HTC One A9 review: Where have you been HTC?

After spending much of the summer tossing about the rumor mill, HTC last week unveiled its One A9. Touted as a hero experience, many in the smartphone space were initially looking for a be-all-end-all flagship model. What they got in the end was a mid-range model that plays in the same sandbox as the Motorola Moto X Pure Edition.

HTC has had a rough go at things over the last few years, partly because it has opted for the same design language nearly three straight times. And, while this might work for another company, it has come to haunt HTC. The A9 represents a shift in thought and a new approach to its smartphones.

Design

Let’s just get this out of the way: The HTC One A9, quite simply, is a breath of fresh air. It is easily the most appealing device HTC has offered up in the last few years.

Based on the leaked renders and early pre-release pictures, I, like many other people, feared it would be yet another uninspired design from HTC. “Hey look, it’s an obvious HTC design. Oh, and it happens to look like an iPhone.” Well, I was wrong and I couldn’t be happier. Pictures of this device do not do it justice. You have to hold this one in feel it to see that it is unlike the last two generations of HTC devices.

The fusion of metal and glass and general design language is a departure from the things we have seen in M series and it couldn’t have come any sooner.

It is sleek and polished and feels like a premium device, perhaps even more so than the last two or three flagships. If anything, it feels new. In other words, it doesn’t feel like yet another visit to the One M well.

Quite simply, this one feels like it can take a little bit of abuse and not stuff or scratch too easily. I feel safer having this one exposed and without a case than I do with, say, a Galaxy S6. I get the sense it will handle pockets and purses better than the all-glass or metal hybrids of its competition. Of course only time will tell.

From the moment I picked the One A9 up I was impressed with the device. The first thing I noticed was that it was totally flush (except for the ring around the rear camera). Unlike the One M7-M9, which had the curved back, this one goes back to the classic rectangular and angular shape.

I was concerned by this design choice; I am a fan of the Motorola Moto X models and the way the curve lends to better and more natural in-hand experience. HTC nailed it with this one as I do not miss the curve around back.

The front of the device is pure white with Gorilla Glass protection snuggled on top of it. The screen certainly does not feel like it wants to shatter with just a simple drop. I get the sense that the One A9 will take have no problems taking a little bit of abuse.

The right side of the device houses the volume rocker and the power button. The power button has ridges in it (like a Ruffles potato chip) that make it easily identifiable, particularly without looking. It feels rough but not overly rough and signals you’ve found the one you’re looking for.

On the left side of the device you will find the microSD card slot and the SIM card slot. Indeed, HTC has opted to identify them, labeling each clearly. If the internal storage is not enough for you, the phone will support up to 2 terabytes of additional storage.

The front of the device offers a single speaker at the top center with the front facing camera just off to the right. The BoomSound technology is not here; there is no dual front-facing stereo speaker this time around. Do I miss that? Hardly.

No matter how good or how much better than other smartphones the speakers were on previous HTC models, I simply do not enjoy the music playing from a phone. I prefer to use Bluetooth speakers for louder listening or headphones for a more intimate experience.

Performance

The home button has a fingerprint scanner which can unlock the device or secure applications, purchases, and other apps. The buttons are soft keys with the left button being “back”, the middle “home”, and the right button for recent apps. You can also press the hardware button to return home so there are two potential home buttons. That is, of course, if that is how you want to tailor your device.

I found the home button fingerprint scanner to be very fast. I would pick up the phone and press the button for a fraction of a second and it unlocks. To be clear, it’s not so much of a button as it is a sensor.  As a whole the capacitive button is quick, accurate, and it is never a nuisance.

Looking through the phone I found that users can put up to 5 fingerprints on the device. So, if you want to use both thumbs or perhaps a spouse or someone you trust, you can add them, too.

Given the phone has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 processor with 3GB I didn’t expect the One A9 to be a zippy. Multi-tasking proved no problem and the handful of moderately graphic intense games I tossed at it weren’t an issue. It’s not the same as a Snapdragon 810 or 820, sure, but it keeps the price down.

Display

The display is so much better than I anticipated. That could be because of previous HTC models we tested, including the Desire 626. Switching to an AMOLED screen was the right thing for HTC to do and it looks great. Color is sharp, vibrant, and accurate.

