screen.
Why is that tho? The G4 will have 3k display when it releases
***** but whats the point?...Does it matter? Your phone would have more pixels to push causing shit battery life. Just sayin'
I guess but if you can't see the difference between 720p, 1080p,2k and 4k? Something is wrong. There is a big difference in all. And if you are going to be using for phone for more than call and text you are going to want the display to be great and not just washed out. There are accessories out here to help with battery life including other apps and settings in your phones.
jacob9hawkes I have a G3 and am somewhat tech savvy and always look for things like pixelation just because. It NEVER affects my choice in phones, this phone was just free with a 2 year plan from Verizon and I snagged it on a whim. In terms of stretching, I've noticed no lack of quality. Everything is as sharp and clean as can be. I do believe 1080p is "enough" for smart phones, but having this G3 set to 2k with 560 DPI nearly puts it on tablet-level screen space, which is what I prefer. Running a stock based lollipop rom and custom kernel nets me good enough battery life, but stock out of the box battery life is extremely poor with heavy usage. I don't think the resolution affects it as much as the type of display it has though.
***** better use a 1080p and a 2k phone 1st before saying anything about it.I for one used a 2k phone, nothing really good about the screened. it's almost same with the 1080p screen. but the 1080p screen doesn't hug much of the battery life compared to the 2k variant.
i bought the phone , made the switch from iphone and im glad i did , screen is much better 1080 is enough we dont need more , battery v good , very fast phone with no lag , you can handle the phone perfect for gaming plus boom sound its a killer . Best phone on the market period. Camera is good , not amazing .
Here we go folks. The HTC One M9 review by ***** I'm so stoked to get this phone next month =)
I'm right there with ya.
Cool
You guys make awesome reviews, specially you Joshua. But I was really dissapointed to see that the m9 got editor's choice, and the s6 didn't, considering the s6 has a better screen, better camera, finger print sensor, multitasking features, and much more elements that simply overshadow the m9.
Carlos Valenzuela S6 did get Editor's Choice.
Android Authority wow I honestly completely missed that portion of the video, sorry guys!
Carlos Valenzuela What does editor's choice supposed to mean? I'm new.
TheConvexDR From my understanding, editor's choice is a type of a recognition given to something that is better than the rest.
Everin Malpica The LG G3 also got The Award
Okay.. i am not a very big fan of 2k resolutions but lets do a comparison here.. The s6 has a 2k screen with 2500 mah battery against a 1080p screen with 2900 mah of the m9 and still delivers the same on screen time or even better, a slightly lower resolution 16 mp camera than the m9(i know mp's aren't everything), has a thinner and lighter body. Believe it or not Touchwiz is faster and smoother than sense this time, although not by a huge number but still it is.
M9 is a great device but s6 wins in every aspect!
True
Top 5 spot on
Lol touchwiz faster than sense? Fanboys will be fanboys
aneesh dubey Hey it's 2015. Which era are you from? :) And yes, i am an android fanboy.
aneesh dubey Wait for comparisons of S6 vs M9 before assuming that Sense is automatically faster than TouchWiz.
This phone is DOA
1. Premature processor
2. Camera is still meh
3. Battery life is about the same as the M8
4. Can't use "premium" feel over Samsung this yr
5. The M8 is still a beastly phone, and will be cheaper w/ the M9 out.
some reports say its even worse than the m8 in battery life :|
sigh :|
Agree except for the premium feel of the S6...it's meh
Sure the s6 has glass now, but it's so damn shiny it looks like a Xmas ornament, that doesn't look luxurious imo
you forgot the black bar of death
Seth Nieto Still looks a whole lot better than the s5.
It would be phone of the year if it had Galaxy S6 camera
Am definitely trading my m8 for the m9 especially after trying it out in the store today i just have to upgrade. It felt much more premium and gripper then the m8 and it just looks outstanding, love the dual tone finish! The m9 just feels amazing to handle. Camera was never a big deal for me i only take pictures to post them on places like WhatsApp, Kik or maybe Instagram otherwise i would only take Selfies which the m9 does well! However am sure the camera will improve over time. Other then that the M9 does well in every other aspect of a phone.
