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20
Oct

OnePlus gets dose of its own medicine, courtesy of Meizu


meizu-pro-5

Continuing its tradition for marketing excellence, last week OnePlus created a new ‘contest’ that asked users to trade in a Galaxy S6, S6 Edge, S6 Edge+, or Note 5 for a free OnePlus 2. The tech world instantly took to mocking the deal, especially considering the latter two phones are essentially worth double the price tag of OnePlus’ latest flagship. Now Meizu is firing a shot at OnePlus’ marketing campaign by giving OnePlus 2 owners the chance to trade in their phones for a brand new Meizu Pro 5.

While the OnePlus campaign asked us to “#taketheedgeoff”, the Meizu campaign is asking us to “#taketheheatoff”, a jab at the Snapdragon 810.

Honestly, we think this is pretty genius. There are still a lot of people shaking their heads at Oneplus over the Samsung contest, and this is a great way for a Meizu to get some free publicity. But is this deal any better than what OnePlus was offering? Depends on who you ask.

The design of the Meizu Pro 5 is certainly inspired by the iPhone, which could be an immediate turn off for many folks. And the same goes for the heavily skinned Flyme OS, based on Android 5.1 Lollipop. If you can get past that (and throw a good launcher onboard), the Pro 5 actually sports some killer specs.


meizu-pro-5See also: Meizu Pro 5 official with 5.7-inch screen, Exynos 742060

At the heart of the Pro 5 is an Exynos 7420 processor, the same chip used in the Galaxy family that OnePlus was asking you to trade away. Other specs include a 5.7-inch full HD AMOLED display, a 21MP Sony IMX230 camera, a 5MP front cam, 3GB or 4GB RAM, dependent on the 32 or 64GB model, a fingerprint scanner, microSD, Type C with fast charging support, and a 3050 mAh battery.

In the long run, we doubt this will bring Meizu very many new fans, but it’s still great to see someone giving OnePlus a taste of their own medicine. And for what it is worth, the Pro 5 is actually listed at a higher price than the OP2, starting at $438. What do you think of Meizu’s jab at OnePlus? If you had a OP2, would you consider this offer? For those with a OnePlus 2, you can get in on the deal here.

20
Oct

Game streaming comes of age with GeForce NOW


geforce-now

Over the past few years, streaming has gradually become the dominant way of enjoying media. Without any big announcement or launch, services such as Spotify and Netflix have become part of our lives, making it easy to instantly access huge libraries of music, movies and TV shows at a reasonable price and without having to amass an enormous pile of physical media or wait for downloads.

Streaming games over the Internet is a more challenging puzzle compared to streaming movies and music, however. And NVIDIA solved it with a unique combination of advanced gaming supercomputers in cloud datacenters and low-latency optimizations for encoding and decoding that make the experience feel just like playing a game locally on a console in your living room.

The company has launched its own commercial cloud-gaming service called GeForce NOW, and it’s available now, exclusively on the SHIELD platform. Members can access the service to stream a collection of more than 60 popular PC games that you’d otherwise need a top-end rig to play. NVIDIA’s cloud gaming servers do the heavy lifting, turning up all those detail settings and encoding every frame in an instant, and then flinging the results across the Internet to SHIELD devices at up to 60 fps nd a1080P, without latency getting in the way and ruining your fun. No other game-streaming service currently offers this level of performance.

The service is launching with 60-plus games available to dip into as you like on NVIDIA SHIELD, with something to match every gaming mood. It packs big-name action games such as Borderlands, Red Faction: Armageddon, Dead Rising 2 and Bionic Commando, alongside more adventurous titles like Alan Wake, Brutal Legend, Psychonauts and The Vanishing of Ethan Carter.

Batman- Arkham Origins

If you’ve a taste for racing games then you’re spoiled for choice, with the likes of GRID 2, MotoGP 15, F1 2010 and Toybox Turbos leading the pack. If arcade action is more your thing then you’ll find PixelJunk Shooter, Astebreed, Ultra Street Fighter IV and Street Fighter X Tekken.

And if NVIDIA has plans to set itself up as the Netflix of gaming then it’s on the right track, with a bunch of series available to provide the gaming equivalent of box set binging: three of the Batman Arkham series including the critically acclaimed Arkham City, a whole swathe of LEGO games, two helpings of Darksiders and, best of all, The Witcher 2 with this year’s blockbuster, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt on GeForce NOW.