Compared to other flagship smartphones we found this to be as good, if not better than other models at this price point. It’s a 1080p image so it does fall shorter of the 2560 x 1440 pixel stuff you’ll find in higher-end phones.

As to how it fared outdoors, the phone was easy to read in even the brightest of environments. I had the display all the way up in some instances, but as a whole, it was easy to see. Lines were defined, colors were still vibrant, and the experience was better than expected.

The 5-inch display is the right size for me as I do not have a large hand. While I do appreciate the screen size of a Samsung Galaxy Note 5 or something that pushes into the 5.7-inch space, it is simply not easy to operate with one hand. To me, this is the perfect size for a phone. Yes, I wish there was smaller bezel to trim the sides of the display, but it’s not a deal breaker. Were HTC to trim this down a smidge, I imagine the phone would actually feel long in-hand.

Camera

The camera performs very well and captures color accurately. A few images captured in broad daylight had some blown out white, but nothing that concerned us. As a daily driver, camera-in-a-pinch situation I was happy in most cases.

Just as you’ll find with any smartphone, low light situations will throw things for a loop once in a while. I couldn’t quite figure it out, but there were times when evening shots and low-light were very noisy and then times when it came out just fine.  I was never irritated with the quality of image but found a few instances where I think the picture could have been better.

The One A9 employs a fast shutter and there are plenty of options to play with if you like to capture in a specific mode. Users can opt for Hyperlapse, slow motion, HDR, and more. It’s also dead simple to toggle over to RAW image files, leading to a more professional image.

The front-facing Ultrapixel camera performed admirably, even in a situation where the only light source was a tablet on the desk. It’s not as wide as you’ll find in other smartphone cameras but can gather up a small group shot.

Click here for a full gallery of camera samples hosted on Google Photos. Note that most images were shot either with HDR on or off and some with flash. You’ll not find anything using the pro or manual settings.

As part of the smartphone configuration, it’s possible to enhance the experience with gestures or short cuts. Hold the phone sideways and press the volume up, for instance, and the One A9 will launch directly into the camera. Yes, even if you have a fingerprint or security PIN on your phone. After the pictures are taken you cannot do anything else. Try to go into another application and the phone will ask you for the security password, the PIN, or fingerprint authentication.

Sound

The sound from the single speaker is par for the course. Unlike the stereo stuff from other HTC models, the speaker is found on the bottom of the phone and it does broadcast downward. It’s not overly rich or full of range, but I’ve heard far worse.

The built-in amplifier, however, is incredible. If you’re a plug-in headphone sort of user then you’re going to love this one. I tested this with some of HTC’s Pro Sound earphones and was more than moderately impressed. The sound that comes out of this 3.5mm jack must be heard to be believed. I cannot wait to try other more professional sneakers headphones with this phone.

Battery

The One A9 includes a non-removable 2150mAh battery so it’s definitely on the lower side of things when compared to flagships. The Moto X Pure Edition, for instance, includes a 3000mAh power source.

On a positive note, the Android 6.0 Marshmallow feature includes Android Doze, which helps get more life out of your batteries, regardless of capacity. The battery is capable of Quick Charge 2.0 so it juices up quicker than older models. A future software update will enable Quick Charge 3.0 which means even faster top-off speeds.

Interestingly enough, HTC elected to not use USB Type C charging, despite its native support in Android 6.0. But, given I don’t have any replacement cables or anything for my car just yet, I am glad they stuck with the traditional microUSB plug. Another year from now, and when it’s cheaper to buy extra cords, and I might have cared more here.

I’ve found that I get to the end of day without having to charge the One A9. Indeed, even at the 2150mAh capacity, it’s doing quite well. As a frame of reference, it’s currently 3:00PM and I’ve had the phone off the charger for nearly six hours. I’m sitting comfortably at 77% left and I have yet to enable power saver or extreme power saving. Suffice it to say, you should be able to get through your day without worry.

Software

I absolutely love that this phone launched with Android 6.0 Marshmallow. As the first non-Nexus smartphone on the market with this version of Android, this is a true feather in HTC’s cap. The handset maker should be proud that it has this on the market so quickly after Android 6.0 was released.