I do agree with u I love htc & I will be upgrading to it this year 👌😏
I also agree and will be getting this asap
Kp2066 i don't get why people dont find it a worthy upgrade. If it had an apple on its back everyone will find it a worthy upgrade. I mean its better then the M8 in every way. I also belive the camera will be fixed even tho camera isnt a biggie for me. Other then that everything is perfect and improved on the M9.
I agree with you. Camera has never been a priority for me. The reviewer talked about a slightly thicker M9 phone, but, I'd rather have longer battery life in my phone, which I believe accounts for the thickness of the M9. I will also be upgrading to the M9 next month.
Abdullah Al-Marhuby The processor is really no better than the M8, screen is the same, design looks the same(but feels different), battery is the same and the camera is worse in some areas compared to the M8. I can see why people are underwhelmed with the M9. Some people like you don't mind, but if I'm to shell out money for a phone, it has to at least perform better than its predecessor. I don't care about looks, because this phone looks great.
In my opinion, the cheaper M8 is going to cannibalize most of the M9s sales. There's no killer feature the M9 offers over the M8. Even Apple offers one thing that's drastically different for people to upgrade. The iPhone 5 and 5s were damn near identical, but touch ID and the A8 being twice as fast as the A7 was enough. HTC just doesn't have that. Nevertheless, the M9 is a beastly phone. But if I(average consumer) can buy the M8 on craigslist or eBay for half the price of the M9 with no distinguishing factors between the 2, why would I?
Good display, good battery life, best speakers, super fast and snappy ui, best design out there, OK camera (those photos looked OK for my use) = The phone that I've been waiting for... Thank you HTC😍😘
Just missing that finger print scanner, ois and laser auto focus... These 3 features would make this phone the best ever!!!
Totally agree with you... Those 3 features would make this phone superb
Best design? I realize that it comes down to personal preference, but those bezels and in particular that black HTC bar look horrible to me. Also I'd prefer the power and volume buttons to be laid out out like a Samsung Galaxy, but other than that the back and sides look fine to me.
Best speakers? Good display? Best design? No.
I don't care about speakers on my phone because I know I'll never use them. It's always my Bluetooth speaker or earphones. Everyone I know with the M7 & M8 say they're a waste of space because they use earphones anyways...
Good display? It's sucks ass. 1080p for a 2k flagship standard is pathetic. Everyone is making the move to 2K... The Note 4 and S6 don't have a good display, they have the *BEST* displays.
Best design? My Note 4 actually has the best design. The huge screen, aluminum border and removable battery + SD slot is amazing. And fuck off with those stupid build quality arguments, EVERYONE puts a case on their phones, so who gives a shit about the aluminum unibody?
It's a midtier phone. The S6 will be the same price and it will fucking wreck. The M8 will be like $200 cheaper, so just buy that
Catslasha Catz I think design wise HTC One looks a lot better than the new Galaxy. The glass does not look as premium as the aluminium body. I believe that is why Apple copied the design. I am surprised the black bar bothered so many people, I never really paid much attention to it.
Benzo MB No Apple got rid of the glass because of durability concerns, however Gorilla Glass 4 is more durable than what was used in the iPhone 4/4S.
Literally all M9 reviews were just posted in this same hour...
There was probably an embargo on when they could release reviews, lots of companies do that.
embargo lifted
Attack & Release #phonegate
Just noticed you guys passed 1 million :0 congrats, you deserve it!!
Crappy camera continues to hold htc back.
Itaku
I agree.. I waited so long for this handset and now I'm extremely disappointed with its camera! Even though never been a fan of Samsung but I surprisingly prefer Samsung S6 now!
Itaku It's a phone not a camera
hussein hussein Yeah it is but why bother with it when you can get another device that's a better phone and has a better camera lol.
Cory Weston The M9 camera isn't bad but it's not the best. Why they didn't include OIS puzzles me.