The Witcher 3

That’s hundreds of hours of gaming on-demand, and there are plenty more games to follow: look out for Mad Max, Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor and LEGO Jurassic World in the near future. Check out the full list of games here.

Naturally you’ll need a reasonably strong Internet connection to make the most of it. NVIDIA recommends a minimum broadband speed of at least 10Mbps, and a SHIELD-Ready 5 GHz Wi-Fi router, to stream at 720p resolution and 60 fps (frames per second). A minimum connection speed of 25Mbps is required to stream at 1080p resolution and 60 fps.

NVIDIA_SHIELD_Android_TV

You’ll also need to get your hands on an NVIDIA SHIELD. The latest model, SHIELD Android TV, is a beast of a set-top box powered by NVIDIA’s Tegra X1 processor that’s built for high-end gaming and absolutely perfect for getting the very best out of GeForce NOW. It’s also a full-featured home entertainment hub that can pump out 4K video and 7:1 surround sound. It comes complete with its own high precision controller, and it’s available now with prices starting at $199.

You can join GeForce NOW for a reasonable price of $7.99 a month with the first three months available to try out for free. To find out more about how GeForce NOW enables you to enjoy gaming instantly, without all the hassle of discs, downloads, installations and patches, get more details here.

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20
Oct

Facebook’s Instant Articles comes to all iPhones


OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

In a blog post and at WSJD Live, Facebook has just announced that Instant Articles will now be available for all iPhone owners, with an Android beta rolling out starting today. That means that even more people will be able to read Instant Artlcles — full news stories directly from the publisher — right in their Newsfeed. An Instant Article link will have a lightning bolt icon at the top right corner. Facebook’s Chief Product Officer Chris Cox said on stage that you’ll start to see thousands of Instant Articles everyday.

As was announced earlier this year, Instant Articles are designed to load, well, instantly and often feature rich media like videos and photos. Few publishers initially signed up for it, but now Facebook says dozens more are on board — they include CNET, CBS News, Business Insider, Hollywood Reporter, Mashable, Huffington Post, Vox Media and more. Earlier last month, the Washington Post even announced that it would make every one of its articles available as Instant Articles.

According to Cox, one of the reasons Facebook is so keen on Instant Articles is because it makes the mobile experience so much better. Instead of waiting for a page to load, the story will be right there — Instant Articles typically load about 10 times faster. The company has always been bullish on improving the mobile experience, so this is yet another attempt at that. It all fits within Facebook’s core philosophy of being both a “directory” and a “medium,” says Cox.

Cox also touched a little bit on Facebook’s diverse products. Messaging allows for more expressive and fun ways of communicating, while Groups and Events are for a larger audience. Nice photos go on Instagram, while Facebook is for a video of your kid dancing, he said. In the end, he sees Facebook as a suite of products that people can use everyday. “Daily use is an important measure of value,” he said.

Source: Facebook

20
Oct

The Ora-X smart headphones include a flippable AR display


Google Glass was, by all accounts, a spectacular flop in the eyes of potential consumers. Now, another company hopes to succeed where Google has failed by incorporating an AR display into a device people are far more familiar with: over-ear headphones.

They’re called the Ora-X and are the first product from Optivent, which is launching a $150,000 Indiegogo campaign today. The Ora-X, which initially debuted as a concept piece at CES last January, is essentially a wearable tablet. The device is powered by Android 4.4 (Kitkat) and is capable of both running standalone apps or streaming media from a Bluetooth-enabled device. Like Glass, the Ora-X is controlled via a touchscreen mounted on the right ear cup, though the screen can be flipped over for left-handers as well. Its full-color AR screen offers a 22 degree field of view, which is the equivalent of looking at a 70 inch display from 15 feet away. Additionally, the Ora-X mounts an autofocusing, forward-facing video camera on the screen arm, which will allow users to capture POV video.

The early prototype that Optivent showed me during a recent demo at the Engadget San Francisco office was still pretty rough and only offered limited functionality but the concept seems well-founded at least. The image quality of the screen won’t be overtaking your Mac’s Retina display anytime soon but the version I saw played music videos from YouTube with surprising clarity and minimal flicker. Also neat is the fact that you don’t have to break your natural line of sight to use the screen, as you would with Google Glass. Since the screen is completely transparent, you can overlay whatever you’re watching directly in front of whatever you’re looking at (note: driving, riding or even running with these things on is a very bad idea).

