The key difference between the HTC One A9 and HTC One M9 is that the HTC One A9 comes with new features like the fingerprint scanner for more secure biometric design, but it does not come with the boom sound speakers, which was one of the best features in HTC One M9. While, even though the HTC One M9 is an older phone, it has a faster processor, better battery, and a better resolution camera. The HTC One M9 that has a strong design was released earlier this year. The HTC One A9 also has strong design, and both have a gorgeous metal uni-body design.
HTC One A9 Review – Features and Specifications
The HTC One A9 has been making headlines as it seems to be a replica of the iPhone. The HTC One A9 is a beautiful handset which comes with a design that was expected to be seen in its predecessor the HTC One M9. It is worthy to note that the design of the HTC One A9 seems to be better than that of the Samsung Galaxy S6. The HTC One A9 is a value for money product although it comes with some specifications that are below a standard for a flagship device.
Design
If we take a closer look at the design of the phone, HTC A9 would look exactly like the iPhone if the oval fingerprint scanner and the HTC logo are hidden from the view. The metal frame whose glass is slightly curved is also similar to the design of the iPhone. In addition to the color options silver, dark gray and champagne, which are also available in the iPhone 6, HTC also offers the unique red garnet color which is stunning to say the least. The phone has been designed on symmetrical lines where the camera is perfectly centered, and the edges have been perfectly crafted and curved. This gives the device a sense of perfection and beauty. It can be said it is that this phone is a polished and perfected version of the iPhone.
The HTC One A9 could also be considered the nearest design to the iPhone for an android user.
Display
The display of the HTC One A9 has a size of 5 inches and is powered by AMOLED Technology. The resolution of the screen stands at 1920 X 1080 pixels and is protected by 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 4. Since it is a smaller phone there is no real need for better display and the battery power consumption will be less, enabling the battery to last long.
Storage
The storage capacity of the HTC One A9 stands at 16GB and 32GB, which is accompanied by a micro SD slot which can further expand the storage to up to a theoretical 2TB.
Features
Connectivity is supported by Blue tooth 4.1, and charging can be done by the micro USB charging slot. Audio is powered by Dolby audio speakers, and a fingerprint sensor is also available to secure the device.
Battery Capacity
The battery capacity of the device stands at 2150mAh and will last for a full day without any issues. Quick Charge 2.0 is also available on the device for fast charging.
Camera
The rear camera is able to support a resolution of 13MP. The aperture of the camera stands at f/2.0. It is able to shoot in RAW format to increase the detail of the captured images. The user will be able to set features manually as well. The camera is also able to support hyper lapse and shoot videos at 1080p. The lens is capable of Optical image stabilization which will reduce the blur due to shake and improve low light imagery. The front facing Ultra pixel camera has the same aperture as the rear camera and is able to shoot 1080p videos.
OS
The HTC One A9 comes with the new Android Marshmallow 6.0 operating system. It will feel like working with a pure android device. This is due to the fact that the Sense UI has been scaled back. It still holds applications like location-based options.
HTC One M9 Review – Features and Specifications
HTC was once the leader of Android smartphone industry, but as time passed on Samsung has gained this position and HTC ever since has been under the shadow of Samsung. HTC is fighting hard to regains its crown from Samsung and HTC One M9 is a result of this effort.
Design
HTC has always had the reputation of making beautiful phones. HTC was the Android phone maker which first produced an all-metal body design. Now other companies like Samsung and LG are following the lead of making metal body designs as well. There is a small ledge on the phone to make it easier to grip. Both gold and silver options are incredible and attractive. Dual anodizing has been used in order to get the two shades of gold and silver on the phone. The ledge and the speaker grills are also silver toned. The ledge which is silver colored makes the gold pop out. The dual tone looks impressive and gives the phone a flair look.
Compared with the previous model, the power button has been moved from the top to the bottom of the phone to the right-hand side. The problem with the power buttons is, it looks similar to the volume buttons. Sometimes it is hard to distinguish between these buttons causing an inconvenience. Another feature with the buttons is that they almost disappear into the device making it hard to press. The bezels which are found on the phone are unattractive which are practically not needed and waste precious space on the screen. Yet, this can be ranked next as the most attractive Android phone in the market, next the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy S6.
Display
The size of the display is 5 inches, and the resolution of the screen stands at 1920 X 1080. This uses an LCD display which recreates true color and is bright.
Audio
The HTC M9 comes with boom sound speakers which provide great sound due to their in the phone. This is one of the best speakers that can be found on any smartphone. As with many other phones, our palms do not cover up the speakers when in use; this is a distinct advantage.