Cory Weston What does "one of the best" mean to you? Top 3? 5? 10? It's not a bad camera but if you look at comparisons with the iPhone 6, S6, Note 4, it falls short. Show me one camera shootout that has the HTC on top in comparison to other flagships. You'll see why OIS isn't a rubbish gimmick when all the phones with it beat the M9 in low light shots and video recording.
omg I can hear the bass punch even over my headphones. I think I'm sold.
So in other words Josh
-Same great build from yesteryear
-Same great UI 1080p screen from yesteryear
-Same Wack camera quality shooter from, that's right yesteryear... Ok got it!
*Galaxy S6* it is.
That massive black boarder puts me off straight away. And the touch home button takes up space with the top info bar. What I like about the note 4 is that it has a home button and the touch buttons next to that. Saves screen space and I love that.
My M9 gets so hot it burns me... I can't wait for the O2...
+speedevil22 Should return to the store.
Watching this review on my HTC m9 and it's hot asf ;-;
The thing with the power button is that you're not supposed to use your thumb to press it, but more the ball joint between your thumb and palm (Which is always over the power button if you hold it normally). Things get less awkward when you discover that.
Granted the fact people don't instinctively do this means it's a bit of an issue.
Definitely does not deserve an Editor's Choice award, this is not a 2015 flagship by today's standards this is a middle tier phone
If you consider the m9 a mid-tier phone, that makes the iPhone 6 a low end phone....
Which is why Samsung oudid Htc this year.
Regardless of how you feel about the phone it is considered a flagship, because it is the best phone HTC has to offer.
***** well, it is a low end phone with super cheap soda can material.lol
Said the one who judges by specs on paper... That's so 2012. Haters gonna hate.
I just came from the HTC event in Atlanta, and I'm very impressed. Camera software appeared to be updated, but I did not get a good test of it. I've tested the GS6 and loved the screen and camera, but the M9 feels ridiculously powerful. Sense is lightning quick and fully customizable, and the device just feels great in hand. Can't wait till I get mine!
Glad I do not care about the camera...
+Crustyguildmaster Same! The only reason samsung s6 won this year is just because of the camera. So dumb.
+Henry “Adda” Chaisritha same here. what you said is true, and that they actually got a decent design people thought it was god like. I think the m9 is better.
saaame bruh ,this phone is a beast at performance tho
Can you please tell me which of these is better? Samsung Galaxy S6 or Htc One M9?
+George K. I'd say the m9, but all preference though
HTC did a good job with this phone as usual. I like how they went their own direction. You now see phones getting thinner and larger screen resolution, HTC did what was best for the experience, and not for comparison purposes. They even ditched the UP camera on back, which shows they are humble enough to realize when something needs to be moved. Two thumbs up from me.
There is no fucking point for mobiles to have resolutions over 720P.
BLABLABLA I can see pixels if i stick my fucking face to it. But in reality you don't do that.1080p 1440p resolutions are killing battery life insanely fast and it kills performance of the phone overall. I'll take extended battery life and games performing 5 times better than some more pixels any day.
1080p is alright, 2k is overdoing it a bit though. That being said, I'm still going with the s6.
Toryn Folston 1440p is not 2k.
***** No it doesn't look terrible. Geez everyone's fucking monitor is 1080p and they're 20 times the size of a mobile screen. Does it look terrible? Of course fucking no.
Arthas Leks You're right, it's technically 2.5k.
***** I've heard it go either way, I'm honestly very confused at the point.
Htc's one flagship smartphones look and feel entirely the same way with slight modifications. Is it really worth upgrading for the same design and just for better hardware.
HTC M9 REVIEW???! HTC didnt even release their final software yet. WTF
The phone isn't out yet
Hunter Miller Well yeah, and HTC had whole bunch of camera and CPU temp issues that tied into the early beta software.
gaivoron Excuses, regardless of whether the camera's final software is good or not it will still suffer from not having ois.
I believe they did. This phone is on stores in Taiwan only. It will be available outside Taiwan in a couple of weeks. Thus, software must be final. It does not mean the can't fix it though. The can push OTAs to patch things uo.
spartanshadow13 they waited to release it in Taiwan because of software issues which I believe is now fixed.
