If you’re in the market for a new attractively priced smartphone, and generally prefer HTC to handle your needs, then say hello to the new HTC One A9. The latest smartphone to complement HTC’s range will be the first device from the manufacturer to physically ship with the latest Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS pre-installed, and serves up an extremely satisfying set of technical specifications within an attractive price range. Oh yeah, and it looks very similar to Apple’s iPhone 6/6s with the camera on the back moved into the center.
It’s not exactly a secret that HTC have had a difficult time designing and developing hardware that is capable of penetrating the market in order to compete on the same level as Apple and Samsung. It’s also not exactly a secret that HTC continually produces extremely aesthetically appealing hardware that packs in premium specifications. This was evident with the HTC One M7, the One M8, and the One M9. However, for one reason or another, HTC, like many other companies, simply can’t compete with the current “big players” in the smartphone market.
The company hasn’t tried to hide the fact that it’s in trouble, and it’s hoping that the new One A9 could be the device to kickstart a resurgence back to the top, or at a minimum, out of the red.
With the One A9, HTC looks to be walking a different path by producing a midrange device that swaps out the premium components for something a little more affordable. The 5-inch 1080p display is accompanied by an octa-core Snapdragon 617 processor, 3GB of RAM, and 32GB of internal memory, if you’re in the United States. European consumers will get a 2GB version with 16GB of internal storage.
From left-to-right: iPhone 6, HTC One A9, iPhone 6s Plus
(image credit: The Verge)
There’s also a 13-megapixel rear camera and a forward-facing 4-megapixel UltraPixel camera, The camera on the rear sports OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) but there’s no 4K video recording support.
Battery capacity is 2150mAh and it supports quick charging. There’s also the option to expand the aforementioned internal storage via microSD should you deem it necessary.
As for the design of One A9, it doesn’t take a genius to guess that One A9 looks a lot familiar to Apple’s iPhone 6/6s and also appears to be named after the chip that powers Apple’s latest iPhone devices, something that was first hinted back in late September. With One A9, gone is HTC’s signature curved aluminum back with BoomSound stereo speakers in the front. Instead, you now get a flat back with rounded edges, a circular two-tone flash and a camera sensor that is protruding, just like on the iPhone. As for the front, you now get a capacitive home button with a built-in fingerprint scanner.
As for software, HTC One A9 is powered by Android 6.0 Marshmallow with HTC Sense interface on top. HTC promises latest Android updates only 15 days after they are available for Google’s Nexus devices.
HTC is offering the One A9 in opal silver, carbon gray, deep garnet and topaz gold, and is taking pre-orders right now. Prices in the United States start from $399.99 – fully unlocked. It also includes HTC’s Uh Oh Protection which will allow you for one free replacement incase you break your phone or want to switch carriers.
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