The headphones themselves are powered by 50 mm drivers. Perhaps the coolest feature is that the entire headset can run independently of other devices, which means that it’s not simply an extension of your phone like the Apple Watch but a fully-functional complimentary device. Once the company opens its API to third party developers (assuming it gets funded, of course) I’m excited to see what sort of novel uses people find for it.

Source: Optivent (Indiegogo)

20
Oct

Giphy cuts out the middleman with DIY GIF-making


Tired of fruitlessly searching the internet for the right GIF? Find an immensely-giffable clip but don’t have the m4dl33t Photoshop skills necessary to actually create it? You are in luck because Giphy has unveiled a new online Gif-creation tool called GIFmaker that does all the heavy lifting for you.

https://player.vimeo.com/video/142306245

The process, as described in the video above, is pretty straightforward. You simply drop in your desired YouTube link or generic video URL, set the start and stop points, type in a caption and let the program do its thing. Users can also add tags, source URLs and even adjust the image’s privacy settings. From there, it’s simply a matter of uploading the file onto Giphy or unleashing it on your sure-to-be-impressed social media followers.

Source: Giphy

20
Oct

Apple Pay Now Supports HSBC and Over 70 Other Issuers in U.S.


Apple updated its Apple Pay participating issuers list today with 75 additional banks, credit unions and financial institutions supporting the contactless payment service in the United States. Apple Pay now has over 600 participating issuers nationwide, and several more plan to support the NFC-based mobile payment service in the future.

Atrium-Buffalo-NY-HSBCHSBC Atrium in Buffalo, New York
HSBC, one of the ten largest U.S. banks, highlights the complete list of Apple Pay participating issuers. As a disclaimer, it should be noted that some smaller banks, credit unions and financial institutions listed may have already had support for the contactless payments service and are only now being reflected on Apple’s website.

The full list of new Apple Pay participating issuers is ahead. Read more »

20
Oct

HTC announces the One A9 with guranteed 15 day Google software updates and so much more



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HTC took to a different kind of stage today to announce the new HTC One A9 smartphone. the presentation wasn’t all about specs, although they did touch on the audio amplier in the headphone jack and the AMOLED display with Gorilla glass 4. Instead they focused on a plethora of other perks. We will get to all the official specs when we have a bit more time later tonight. For now, here are some of the details that might interest you.

The HTC One A9 unlocked version of the device is set to be available for pre-order today through HTC.com. I just looked and didn’t see it yet, so be patient. The unlocked version goes a bit further than most. HTC states it is SIM unlocked and will support all carriers, much like the Moto X Pure Edition does. It goes beyond just sim unlocked though, as the bootloader can be unlocked. Nothing new there, however unlocking the bootloader on the One A9 will not void your warranty. That is pretty stellar news. The unlocked variant also gets Uh-Oh protection to cover your device from accidents too.

HTC One A9 (3)


The other huge news that just might give HTC a step up on this device was update timelines. HTC is committing to pushing out whatever version of Android Google puts on their Nexus line to the HTC One A9 with-in 15 days of it going out. That makes the HTC One A9 the first ever non Nexus device, or Play Edition device, to gain the latest Android OS in an exceptionally fast timeline. As the announcement hinted, the One A9 is launching with Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box as well.

If you are wanting to get your pre-order in for the new HTC One A9, unlocked, you will be looking at an introductory price of $399.99. You will have the choice of Opal Silver or Carbon Gray, with Deep Garnet and topaz Gold coming in a few weeks.

I caught a bit more during the drive to work, like SD card support, but those were the initial things that really hit my brain as important. Of course specs, battery life, actual camera results and more are going to be important as well. I will get more put together later in the day for everyone. If you don’t want to wait on me, head over to the HTC One A9 page for all the details and get a pre-order in.

The post HTC announces the One A9 with guranteed 15 day Google software updates and so much more appeared first on AndroidSPIN.

20
Oct

Sphero Review: BB-8 Is a Must-Have Toy for Star Wars Fans


Sphero’s been making iPhone-connected ball-shaped robotic toys since 2011, and while the company has been successful with the original Sphero and the Ollie, it stumbled on a major hit this year with the launch of the BB-8, a Star Wars branded iPhone-controlled droid.


BB-8 is based on the droid from the upcoming movie Star Wars: The Force Awakens. It combines Sphero’s existing robotic ball technology with the Star Wars universe, a marriage that’s resulted in the most appealing, advanced Sphero toy to date.