Wow, this video is really high quality, best I've seen so far on TH-cam
M7 was the best
I think this has to be the best review of the HTC M9 on TH-cam. I generally follow Fischer from Pocketnow but most of the reviewers highlight what is wrong with the phone. I find no reason to change the looks of the phone, especially if its as sexy-looking as HTC. Put an m9 and s6 (or edge) side by side and ask anyone to pick..You'll know the answer! Great review mate. Loved it!
The camera is sooooo bad
M9 software update significantly improves camera performance.... even in the dark... so i dont know what everyone is whining about.. this phone takes some wicked shots
Never heard about that. That's good at least
They should have just stuck with the Snapdragon 805.
Why?
Shellymon™ Johannes B.R Not just that, but because of the lag issues it's having. Seriously, the LG G Flex 2 got destroyed because of the Snapdragon 810, even with a 1080p display and 3GB of RAM.. 805 was much better, imagine that with 3GB of RAM and the 1080p HTC display with a smaller 5 inch screen implemented with Sense 7. That would be fabulous.
AnimeFan i don't think the case is the same here, LG couldn't be more different from HTC in terms of the software running on that SOC. this phone flies and overheating has been fixed, so i think it may have just been that particular phone so far
AnimeFan that's because LG hasn't optimised it's Android skin for Lollipop and the newer processing package. It's a very heavy Android skin, much like the TouchWiz of old, which will result in lag. Sense is much more bare-bones making it lag free.
FredwardGames Or a Snapdragon 808 would have made more sense.
I'm thinking of buying m9 but I've heard alot of negative feedback about its overheating problems so that kinda keeps me away from it. Is m8 still good choose and would it be able to keep up these days?
the g4 is so much better
But uglier
Naah, M9 is better had both.
I take saying ugly back. I'm used to seeing it and it's sick. not that I own the phone but it looks amazing
Only camera, but for sound i'll pick M9
People love to complain about the design not changing much, but that's one of the best parts about this phone. The only place they can really go with the design is making the camera flush with the rest of the casing.
Camera looks ugly and just because it's a bigger pixel doesn't make it a better camera. iPhone only uses a 8mp sensor yet they have one of the best if not best cameras in the market. Htc could have made a 8mp ultra pixel camera and it would have been better.
Jony polo Camera is still improved, though. But valid points
Worth mentioning that the black bar is noticeably smaller on the M9!
This is an INCREDIBLE review -- you've gained an ardent fan as a result of this objective, well-rounded review.
I love the design! I've had the M7 for 1.5 years now. The only problem I have with it, is that it's too beautiful to hide in a case, but since I've dropped my M7 once and had the front cracked, I see the necessity of it. So this year, when choosing between the M9 and the Samsung Galaxy S6, I took 'looks' out of the equation, because I know I'm going to put it in a case anyway...
If you have turned the phone OFF to save battery (as none replaceable) perhaps for later use and you want to double check later whether you really did turn off or not as you are confused. With a home button you can verify easily as screen will lit up if it's on and won’t if it’s off. However, with no home-button, you end up turning it back on again or vice versa which is extremely annoying.
after owning 3 Samsung phones I know that at one point my apps are gonna crash and my phone will turn off and turn back on again! never again Samsung getting an m9.
Its android bro. You just gotta deal w/ it.
DrGanja99 nope sorry
nerdymel1 if youve owned 3 phones than its probably android, not samsungs skin. I have nothing against android btw.
DrGanja99 lol don't mistake Samsung with android please. Samsung just spents more into advertising than actually refining a product.
Stefanos M I'm not. I have a nexus & it does the same thing on lollipop. Random crashes & all. Even after restoring the phone.
What kind of camera are you using? The quality and flow of this video is amazing!
The two biggest deal breakers on this handset were the camera and more importantly, the QC SnD 810, which was found to run hot, and therefore, throttle... That's why Samsung used their own SoC in the S6, and Motorola instead opted for the lesser SnD 808 in the X Pure...
