HTC One M9 Announced: Same Design, Better Specs

HTC decided Mobile World Congress was where it would launch all of its new devices, including the HTC One M9, Vive VR headset and the Grip wearable.

The One M9 is the biggest announcement as it will be the flagship for 2015, but in terms of upgrades the smartphone does not have that many noteable changes.

It still sports the 5-inch 1080p display from last year, but it does feature the new 2GHz octa-core processor, 3GB of RAM and Adreno 430 GPU. On the back HTC has upgraded to a 20MP rear camera, with a 4 UltraPixel camera on the front.

HTC has removed the Duo Camera, clearly unhappy with the results from last year. It seems some of the more gimmicky features the Taiwanese company has tried previously have been removed entirely from the new device.

Audio is still a big feature on the One M9, featuring BoomSound speakers, although it is not clear if Beats has any part of the production any more. The speakers now feature Dolby Audio, a step up for those that love audio.

In terms of software the One M9 still comes bundled with Sense, and HTC has added a few new functions. Smart Launcher seems to be the biggest update, showing apps based on location, HTC has also added a theme store.

HTC also launched its first wearable at MWC 2015, named the Re Grip. It is a fitness band rather than a smartwatch, meaning it does not run Android Wear but rather HTC’s own OS.

Under Armour has worked on the Re Grip in partnership with HTC, allowing it to connect to the UA Record app, focused on fitness and health. The device can partner with a smartphone and display notifications and music playing.

The device can only last a few hours making a tool for workout only, it is water resistant to IP57 certification and will be available later this year for $199 (£129).

It is interesting to see HTC enter more markets, but similar to the Re Camera it is an appeal to the niche rather than a push into the mainstream.

Image Credit: [HTC]