In 2008, HTC acquired design firm One & Co to help bolster its smartphone team. Slowly but surely, however, the team has disintegrated to the point that as of tonight, only one of the design team members remains. HTC’s VP of Industrial Design, Jonah Becker, announced on Twitter tonight that he is leaving the company. Becker was named vice president less than a year ago.
While the new HTC M9 goes on sale tonight unsubsidized for $650, T-Mobile and AT&T have just announced plans to kick off a presale of the device starting tomorrow for $0 down on their usual financing plans.
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The HTC One M9 goes on sale tonight in the US. We’d love to tell you all about it, but it is currently under embargo and Dom will have an amazing video review when the embargo is eventually over. Sure, lots of publications got to review the almost identical international version, and to sum up those reviews, it isn’t a huge upgrade from the M8. Think tweaked look, more megapixels in the camera, and a slightly toned down Sense overlay.
The device that goes on sale tonight is the GSM version, which is similar to the one that will be sold on AT&T and T-Mobile in the US. It won’t be subsidized by the carriers and will cost $650.
If we were allowed to tell you about it, we’d probably tell you that the heat issues you’ve seen are unfounded. From pictures (above), you can tell it looks very nice in both the popular Gunmetal and Gold/Silver models. It feels less slippery in the hand and is very subtly smaller and lighter than its M8 predecessor (or so we’ve heard).
In general I do recommend buying a phone outright and getting yourself on an inexpensive pre-paid plan. If your carrier starts messing with you, you can easily go to another carrier either with number portability or, Google Voice/Hangouts (my choice).
Even with that in mind, though, should you buy this phone at full price?
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Invites for an HTC event taking place in Beijing on April 8th, 2015 have reportedly been sent out to the Chinese media (via Nowwhereelse.fr). As you can see, the device shown on the image above is a bit different than the HTC One M9—it has a dual-camera set up and a circular main camera, rather than the single, rectangular shooter on the back of the new flagship. The render does look similar to the regular One M9 in some ways though, showing what looks to be the same dual-tone finish. In all likelihood, this is the rumored HTC One M9+.
Some images of the HTC One E9 appeared earlier this month thanks to a leak via Chinese regulators, showing a phone that sports a super-big camera on its rear and a 5.5-inch screen on its front. Hardware wise, Upleaks said earlier this month that the device will likely pack a 64-bit MediaTek processor, 32 GB of flash storage, 3 GB of RAM, a 20-megapixel main camera, and a couple different front shooter variants (either 13-megapixel or 4-megapixel “UltraPixel”). On the software side, it’s almost surely going to ship with Sense 7.0 (which launched alongside the HTC One M9).
HTC revealed its 2015 smartphone flagship, the One M9, at Mobile World Congress earlier this month. The device was met with a seemingly ‘meh’ reaction at the time, with HTC fans complaining that the device was too similar to its predecessor and worrying about the use of the over-heating Snapdragon 810. This evening, reviews for the HTC One M9 have officially started popping up around the web and they give us a much more in-depth look at what the company has to offer as we head into 2015…
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Just weeks before the release of HTC’s M9, CEO Peter Chou steps down from his position to focus on innovation. Chou has taken a position to lead HTC’s Future Development Lab. As for Chou’s replacement, chairwoman Cher Wang is stepping up to the plate to take over his position.
Wang co-founded HTC with Chou back in 1997 and since then she has taken over many of the daily operations within the company. This is definitely doing to be an interesting transition for both Chou and Wang as HTC approaches the launch of its 2015 One M9 flagship smartphone, Grip smartband, and Vive VR headset later this year…
HTC has announced today during its Uh Oh protection plan livestream that the HTC One M9 will be available at retail from early April in the United States. The answer came in reference to when the Uh Oh plan itself will be launching, which will be the same day that the HTC One M9 hits stores. Notably, this date will likely vary by carrier, but the first availability of the device will be April 10th.