Great review, I didn't know about the RAW mode was in the works and I've already pre-ordered my M9. I'm confident this will make a fine upgrade to the M7 (which I would happily keep if it wasn't for the broken camera sensor)
Bought it on the midnight preorder. I got it today and it's supposed to be a gift for my sis. I checked out the interface and it's pretty much similar to what HTC has on the M8 and the E8. The camera is in need of an immediate overall. I thought it wouldn't be as bad as the reviews say, but HTC needs to look into it pronto. The 13 MP shooter on the E8 (which I own) is much better. The Ultra pixel on the front isn't too bad. If my sis don't jive with it, I'll return the M9 and get her an iPhone 6 or an E8.
I keep expecting Josh Vergara to pull his face off like a mask and reveal he's actually just Michael Fisher from PocketNow.
Sticking with my 6+ for now, i wish they would update the camera software and i would buy it. since my experience with the m8 camera was pretty bad.
I currently have the HTC One, I also had the HTC Evo before that.......So, I've been an HTC customer for the past 4-5 years or so.....
I was really excited and ready to go online and pre-order the HTC M9. I really was.......
I would have pre-ordered it a few days ago when pre-order was made possible, but I had to wait until April, 1st for the 2 year contract discount. I'm glad now.......(you can see where this is heading)
After reading multiple reviews from different sources, several different type of comparisons made available online to date (e.g. Camera, Battery, screen resolution, etc.........) and also comparing the phones in person. I can honestly say I have put in quite a bit of time doing my research at Sprint stores, work, driving and at home.
I always love the design of the HTC phones.... but in my personal opinion the Edge looks absolutely amazing and even better than the M9, I went to the store in to take a look at it in person and it's absolutely beautiful and will stand out from other phones.
The only thing I see going for the HTC over the EDGE really is the speakers, but I have Bluetooth speakers and barely play music on the phone speakers.....And because of that.... sadly.........(for real)....sadly........... In almost every aspect, even though by a small margin, the Galaxy 6 Edge simply beats HTC M9.
Consequently, I will be buying the Edge over M9.
Sorry HTC! :(
Ok so when the phone's screen is on it's brightest, with Google maps running constantly, let say for 4 hours straight on a hot day, you might experience a heat problem right?
I'm getting this phone tomorrow! Even though camera is bad I'm still excited! 😁
How's your M9 experience after the hype? just curios cause M8 despite good reviews had quality issues broke after a year.
Hey Josh, do you think that the camera will be better after the update? Please reply because i can afford only one phone every 2-3 to 4 years. Thank you! :)
WOW I Just WOWed When i saw 1080p 60 fps More people needs to be like you guys!!! you guys are AWESOME!
I was thinking. The HTC One has no image stabilization. The Alcatel One Touch idol 3 has "only" electronic Image Stabilization. And it does the job. Sooo, couldn't HTC pump out a bug fix thing where they add that and some other tweaks that makes their 20MP camera less noisy and pixely in darker areas?
You're review was very nice. You speak very well Joshua and you're arguments both positive and negative are credible.
Though the HTC One M9 is not enough for me to leave my M8, I do find the M9 exceptionally beautiful.
I will be waiting for the One M9+.
The 24-bit audio was not mentioned here, which is the main reason I was interested in this model.
That's the htc 10 coming out next month
I went with the M9. I had the M7 a few years ago and I loved that phone to bits, but my cousin caused it to get water damaged and I switched to the iPhone 6s. I'll honestly say that the iPhone is garbage, Itunes is terrible, and IOS is super annoying. I felt like a prisoner with the iPhone because EVERYTHING has to be Apple/IOS. I was going to get the LG G4, but those things bootloop nonstop and to this day people are still bitching about their phones glitching or never turning back on. I read countless reviews and skipped on it along with my past horror experiences with LG phones. I was thinking about getting the Galaxy Note 5, but I had a refurbished Galaxy S5 in great condition, but it wouldn't charge half of the time. It was a pretty damn good phone, but the fact that it wouldn't charge, while getting a hot battery is not a good thing at all. That ran me away from Samsung. Sure, the M9's selfie camera isn't going to blow you away, but it's a really good phone.