Sphero’s BB-8 has a fun backstory and was designed with help from Lucasfilm. Throughout the development process, Lucasfilm provided Sphero with details on BB-8, feedback on the design, and the iconic sounds that bring the toy’s personality to life.

The “real” BB-8 can be seen in the Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer

Hardware and Design

Design wise, the BB-8 consists of a robotic ball, similar to the original Sphero, and a droid head that fits onto the ball using magnets. Under the head, there are a set of wheels that allow it to move around and stay in place on top of the body of the BB-8 while it is in motion.


BB-8 is about the size of a baseball and fits in the palm of a hand. If you have a Sphero already, the body of the BB-8 is the same size as the Sphero ball. The head is about the size of half a ping pong ball and is adorned with two ornamental antennae. The body and the head are both made of a smooth plastic and there are LEDs inside that allow BB-8 to light up. This is a pretty durable plastic – even when BB-8 slammed into walls, it remained undamaged. Plastic is breakable though, and it’s still worth being gentle with BB-8.
Read more »

20
Oct

The HTC One A9 is finally official, costs $399.99 for a limited time


HTC-One-A9-press-hero

It goes without saying, the HTC One M9 was a big disappointment. But now HTC is here to try and redeem itself with the HTC One A9, a 5-inch Android 6.0 smartphone. The Taiwanese-company this time around is following the path of Motorola and offering its device unlocked for a “promotional price” of $399.99.

Of course, that’s not to say HTC is ditching carries. On the contrary, the One A9 will be making its way to all four US carriers, with one model covering AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint. Another model will be available at Verizon, covering a different set of bands for the carrier.

Here’s some of the specs the One A9 is sporting:

  • Snapdragon 617 Octa-core CPU
  • 5-inch Super AMOLED 1080p display
  • Gorilla Glass 4
  • 3GB of RAM
  • 16/32GB of internal storage
  • microSD support
  • 13-megapixel rear camera with OIS
  • Front 4MP UltraPixel camera
  • HTC BoomSound
  • 2,150mAh battery
  • Android 6.0

The HTC One A9 will launch worldwide the first week of November. You’ll have to look at your respective carriers for specific pricing and availability, but if you’re looking at buying the One A9 unlocked, you’ll be able to get it straight from HTC for the aforementioned promotional price of $399.99. It will be available in Topaz Gold, Carbon Gray, Opal Silver, and Deep Garnet, varying by market, of course.

HTC-One-A9-colours

Is the HTC One A9 the savior the Taiwanese-based company needs? We’re not entirely sure just yet. The One A9 is certainly an identical clone of the iPhone 6, and hardly meets the specifications we’ve come to expect from flagships. But does HTC really have the marketing power of Samsung or Apple to get the One A9’s name out there? We’ll have to wait and see.

Those interested can pre-order the device here for the $399.99. HTC did call it “promotional pricing” so it will presumably get more expensive in the near future.

Press release below.

NEW YORK – Oct. 20, 2015 – HTC today unveiled the latest addition to the award-winning HTC One family, the HTC One A9. Melding the best of HTC’s acclaimed design and innovation with the latest from Google’s Android, this is a stunning, no-compromise smartphone that stands out from the crowd. Built for people who want a better choice, the HTC One A9 is a smartphone that combines striking design on the outside with the newest features of Android 6.0 Marshmallow with HTC Sense on the inside to create an unrivaled smartphone experience.

“HTC is a smartphone pioneer, having delivered the first Android smartphone, the first Windows smartphone, the first 4G smartphone, and the first all-metal smartphone,” said Cher Wang, chairwoman and CEO, HTC. “Today we’re taking that heritage of innovation to the next level, unveiling a phone that stands apart in a market increasingly dominated by a company which controls every aspect of your phone. The HTC One A9 breaks from this trend by offering an incredible design, fantastic performance, cutting-edge software features and the freedom to take full control of your smartphone experience.”