Performance
The HTC One M9 is powered by a 64 bit Snapdragon 810 processor, which has quad cores. It also consists of a memory of 3GB for efficient multitasking. It also has a built-in storage of 32 GB, which can be further expanded with the use of a micro SD card. The main problem with the processor is, it heats up a bit when being used for an intensive workload like downloading and video streaming.
Features
The HTC One M9 also has the ability to customize color, textures and themes on the phone as the user prefers. Themes are preloaded, but even themes that are created by other users can be made available and installed on the phone without any issue. The phone is also powered by the Android lollipop 5.0 which looks great on the phone. It also comes with a location based app selector for the user to choose from depending on where he is. For example, if the user is in the office, it suggests google drive and if at home suggest apps like YouTube. It is able to learn and take advantage of our habits and accordingly provide us with these suggestions.
Camera
The rear camera comes with a 20 MP camera and the front facing camera which uses Ultra pixel technology for great selfie shots. The camera performs well in sunny environments and overcast conditions, but as many another smart devices, struggle to balance when the lighting come in the middle. The software has many features and effects which can be used to enhance the photo even further.
Battery
The battery capacity of the phone stands at 2840mAh which struggle to last for a day when the phone is used frequently. Compared to other flagship devices the HTC One A9 is way behind on the battery.
What is the difference between HTC One A9 and One M9?
Differences in Features and Specifications of HTC One A9 and One M9:
Design:
HTC One A9: The HTC One A9 has dimensions of 145.75 x 70.8 x 7.26 mm, weighs 143 g.
HTC One M9: The HTC One M9 has dimensions of 144.6 x 69.7 x 9.61 mm, weighs 157 g, splash resistant and more durable.
The HTC One A9 is a larger phone, but thinner at the same time compared with the HTC One M9. The HTC One M9 has a slight curve which makes it more comfortable to the hand.
Features:
HTC One A9: The HTC One A9 comes with a fingerprint scanner.
HTC One M9: The HTC One M9 comes with Boom Sound speakers.
As noted earlier, Boom sound speakers on the HTC One M9, which provide great sound quality is a key difference between the phones.
Display:
HTC One A9: The HTC One A9 uses AMOLED technology and has a pixel density of 440 ppi.
HTC One M9: The HTC One M9 uses S-LCD technology, and has a pixel density of 441 ppi.
The main difference between the two is the AMOLED display which produces more bright, vibrant and realistic colors on the device. Colors are richer, and contrast is better on the HTC One A9.
Power and performance:
HTC One A9: The HTC One A9 uses an octa-core Snapdragon 617 processor where four cores operate at 1.5 GHz and other four operate at 1.2GHz. GPU Adreno 405.
HTC One M9: The HTC One M9 uses an octa-core Snapdragon 810 processor where four cores operate at 2.0 GHz and other four operate at 1.5GHz. GPU Adreno 430.
Both devices come with 32 GB internal memory which can be expanded with the use of micro SD card. HTC One A9 supports up to 2TB and the HTC One M9 tops at only 128GB.
Camera:
HTC One A9: The HTC One A9’s rear camera supports a resolution of 13 MP, aperture of f2.0.
HTC One M9: The HTC One M9 ‘s rear camera supports a resolution of 20 MP, aperture of f2.2.
The HTC One A9 comes with Optical image stabilization whereas the HTC One M9 does not support this feature. The HTC One M9 has a better resolution camera though and can support videos at 20160p which is better than HTC One M9, which only can do 1080p.
OS:
HTC One A9: The HTC One A9 comes with Android marshmallow 6.0
HTC One M9: The HTC One M9 comes with Android lollipop 5.1
The Android Marshmallow will come with additional features which will make the HTC One A9 more secure and filled with improved features.
Battery capacity:
HTC One A9: The HTC One A9 comes with a battery capacity of 2150mAh.
HTC One M9: The HTC One M9 comes with a battery capacity of 2840mAh.
HTC One A9 vs. One M9 – Summary
As with the Samsung Galaxy S6, which made an iPhone look-alike to increase its sales, HTC is also trying to turn its fortunes around by introducing HTC One A9. It needs to recover quickly since the sales of the HTC One M9 were poor as well. The price is much lower compared to the iPhone, which gives it an edge. Comparatively it is cheaper than the Samsung Galaxy S6 too as well. The only downside may be the processor, but all other specs are on par with flagship devices in the similar range.
The HTC One A9 can be considered a top line Android device which has its own unique two-toned style and supported by the Android Lollipop 5.0 which can be further enhanced using customizable themes as preferred by the user. However, the battery, as well as some buttons, present a bit of a problem.