The company also answered several other questions via viewers on Twitter:
The Uh Oh protection plan was “born out of a conference room in the US offices,” and HTC Americas president Jason Mackenzie says that it will indeed be limited to the United States for the time being. The Uh Oh plan will likely make it to other countries with time, however, after the company makes sure to “get it right.”
When asked about the Lollipop update for the HTC One M8 and M7, Mackenzie said that the update is “in certification” now, and that approval should be happening sometime around the end of this month or the beginning of next month.
Finally, HTC confirmed today, unsurprisingly, that there will not be a Google Play Edition for the HTC One M9. When asked about a Windows Phone version, Mackenzie left things open ended saying to “stay tuned.”
You can watch the stream in full if you’re interested.
After plans of a beefed up protection plan leaked yesterday afternoon, HTC this morning came out to officially announce its “Uh Oh” free replacement service for the HTC One M9. But the announcement livestream that the company planned is still happening at 9 AM PST, and you can find the video embedded below for your viewing pleasure…
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Upleaks has been the source of many accurate leaks this year, and today the anonymous person behind the account has come out on Twitter to “confirm” that the assumably plus-size HTC One M9 will indeed be called the “M9+” rather than the “M9 Plus”. Furthermore, correcting information that was shared previously, Upleaks now says that the device will be coming to Europe, the Middle East, and Asia as well.
As for a release timeline, Upleaks seems fairly confident that the HTC One M9+ will be coming at some point at the end of Q1 (which would mean late this month) or early Q2 (likely sometime in April). That seems like a pretty fast release considering HTC hasn’t mentioned this device at all yet. A larger-screened device to compete with Apple’s higher-end iPhone 6 Plus would be a pretty big deal.
HTC has a special event happening today at 9 AM PST, but it’s widely speculated to be focusing on the company’s new “Uh oh” protection plan for the HTC One M9. HTC has said that the announcement coming today is “BIG,” so maybe there’s more for us in store?
https://twitter.com/upleaks/status/578089434924511232
https://twitter.com/upleaks/status/578092047652925440
If you’ve ever said “Uh-oh” as your smartphone fell to the ground, HTC knows how you feel. It is today announcing a free, one-year protection plan for the One M9 smartphone, offering a free replacement if you crack the screen or drop it in water. The company will also replace the phone if you want to switch carriers.
HTC UH OH Protection provides consumers who damage their new HTC One M9 with an untimely fall onto the pavement or into a toilet with a free phone replacement within 12 months of purchase. Consumers who don’t take advantage of UH OH Protection within the first 12 months will receive $100 towards the purchase of a future HTC One.
The UH-OH program is an extension of the HTC Advantage cover offered on the M8, which was limited to screen damage and only lasted for six months …
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President of HTC America Jason Mackenzie told us yesterday that HTC has a big HTC One M9-related announcement scheduled for Wednesday, and today the HTCAmericas YouTube account has uploaded a countdown and stream for the event—coming to us live from Seattle in about 24 hours.
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It looks like there is definitely some truth to evidence suggesting that the Snapdragon 810 has been facing some problems with overheating. Dutch site Tweakers has taken the HTC One M9 through a series of tests, and it looks like overheating problems with Qualcomm’s processor are still very much a valid concern. Specifically, while running GFXBench, the site has recorded the HTC One M9 to have a surface temperature of around 55 degrees Celsius—or 131 degrees Fahrenheit.
Jason Mackenzie, the President of HTC America, has come out this morning on Twitter to say that the Taiwanese company has a “BIG announcement for US customers on Wednesday.”
Going to be an exciting week. In addition to NCAA tourney, HTC has a BIG announcement for US customers on Wednesday. #HTCOneM9
— Jason Mackenzie (@JasonBMac24) March 16, 2015
It’s going to be aimed specifically at “US customers,” which makes me think the announcement will likely be stateside availability of the HTC One M9. I’m not sure if that would qualify as a “BIG” announcement in my mind, but we’ve definitely been waiting a while to find out when the device is going to be available.