Metalmorphics: A new standard of all-metal design excellence

An evolution of the iconic HTC One family design, the HTC One A9 draws on the natural beauty around us, by using rich, striking colors and unique finishes – an approach called “metalmorphics.” New curves, refined edges, and precision-cut ridges on the power button flawlessly combine with the super-thin metal frame giving the phone a natural and lightweight feel. The elegant dual finish, available in a Carbon Gray, Opal Silver, Topaz Gold and Deep Garnet1, is painstakingly brushed with hairline detail and bead-blasted before the sides are polished, giving additional depth and richness that is unique in the smartphone market. Finally, in a stunning fusion of metal and glass, a 5-inch, edge-to-edge, 2.5D Corning® Gorilla® Glass 4, Full HD AMOLED screen cascades into the metal frame, giving you brighter and more vivid colors for brilliant graphics and gaming, even in direct sunlight. 

Unleash your inner photographer

Your best camera is the one you use whenever the moment strikes, so it should be able to capture stunning shots in any situation. The HTC One A9’s front and rear cameras, coupled with powerful yet simple editing tools, mean epic photos and videos are only a tap away. Its main 13MP rear camera features Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), which automatically minimizes hand shake and corrects vibrations to give you a crystal-clear picture every time. Meanwhile, the front UltraPixel camera delivers the best self-portraits in any lighting condition, using HTC’s UltraPixel sensor to capture 300% more light than conventional smartphone cameras.

With the HTC One A9, no detail is too small. Offering an optional Pro mode to capture the perfect photo without being a photography expert, you can also save photos using RAW capture – a tool used by professional photographers – for an unmatched level of detail and post-shot editing flexibility. Or you can keep things simple with Photo Editor’s one-button enhancement feature, which automatically brightens colors and sharpens edges for unbelievably clear and crisp photos2.

Sometimes a still photo just isn’t enough. With the HTC One A9’s Hyperlapse editing tool you can speed up your videos to 12 times as fast for a dramatic time-lapse effect, creating an immersive video that perfectly captures the moments that matter. Speed through your video or use capture mode to edit in slow motion, highlighting those unforgettable memories. Or use HTC Zoe to easily and automatically mix your best shots and videos into one professional-looking highlight reel that can be shared with friends and family to tell the story of any moment from every angle.

Awesome audio: music the way it’s supposed to sound

Game changing audio has always been core to the HTC One family – the HTC One A9 delivers amazing sound quality, with HTC BoomSound™ integrated into the headset combined with Dolby Audio™ surround technology3, delivering immersive, vibrant sound that matches a live experience in your headphones by taking high-resolution audio to the next level4. With a built-in DAC that delivers audio at 24-bit, 192KHz quality – better than CD quality – it provides a richness and depth like you’ve never before heard from your music collection. A powerful high-output headphone amplifier, with double the output of other handsets, provides more power and dynamic range so you can hear every nuance of your favorite music, videos and games. Optional high-resolution audio certified HTC Pro Studio Earphones deliver both noise isolation and truly immersive sound.

Cutting-edge software: Android 6.0 Marshmallow

The first non-Nexus smartphone powered by Android 6.0 Marshmallow, the HTC One A9 brings Google’s latest innovations and the simplicity of HTC Sense right out of the box. Combined with a multi-directional fingerprint scanner, Android Pay makes purchasing items as secure and as easy as “tap, pay, done.”5 Google’s Now on Tap feature also intuitively provides contextual information about whatever is on your screen – look up reviews for a movie from a text, hear a song mentioned in a blog post, or book seats at a restaurant from an email, all at the press of the home button.

With so many new features, the HTC One A9 has also been designed with all new power-saving capabilities to maximize battery life. Doze automatically turns off power hungry applications when your phone is left idle, such as when charging overnight, while App Standby knows when an app open in the background isn’t being used and shuts it down until you need it again. In addition, the phone’s new processor, AMOLED screen and support for the optional HTC Rapid Charger 2.0, for up to 75% faster charging6 are all optimized to maximize battery life throughout the day7. In real terms this means, for example, that you can play 12 hours of HD video on one charge.

Performance designed for the way YOU use your phone

Featuring the newest Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 617 processor with integrated X8 LTE and 64-bit octa-core CPUs, the HTC One A9 is designed to deliver a perfect balance of powerful performance, fast connectivity and better battery life. With support for epic LTE wireless speeds through next-generation carrier aggregation technology, it delivers more high-definition streaming videos, more pulse-pounding high-resolution audio and more storage in the cloud to hold everything your heart desires. The phone is available in both 16 and 32GB configurations and features expandable memory, supporting up to 2TB in SD card storage, perfect for storing all your apps, games, photos, music and videos.