Thanks to Marshmallow, One A9 users can enjoy stuff like native fingerprint reader support, Google Now on Tap, Android Pay, and Doze. It’s the latest and greatest from Google and HTC hasn’t done anything here to muck it up.

The model that I reviewed is an unlocked version so it is not tied to any specific carrier. I put in a T-Mobile SIM card and have been using it for the last few days with service delivered as expected. Along those lines, this phone did not have any of the pre-loaded carrier applications. The suite of apps, games, and services will vary from provider to provider but I cannot speak to them from personal experience.

It’s not a stock experience by any stretch, but it does not feel overwhelmingly bloated. The Sense UI is still here, but it feels like it takes a little bit of a back seat. Indeed you can customize this with themes, fonts, wallpapers, and other settings. I like that the phone walks you through the initial setup and hands you off when ready for a little more advanced configuration.

The BlinkFeed is a great tool for people who are just getting into smartphones and/or social media. A swipe to the left delivers news and social streams in a sharp, intuitive layout. Those of us who prefer specific apps for Twitter, Facebook, and other services may not care so much for BlinkFeed, but it’s an excellent all-in-one feature for newbies and basic users.

As someone who is quick to install Nova Launcher Prime on his phone, I was a little bit more reluctant this time to do it so early on. I enjoyed playing around with the settings and configurations that HTC offers. I venture to guess that average consumers will really like the tweaking and modding available that doesn’t require advanced education or previous experience in this area.

Installing new themes is a breeze and can change up the entire feel of your phone within a matter of minutes. HTC does a great job of curating a variety of themes, ensuring it doesn’t feel like a dump of lookalike layouts. There’s something for everyone.

Perhaps the best software feature, if only in theory, is that HTC promises incredibly fast turnaround on software updates for the One A9. According to the handset maker, the One A9 will see the next versions of Android within 15 days of it being made available to Google Nexus line. We’ll see if HTC can stick to its guns, but we’re anxious to find out.

Conclusion

I am a huge fan of the $400 price that HTC is offering right now. Although it is a promotional/limited-time offer, it’s one I have no problem endorsing. How much higher can they get away with? I’d say $500 is about as much as HTC can afford to ask. But…

As to what you receive for the money, it’s quite the bundle. Not only do you get an unlocked phone that you can use with any GSM carrier, you also have the ability to unlock the boot loader without voiding the warranty. This doesn’t mean much to average Joe types, but those who like to tinker and push their phone to new limits will take pleasure in this.

Factor in the Uh-Oh Protection that comes with HTC flagship phones and the six months of Google Play Music All Access and you have one of the most appealing packages on the market. As much as I admire the Moto X Pure Edition at the same price, this one has a little more of the intangible stuff that offers peace of mind. And, because it’s a tad smaller, the One A9 is more pocketable and easier to use with one hand.

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It is not clear which color options will be available to which carriers, but I can tell you that the Opal Silver finish is sharp and eye-catching. I at once want to protect this thing with the studiest of protective cases, yet I don’t want to cover up any of it.

Does it look like an iPhone? Of course it does. What it doesn’t look like, however, is the last three years of HTC designs. And, let’s face it, how much can you innovate on this type of design? I applaud HTC for this model and really hope that it takes this design forward. I don’t want to see this over the next three years, mind you, but I would love to see at least one or two generations and variations of this look.

I have truly enjoyed carrying his phone around for the last few days and I’m quick to reach for it over my other phones.  I’m also going to be quick to recommend this one to you and anyone else interested in a new smartphone.

The post HTC One A9 review: Where have you been HTC? appeared first on AndroidGuys.

Hands-on: The HTC One A9 is a surprisingly great device with great potential

HTC recently announced their latest device to the world, the HTC One A9. The rumors and leaked press images were pretty spot on, as they usually are. More details were revealed from HTC during their non-traditional device unveiling live stream event. Most notably was that it is the first non Nexus device to carry Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box. Since its announcement I have been utilizing one as my daily device. Now, I won’t call this is review, as 4 days of usage can’t really give a solid amount of information. None the less though, there is still plenty to talk about for anyone that is considering this as their next device.