Another plausible announcement could be an “HTC One M9 for Windows” device, a successor to the Microsoft-approved device that HTC launched in August of last year. That would be closer to something “BIG”, but I think HTC has an Android HTC One M9 that it needs to convince the world to buy before it can sell another variant of it.
The rollout of Android Lollipop continues today, as various reports on Twitter and elsewhere have confirmed that the latest major update to Google’s mobile operating system is now hitting the HTC One (M7) for T-Mobile. A couple of days ago, HTC’s Mo Versi confirmed on Twitter that the company had received approval for the update and that it would be rolling out over-the-air on Tuesday. But now, a day early, many users are already receiving the update.
@moversi Finally getting Lollipop On T-mobile HTC One M7!! pic.twitter.com/CSVBqT4Gei
— JIm (@JDWUe) March 9, 2015
HTC announced in February that it had missed its 90-day goal for bringing Lollipop to owners of the HTC One (M7) and (M8) (with the obvious exception of the Google Play edition which got the update in early December). In mid-February, the update started rolling out to those using the HTC One (M8) on T-Mobile, and now about a month later, those who have the HTC One (M7) are seeing the update.
HTC One (M7) T-Mobile Owners! We've received technical approval on the L OS and OTA will start on Tuesday. #htcadvantage
— Mo Versi (@moversi) March 7, 2015
Jeff Gordon is probably one of the most vocal HTC higher-ups on Twitter, being the source of many a tease about the company’s continual smartphone endeavors. He’s also very often the first to tell the world about software releases and other important HTC-related updates. Today he was especially engaging, coming out to talk a bit about the company’s flagship smartphone line, but specifically on the origin of the HTC One Mx naming scheme…
At MWC 2015 during HTC’s Utopia in Progress keynote, everyone was completely surprised with the announcement of Vive. This is HTC’s amazing new VR headset/experience that was developed in partnership with Valve. Yep. That Valve.
Since the keynote, I’ve actually had a chance to experience Vive and I thought I’d share a little bit of that with you. Let me tell you… It was incredible. This was definitely the most immersive VR experience I have ever tested…
Verizon this evening has revealed that it is starting to rollout Android 5.0 Lollipop to its HTC One M8 variant. The update packs all of the features we’ve come to know and love with Android 5.0, as well as a few new tweaks and enhancements exclusive to the M8 on Verizon.
HTC fans wanting to get their hands on the latest and greatest flagship phone from the handset maker will have a chance to do just that before the device even hits store shelves. The company has launched a new giveaway page on its website where you can enter to win the phone between now and March 24th.
9to5Google recently went hands-on with the new HTC One M9, which will come out later this month in four colors. It sports a similar design to the previous iteration, but includes several upgrades such as a 20 MP camera.
The HTC smartwatch—specifically one running Android Wear—has been rumored for a long time now. In fact, many were expecting the Taiwanese company to introduce it at the company’s press event a couple days ago. Obviously that didn’t happen, and the company instead told us about another wearable—its GRIP fitness tracker. Don’t be too worried, though, because HTC has told CNET that they’re still working on their smartwatch; they just want to be careful to get it right.
HTC announced its new One M9 flagship yesterday, but the company also took time to tell us about the GRIP fitness device they’re working on with Under Armour and the new Vive virtual reality headset being made in partnership with Valve. Sunday in the United States feels like an odd time for all of these announcements to have happened (meaning they caught many of us off guard), but if you’re one of those that missed the keynote, you’re in luck. HTC has this morning uploaded the full press event video to YouTube for your viewing pleasure:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWhM_oHr558
Both the Samsung Galaxy S6 (and the S6 Edge) and the HTC One M9 were announced yesterday, showcasing the best that these two Android OEMs have to offer this year. Both of these devices were horribly-kept secrets in their own ways, so there weren’t many surprises yesterday—we already knew almost every detail about both phones before they were announced.
But now that they’re here, which one do you think you’ll be getting? Or if you’re not in line for an upgrade right now, which one would be your pick? Let’s take a look at a few of their differences…
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