To protect your smartphone, pair it with the HTC Dot View™ II case, available in Obsidian, Deep Garnet, Sea Coral and Turquoise Blue. Its retro-inspired dot matrix cover reveals instant notifications, weather updates, caller ID and more, even while closed, and simple gesture controls bring music, flashlight, radio and voice recording tools closer than ever.

The HTC One A9 and accessories will be available worldwide, both at retailers and at htc.com, beginning November 2015. 

U.S. Availability

In the U.S., the HTC One A9 will be available across multiple carriers and retailers. They will announce colors, availability and pricing for their respective channels.  In addition, HTC will be making a special Unlocked edition available on www.HTC.com. This edition will be SIM Unlocked and will also allow you to unlock the bootloader without voiding your warranty, giving our customers an even greater level of freedom. And, in order for customers to experience our best-in-class sound quality, this version will come with 6 months of unlimited music on Google Play Music and UH OH Protection, which includes one free replacement within the first 12 months of ownership for a cracked screen, water damage or carrier switch.  You can pre-order the HTC One A9 on htc.com today for a special, limited time promotional price of $399.99 and it will be available in Opal Silver and Carbon Gray initially. Deep Garnet and Topaz Gold will be made available in the coming weeks.

Come comment on this article: The HTC One A9 is finally official, costs $399.99 for a limited time

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20
Oct

HTC One A9 first impressions


The latest smartphone offering from HTC, unveiled earlier today, may be the latest addition to the company’s One series, but that looks to be mostly in spirit, given that this new device features quite the departure from the flagship line. What does this smartphone bring to the table? We find out, with this first look at the HTC One A9!

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The HTC One A9 may feature a full metal unibody construction like the rest of the One family, but that is where the similarities in terms of design end. The One A9 now comes with rounded corners and sides, that do contribute to the handling experience, and the back is also a lot flatter, compared to the curved rear of the HTC flagships. Of course, with a 5-inch display, the device offers a handling experience that is better than what is available with most other smartphones out there, given their larger screen sizes.

htc one a9 first impressions aa (5 of 45)

The entire phone has a very symmetrical look, and everything is centered on the back. Up front is where you will notice a new button that houses the fingerprint reader, under the still available black HTC bar. Despite there being a large slit up front above this display, another rather surprising omission this time around is the dual front-facing BoomSound speakers, which has been a signature HTC element until now. There is, instead, a single bottom-mounted speaker to be found, which is enhanced by Dolby, but the experience may no longer be the same with the new placement, even if more testing is of course, required before we jump to any conclusions.

htc one a9 first impressions aa (26 of 45)

Next to the speaker is the microUSB port and the headphone jack, that comes with its own hi-res audio enhancements as well, which HTC claims should provide a far better audio experience with earphones compared to any competing devices out there. On the right side is where all the buttons are to be found, with a textured power button placed below the volume rocker. On the left are the two slots for the SIM card and the microSD card.

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There’s no getting around the fact that the HTC One A9 looks a lot like the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s, and the handling experience is quite similar as well, with the One A9 being slightly thicker, but featuring the same symmetrical design and rounded corners and sides that we’ve seen before with the iPhone. HTC did mention that although it may seem like the inspiration did come from Apple’s camp, the use of metal has actually been HTC’s design choice first. Further, given that the One A9 is being touted as a solid alternative to the iPhone, it may not be a bad idea to have some of the design choices that people tend to like about the Apple smartphones.

htc one a9 first impressions aa (10 of 45)

Despite all of that, it is up to you as to whether you like the look of the HTC One A9. There are a few color choices available with this device as well, including a lighter silver color, and one that is called deep garnet, a dark red color that looks really good.

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On the display front, the One A9 comes with a 5-inch AMOLED display with a Full HD resolution, resulting in a pixel density of 441 ppi, and the display is protected by a Corning Gorilla Glass 4 panel. AMOLED displays are known for their high saturation, and that remains the case here, but you do also have the option to change the saturation levels in the Settings, by changing it to sRGB mode.

htc one a9 first impressions aa (23 of 45)

The display looks really good overall, and while it may not come with a Quad HD resolution, which is more or less becoming the standard, 1080p is more than enough on a display of this size, and the viewing experience is still very enjoyable, with there being no problems with this screen thus far.

htc one a9 first impressions aa (11 of 45)

Under the hood, the One A9 comes with an octa-core 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 processor, backed by the Adreno 405 GPU and 2 or 3 GB of RAM depending on the in-built storage option you opt for. It may not be the faster Snapdragon 810, but what this processing package allows for is compatibility with Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0, which will be available with the device in the coming months.

