[rwp-review id=”0″]
When HTC launched the HTC One (M7) a couple of years ago, they introduced the aluminum unibody look on a smartphone that hadn’t really been seen before. Gentle curves, solid design and premium outlook became the signature of HTC’s flagships, all the way down to the M9 earlier this year. The new HTC One A9 claims to have gone back to the roots of the M7, but in reality looks too much like a competitor’s device. And not just any competitor.
Design
Most noticeably, they’ve done away with the front facing speakers (BoomSound) which, personally, I quite liked – not so much for it’s usage, but more for the look it gave, with the speaker grills up front. The power button on the side has grooves, so is easy to find and won’t be confused with the volume buttons. Overall, the phone has very few protrusions, and is smooth and almost symmetrical. The USB connector at the bottom is ever so slightly off-center that it looks like they made a mistake while trying to find the middle. It’s to make space for the speakers (yes, they’re down there now), but kind of just lurks a little off of the middle.
Up front, the fingerprint scanner is the big change and it works quite well. The display 5.0 inches of AMOLED capacitive touchscreen with 16M colors, but perhaps it’s time HTC made the leap to QHD displays to really stand out.
Software
The best thing about this device is that it’s the only one outside of Google’s Nexus devices to get Marshmallow out of the box. Some subtle but beautiful upgrades to the UI, whilst still maintaining HTC’s Sense (7.0 here) make navigating through the device a smooth and user-friendly experience. It still comes with BlinkFeed, which has really picked up in momentum and has a host of local and regional content to boast.
Performance
The device comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 processor, which is the latest in the range, but somehow doesn’t quite work as seamlessly with Marshmallow. I found certain functions to lag behind, and on multiple occasions I found that once I’d opened Google Now to search for something, it didn’t pick up the first few letters I had typed – a bit of a delayed start, is what it seems. Turns out, it does so on some other apps too, which I found a little disappointing. The last two HTCs I had were the M9 and the E9+, both of which never had these issues.
Once of my recent addictions, 8-Ball Pool also seemed to not function as smoothly as it should – and that becomes important when I’m trying to decide on the phone to carry.
Camera
The rear camera is a 13MP one, but the camera app comes with an added option – Pro, which gives you a lot of control on photography as well as RAW image output. This is a first on HTC devices and can really assist people looking for that extra edge on smartphone photography. Many other device makers have already got this feature in their camera app, so it was a matter of time till HTC caught on. And, in a happy surprise, it gives more than decent results.
The front camera (Selfie Cam) is 4MP with 1080P results, and works quite well too.
Final Verdict
The HTC One A9 isn’t a flagship device, and HTC have been pretty clear about that. It’s not an entry level device either, since it isn’t from the Desire series. The price of AED 1800, roughly, seems a bit steep – this isn’t mid-range either and is actually just about touching higher-end prices. Having said that, in itself it is a good device, designed well (if a little inspired) and feels good in the hands and to use. The battery leaves a bit to be desired, but I found that if I switch to Power Saving mode, I can get it to juice the whole day.
