The HTC One M8 was a huge release in the Android market, and people are still talking about it to this day – there’s no denying that HTC made a winning move with it and the device secured them a very attractive market position. At one point, the M8 was close to a benchmark for the performance of Android phones, and it wasn’t rare to hear people comparing other devices to it in terms of processing power.
So it was expected that the HTC One M9 would enjoy a similar degree of attention, and people had high hopes for the device. However, after it was released, responses were somewhat mixed. On one hand, people were definitely happy with the overall product and it was said to be a good phone for its price. On the other, it left a lot to be desired and it definitely didn’t live up to the huge hype that surrounded it as the successor to the One M8. And now, the M9+ is getting similar reviews.
Still, the device did add some improvements that make it a viable choice for those who know what they’re looking for. The device is slightly larger than its predecessor and it has seen some changes in its physical design, such as the circular camera on the back. Overall though, fans of the HTC One M8 should recognize the signature form factor of the previous device, and the improvements to the design actually work quite well.
The display is larger – not just physically but in its resolution as well, and HTC have done a good job in this department. It definitely looks crisper and more attractive than that of its predecessor, and it’s the kind of display one would expect from a modern device in the first place. The larger resolution does help to give a better picture quality, and at the same time the device doesn’t feel like overkill here.
Now for some bad news. The processor in the M9+ is not that impressive and it was actually said to be a step back from what we’ve seen before. The device has an 8-core MT6795T processor running at 2.2 GHz and it also has 3 GB of RAM. While navigating the UI and other types of everyday use are very fast and smooth, the phone does get a little too slow when some serious multitasking is thrown into the mix.
In terms of storage, buyers get 32 GB of built-in memory and it’s expandable to 128 GB with a microSD car. There are various connectivity options available as well, and it’s definitely not an outdated phone in terms of its many radios and sensors.
Powering all of this is a 2,840 mAh battery that has so far proved to be sufficient for the requirements of the phone. It can last between 14 to 16 hours of normal use, according to critics, and that should be more than enough for a full day of comfortable use. On the other hand, making more active use of the device such as by playing games and taking pictures can make it drain its battery significantly faster.
Then we have the camera, which is now again in a Duo Camera configuration like we saw in the One M8, allowing the user to refocus their shots after they’ve been taken. However, the usefulness of this feature has been questioned by some, and it does seem like it could be a bit too much nowadays.