htc one a9 first impressions aa (21 of 45)

As mentioned, there is no dual front-facing speakers to be found here, which is quite disappointing, especially if you are someone who uses the device for media-consumption and gaming without headphones. With our without headphones, you do get Dolby enhancements that allow for a good audio experience overall. More testing will be necessary, but the main story here is that the front-facing speakers has been left out this time around.

htc one a9 first impressions aa (34 of 45)

16 GB or 32 GB of on-board storage is available, which also dictates whether you get 2 GB or 3 GB of RAM, with the base 16 GB model coming with 2 GB of RAM. Expandable storage via microSD card is to found as well, with support up to 2 TB, which means that storage will certainly not be of concern with the One A9.

htc one a9 first impressions aa (37 of 45)

Up front is the fingerprint scanner, integrated into the button that can also be used as a home button, even though there are on-screen navigation keys as well. After registering a fingerprint, using it is as easy to leaving your finger on the button, which should wake up the device and then unlock it. It may not be the fastest fingerprint reader that we’ve tested thus far, but it is still very reliable, and using a fingerprint scanner remains one of the better ways of quickly unlocking your device. The scanner is also compatible for use with Android Pay, for that added layer of security when making mobile payments.

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The One A9 comes with a non-removable 2,150 mAh battery, which does sound very small given the current scheme of things, but the battery life should be helped by the lower resolution display, the more battery-friendly processing package, and the various battery saving features baked into Android 6.0 Marshmallow. The big draw here is when it comes to the fast charging capabilities of the One A9, and while Quick Charge 2.0 is available out of the box, a future update will allow it to go up to Quick Charge 3.0, making it one of the first devices to be able to support that.

htc one a9 first impressions aa (28 of 45)

Despite numerous experiments by HTC when it comes to the camera, this has still been one of the negative aspects of previous HTC flagships. HTC is still in search for a great camera setup, and are certainly hoping that the updated package found with the One A9 is the answer. On the back is a 13 MP unit with optical image stabilization, and the device also comes with a front-facing 4 MP “Ultrapixel” camera, which should allow for some nice self-portraits in low light conditions.

htc one a9 first impressions aa (43 of 45)

Taking a look at the camera application, there are a couple of new shooting modes to be found here, including the return of a Pro Mode that also allows for shooting in the RAW format, as well as a hyperlapse mode. The images we’ve been able to take thus far have looked pretty good, and we will certainly be putting this camera to the test in an upcoming camera shootout and the comprehensive review.

htc one a9 first impressions aa (29 of 45)

On the software side of things, the HTC One A9 comes with Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box, with the latest iteration of HTC’s Sense UI on top. This version of Sense has been dialed back quite a bit, and provides the feel of a stock Android experience, while retaining the signature look and elements of the UI from before, like Blinkfeed. With Marshmallow on-board, features like Doze, Google Now on Tap, and App Permissions are all to be found here.

Specifications

  HTC One A9
Display 5.0-inch AMOLED display
1920 x 1080
Gorilla Glass 4
Processor 64-bit octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 617
RAM 2/3GB
Storage 16/32GB
MicroSD Yes, up to 2TB
Connectivity Bluetooth 4.1
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 & 5 GHz)
3.5 mm stereo audio jack
micro-USB 2.0 (5-pin) port
Fingerprint scanner Yes
Sound Dolby Audio and Hi-Res Audio
Software Android 6.0 Marshmallow
HTC Sense
Camera Rear: 13MP with sapphire cover lens, f/2.0 aperture, OIS
Front: HTC UltraPixel, f/2.0 aperture, fixed focus
Battery Non-removable 2150mAh, Quick Charge 2.0 (forward compatible with Quick Charge 3.0)
Dimensions 145.75 x 70.8. x 7.26mm
143g
Colors Opal Silver, Carbon Grey, Deep Garnet, Topaz Gold

Gallery

So there you have it for this first look at the HTC One A9! The One A9 will be priced at $399, which is certainly an impressive price point for a device that is a part of the flagship HTC One line. This device does allow for the feeling that HTC is trying some new things, and while the design may be quite similar, and the removal of front-facing speakers a disappointment, these are all aspects that aid in the inclusion of some new features, which HTC is hoping will make for a compelling smartphone.

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