Basic Specs: 

• Size: 145.75 70.8 x 7.26 mm
• Weight: 143 g
• Screen: 5.0 inch Full HD 1080p display covered by Corning Gorilla Glass 4
• CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 octa-core 64-bit processor
• RAM: 3GB (in this model)
• Storage: 32GB (in this model), 2TB micro SD support
• Android version: 6.0 Marshmallow
• Battery: 2150mAh with Qualcomm QuickCharge 2.0 that is upward compatible to QuickCharge 3.0
• Rear Camera: 13MP sapphire cover lens, auto-focus, BSI sensor, OIS, f/2.0, 1080p video
• Front Camera: HTC UltraPixel, fixed focus, f/2.0 and 1080p video

Physical appearance

Let’s get that proverbial Elephant in the room out-of-the-way. Yes, it looks a lot like an iPhone. Moving right along. The HTC One A9 is a unibody metal device, which is something HTC has been doing for a number of years. The rear offers up a brushed aluminum finish that is subtle and smooth. It features rounded edges that makes holding it very nice.

HTC did away with the Boomsound front facing speakers that many loved about the One M series and opted for a more traditional downward facing speaker. It isn’t as loud as Boomsound, but certainly has some volume to it. HTC didn’t stray from their dedication to sound as the headphone jack is amped up 24-bit Dolby Digital output that delivers 192KHz output.

On the rear you find your 13MP camera flash positioned in the top center of the device. The small ring that protects the sapphire glass cover protrudes ever so slightly and is almost nonexistent. Unlike the Samsung Galaxy S6, which sticks out quite a bit.

On the front at the bottom is a new addition for HTC, a finger print sensor. It is oval-shaped and is likely to remind you of Samsung’s home button. A simply tap on the button quickly and securely unlocks your device if you opt to use it as such. You will need to set it up if plan to use Android Pay in any fashion. It is both quick and centrally located. I am anti finger print to unlock my device, but I set it up to see how well it worked out. I logged 4 fingers and never once did I have an issue getting into the device. It is also worth mentioning that it is a sensor and not a physical button, but it does double as a home button from any screen and will wake up the device even if you don’t use it for its finger print focus.

The volume rocker sits above the power button on the right hand side of the A9. They both feel like well crafted aluminum buttons with the power button sporting ridges to help you feel which button you are pressing.

On the left of the device, near the top, is where you find two separate trays. One is for the nano SIM of your choice and the other is for your micro SD card. I have a 128GB SanDisk card inserted currently and have no issues with the device reading its size and all its files. The SD slot is an important addition if you plan to jump into RAW photo shooting as they are quite large.

Battery Life

A major concern that surfaced after the initial announcement was the battery size, 2150mah, and how long it would power through a day. While the battery may seem small, it is only 400mAh less than Samsung put into their Galaxy S6 with a better battery managing Android OS, less pixel pushing screen and less power sucking processor. Since my current time with the device has been a little short for a true battery life test result, the few days I have used the phone has been nothing short of outstanding.

The first full day of use left Bluetooth on and connected to the Moto 360 2nd gen. I was using Wi-Fi at work quite a bit, but shut it off midway through my day and was on T-Mobile’s 4G LTE network. I connected 3 email accounts, G+, Hangouts, and Google photos. I used the flashlight function for a few minutes and set up the usual apps for casting like Plex, HBO Now and Netflix. The damn thing made it through the entire day, nearly 16 hours, with an estimated 40 minutes remaining before I finally had to call it quits. During that time there were texts, phone calls, emails, and all the usual things I do with a screen on time of 3.5 hours. As for screen brightness, I was on approximately 33 – 40% brightness, which was more than enough to see clearly.

It is also important to note that the first full day didn’t make use of the power saving mode at all. At least not by choice. The device did turn it on for the remaining 15%. I am almost scared to see what it can do if I switch it on for a full day of use. I will definitely do it in the coming days and report back though.

I did fail to test out the QuickCharge aspect of the battery. I don’t think many of you have any real big concerns over the charging of it. At least, anyone that has used a QuickCharge capable device in the last year. Again, something I will touch on later in the week.