Wow! The quality of the video is amazing. I watch in 1080p60 and it is very nice.
I just bought an M8 Developer Edition instead of the M9 because I couldn't find a reason to justify the $150 difference. I've tried the M8 and LOVED IT, especially coming from a GS2
Hi, Please tell me which Camera you used to film this particularly at 3:36 , who man that's really really clear stuff, please reply.
Thanks
Shoutout to android authority for another great review. I got the Galaxy S4 when it was first released two years ago and regretted not getting the HTC One M7 after only a few months. My Galaxy S4 drains in only a few hours and constantly freezes up. Not to mention, it's complete bull crap that Samsung allows AT&T to lock the bootloaders on their phones. Samsung, you are a large company that is supposed to support the openness of Android. Grow a pair and tell AT&T that it can't lock down the phone. I for one will be getting the HTC One M9 straight from HTC. Samsung, you did great with the GS6 but no expandable storage and a locked bootloader are deal breakers.
I got HTC M8 instead. Tried the M9 and the Galaxy s6 and have to say the M8 was the winner. I liked the camera on the s6 but the camera on the m9 not as impressive. The m8 camera was great and the speakers blew my mind they were the best out of all three. I was so surprised by this. I have had this phone for a week now and have to say every day use this is the best phone that I have ever used. The phone is fast and battery life very good. For an everyday driver this is a great phone. Love listening to music and videos on this phone with the speakers amazing.
The HTC One M9 may not have ois or dis (digital image stabilization) but like the M8 it has eis (electronic image stabilization).
Did you get a new camera? The video looks great! Much better than usual.
How much stock can we put into HTC improving the camera via future updates? Will it get much better? Can you actually polish a turd? Lol. Pre-ordered my M9 yest. Can't help it, love HTC.
Wow! Watching this in 60fps sure is a new and different experience!
Notice that Pocket Now, Android Authority and Techno Buffalo all posted their One M9 Review at the same time.
Aaaah I love that you guys upload in 1080p 60frames rather than 4k 23,9fps... It´s just sooo much smoother and better to look at! 4K is clear AF but most people don´t have 4K monitors and the extra bitrate that comes with 4K still dosen´t make it better than 1080p 60fps! Oh my gad so smooth! Keep uploading in 60fps guys! Hot damn! :D
wow this video quality is incredibly high in frame rate!! it's beautiful
Isn't the camera software getting an update before release?
Joshua Vergara, Marques Brownlee, and Michael Fisher are the best tech reviewers on TH-cam. I also love Lisa from MobileTechReview.
the only thing that truly differentiates this phone from it's older brothers is the hardware, software and slight buff in camera...otherwise than that it's not the best upgrade but it is a welcomed one, hopefully i can get my hands on the m9 by May and see for myself if it's really like the m8...but for now Xiaomi mi 4 for me :)
Love HTC , I'm still using my HTC one m7 which is still pretty looking, fast, and eye catching but I feel like the galaxy s6 edge is the better looking phone this year... Any more HTC one m7 users struggling to decide which phone to upgrade to this year?
My HTC One M7 will forever be my favorite phone I've ever had. I have the Galaxy S5 right now, and I think when it's time for an upgrade, I'm going back to HTC. But I like the M7 design much better than the M8 and M9.
Coming out of MWC, I thought they were in really good shape vs. The S6. Higher megapixel camera on back with Ultrapixel up front. Higher capacity battery. SDcard support. Lower screen resolution, but perfectly fine for the screen size.
This review, along with your chums at PocketNow and Phone Arena, are quite a reality hammer. Nothing about this that seemed like a strength really panned out that way. Having closed the gap on industrial design, the only area where the S6 does not win are on OEM interface and SDcard slots. Throw on Nova Launcher or Google launcher and one of those issues vanishes.
Next year, HTC needs to get camera performance on par with the specs, improve the battery life, and reduce the damn bezels.