Camera

The camera is another concern of many as HTC has had a rather rocky history in that field. The rear shooting 13MP camera offers a heck of a lot for the average shooter to the professional. HTC saw fit to make sure this device could shoot in a Photoshop junkies favorite mode, RAW. It even comes pre-loaded with a photo editing app to help move things along. My concerns were geared primarily towards how the camera shots would look and how user-friendly the camera app would be. For me, I want quality photos from every shot with minimal effort. I am not a photographer, but I like taking pictures. If it takes to long to focus, or to open the camera app at all then it is a no go for me. Both the camera and the app put my fears to rest in a hurry.

The app is easy to navigate and understand. HTC doesn’t overlay a million options on the screen that are confusing or taunting. You can quickly switch between camera modes simply by swiping across the screen versus having to open a menu. Here are a few screenshots of what the app looks like for your visual studying.

As for how the images come out, I took a few shots, but not as many as I would have liked. Time just didn’t allow for much between the family and the day job. My thoughts though are that the focus point is extremely quick and accurate on the rear shooter. HTC states the camera app launches in 0.6 seconds. The shutter speed is also quick and without the delay I have experienced on past Motorola devices with HTC listing it at 0.1 second shutter. A quick snap on my way to the car of the tree in the front yard shows some good colors that cover the spectrum. The first image is just a point-and-shoot shot while the second was with HDR turned on.

HTC’s Ultra Pixel camera on the front is pretty outstanding in low light and since it is the module used as the front shooter you can expect some pretty bright selfies even in the lowest of light conditions. The image below was taken while writing this last night. The only light that is present is a dimmed down monitor and a TV in the background. While I don’t look happy to be up this late, I am certainly clearly visible.

Another addition to the HTC camera on the A9 is a Hyperlapse option. This mode lets you take long video and shorten it up into a quick time lapse video.

Stock Apps and Settings

HTC dumbed things down considerably with the One A9. Pulling a lot of apps out of the mix that you usually find on a Sense overlay device. It took the Sense icons and some of the attributes that make it stand out as Sense, but it is very clean.

There are only two pages of apps pre-installed. Granted, a number of them are pre-set to folders. You can see HTC’s Zoe app, Help, Themes and News Republic are present. Along with the Photo Editor and Setup app.

In the settings menu you have a number of small settings beyond your typical device changes. Under Display and Gesture > Motion Launch gestures you will find a page right out of LG with a double tap to wake and sleep option. Easily explained as tapping the screen twice when it is asleep and it turns it on. Similarly double tap to put the device to sleep. You can also enable swipe to unlock, which lets you swipe up on the screen when it is asleep to unlock it. There are a couple of others like swipe left to unlock and go to home screen, swipe right to unlock and go to Blinkfeed and pull up the phone in landscape and press the volume button to activate the camera. All of the motion launch gestures are rather useful.

Quick thoughts

While the HTC One A9 isn’t geared towards a flagship killer, it certainly packs more than enough punch for most users. Over the course of 4 days I have experience no lag, no abnormal battery drain issues or a dead battery during a day of normal use. I am sure someone who is constantly playing games and on social media will experience a bit more drain than I did, but as I said before, this is my experience with the HTC One A9. I do feel a bit like a traitor using it as it does look and feel like an iPhone enough to make people do a double take. Might be fun to say it a proto type iPhone 7 and that they are switching to the Android OS. Hey, Blackberry did it, so I am sure someone would believe me.

It is quite interesting to me that even after such a short time, I find myself wanting to stick with this little guy over my Galaxy S6 and even the Moto X Pure Edition. The screen is plenty crisp, the photos come out good and the battery lasts exceptionally long. To add to the perks, it comes with HTC Uh-Oh protection to cover your device from accidental breaks, it is network unlocked and unlocking the bootloader won’t void your warranty. Toss in their dedication to roll out Android updates within 15 days of the Nexus line getting them and it is shaping up to be a solid mid-tier competitor with the smaller form factor that many really want in their hands.

Pricing

The HTC One A9 is currently up for pre-order through HTC.com for an introductory price of $399.99. That price is said to go up to $499.99 on November 7th. If you have been thinking about getting your hands on one, but have been waiting for the verdict from users, I say go grab one now before the price increase.

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