I spot that dominate humbly barbell brigade logo lol
Been watching on 480p for a while and I'm going to try to watch this on 720p60. HOLY CRAP! IT'S SOOOO SMOOOOTTHHH!!
the biggest upgrade is for the m9 is the new sense 7 and power button moves to the side. i still love the sleek design of the m8, dont really like the two tone color in m9. so for me the m8 is still the best phone. for those who wants a better camera and processor then maybe m9 is the one for you, but i think m8 and m9 is not very far away in processing power and image quality.
I can upgrade my phone this September what should I get? One M9, S6 (edge), Z4, G4, Note 5, Nexus 7, Moto x 2015, iPhone 6S... So many choices!
Erich Lang Nexus 7 is a tablet xD
Erich Lang Don't forget the LG G4 Note and the One M9+/Max.
Listen...Apple might be the clear choice, but there are a FUCKTON of Android products that are close to perfect without costing as much as the iPhone 6. Just look at the One Plus One review and see how AMAZING and CHEAP a flagship killer can be
Erich Lang Look at Nexus 6, awesome phone man
I would just wait to see the phone landscape before making a decision, since September is still practically a half-year away.
This is completely out of context but may I ask what's the jet plane shooting game shown on the performance part of the review? Reminds me of my childhood. Thanks!
I recently discovered an appetite for HTC's sleek durable design and pro functionality. While the M9 looks appetizing I prefer the size of the M Max series scene in the M8 max.
Does anyone know if an M9 Max release is a definite for 2015?
Does the M9 back facing camera take on a pink tint when the phone starts to warm up like the previous M7 and M8?
what is this camera you used to record this video with?? can i have the name and the model?
is it possible that you could explain to me I have this phone and its nice I cannot send a video message without a second party app can you answer that
I kinda wish the volume switch goes to the left side of the phone and the Sim tray on the bottom sides. Looks a little weird having every buttons all in one side in my opinion.
What camera are you using? Man Super HD!
Well then .... One m9 or desire eye ?? Give your opinion..thanks
This phone is truly gorgeous! I don't own an M8 so I really can't relate those M8 owners in their dismay towards the M9's somewhat iterative design. Still I wish the camera was significantly better than the M8 and the screen should get an increase, say about 5.2 inches. Aside from that, I have no complaints in regards to the whole device.
How's the Snapdragon 810 by this point? I've heard some bad things about it and the Butterfly 3 has it, so I'm thinking of buying it.
Do you think that a software update could improve the camera? If so, is HTC known for updating software for things like that?
I'm pretty disappointed in the camera and battery-life. I didn't mind the very similar design of the M7 and M8 because I loved those designs; however the lacking of my premiere features I don't think I can let that slide.
Was the m8 able to wake up from a flat surface with the double tap feature?
is it possible that you could explain to me I have this phone and its nice I cannot send a video message without a second party app
You can get themes by updating the software version which is already available. I don't see a single reason to switch from my M8, which is my favorite phone to date. I'll wait for the next one. Good review.
i am still using my M7 original HTC one and it works fine! I guess I must be getting older but i just dont care about newer models. i like my phone and have no issues with it. One day it will break, then I will upgrade! :)
The M9 might actually be the first HTC phone I actually like.
I might have to start saving up so I can buy one out right, instead of on contract.
Never again will I start a contract.
In saying I'm disappointed in the three year old design and lackluster camera, I still WANT the M9 but simply can't justify the upgrade from an M8. Love the straight edges and (IMO) perfect lock button placement, but I'll see what the G4 brings.
So, have they managed to fix the camera yet?
Which one will I choose
M8 or M9 ?????
does higher resolution mean better colour reproduction? 442 ppi or 580 is the 95% same as S5 has little less sharpness than S6 but eyes hurt after trying to notice 1080 and 1440 so on 5' 1080 is enough.
Many people are making a big deal about the camera. The camera in the M9 is actually really good but it's kind of hit or miss. It may not be the best camera but the majority of us are not professional photographers so it will definitely satisfy most consumers.
GREAT REVIEW !!! I just ordered mine but I'm so confused currently i have the Samsung galaxy note 4 and idk if i should keep it and stick with the m9 as a daily driver or sell the M9 for extra cash ... AHHH SO CONFUSED lol