Plastic variant of HTC One M9+ spotted
Recently spotted in the TENAA certification database, China’s equivalent of the FCC, a new device from HTC appears to be a plastic version of the HTC One M9+. The HTC One M9+ is a slightly larger and more powerful version of the HTC One M9. Inexplicably, HTC only makes the bigger device available in Asian market despite interest from Western market buyers. The device that was spotted in TENAA carried the model name “M9e” and it is unclear where it may land.
According to the documents that are available, the HTC One M9e mirrors the HTC One M9+ hardware and specs with only a couple exceptions. The new device does not have HTC’s duo camera setup and it is unclear as to whether it has a built-in IR blaster.
Being constructed with plastic rather than metal means HTC will likely price the phone at a more affordable price than their top-tier devices even though it should mostly match flagship class devices in terms of performance. There is still the ever present question of whether it can escape Asian markets and offer an alternative for buyers in Western markets who want a bigger device from HTC than what is currently offered without sacrificing performance.
Come comment on this article: Plastic variant of HTC One M9+ spotted
Plastic-clad M9e could be yet another One M9 variant
HTC is working on a new member of the One M9 family. The “M9e” looks like an economy version of the One M9+, sharing most of the specs, but swapping metal in favor of a plastic body.
The One M9+ launched in early April in Beijing, as a bigger and arguably better version of the M9 targeted primarily at China and India. The device comes with a 5.2-inch Quad HD LCD display, a 64-bit MediaTek Helio X10, 3GB of RAM, and a 20MP main camera featuring a depth sensor just like the M8. On the front, the M9+ features a touch-based fingerprint sensor.
The HTC M9e, spotted by Engadget Chinese in China’s TENAA certification database, features the same fingerprint sensor on the front, but the back is dual-tone plastic, and there’s no secondary depth sensor.
The specs that can be gleamed from the regulatory docs suggest the M9e is identical to the One M9+, save for the lack of the depth sensor.
There’s no official info on this device yet; the use of plastic could result in a lower price tag, but it remains to be seen if M9e will ever make it outside of Asia.
Provided the M9e is indeed coming to market, we have to question why HTC feels the need to release another device that looks a lot like the E9+, which also features a plastic body and BoomSound speakers. Thoughts?
HTC’s plastic M9+ variant will be a compelling flagship
HTC’s all about its One M9 in the West, but we know many of our readers would rather have the slightly bigger and more powerful M9+. While chances of the latter device escaping Asia are slim, a mysterious plastic variant dubbed “M9e” brings us new hope, courtesy of China’s TENAA certification database. With the exception of the missing Duo Camera, this model shares the same face plus specs with the M9+: 5.2-inch Quad HD display, 2.2GHz octa-core processor (likely MediaTek’s), 3GB of RAM, 20-megapixel main camera (with dual-tone flash), UltraPixel front imager, microSD card expansion and fingerprint reader. What’s uncertain is whether the IR blaster is still present at the top, but regardless, it’s safe to assume that HTC will be offering this plastic device with a more affordable price — probably one that’s not far off from the even bigger E9+.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, HTC
Via: Engadget Chinese
Source: TENAA
The HTC One Mini 2 won’t receive a Lollipop update
If you own an HTC One Mini 2, we regrettably have some bad news for you. Earlier today, the Taiwanese company announced that it will not be rolling out the much-anticipated and eagerly-awaited Android 5.0 Lollipop update to the handset as its convinced the “software will not provide an optimal experience”.
Don’t worry, though. If you’re relatively tech-savvy and want to get your hands on the firmware, you could always download and sideload a custom ROM. There’s plenty to choose from, and, more often than not, they include additional features that don’t ship as standard on Android.
Source: Twitter
Come comment on this article: The HTC One Mini 2 won’t receive a Lollipop update
The one-year old HTC One Mini 2 won’t be getting Lollipop
The One Mini 2 is yet to celebrate its first anniversary (it was officially launched on May 15, 2014), but HTC is eager to make it forgotten, at least when it comes to updates.
In reply to a customer question on Twitter, HTC announced that the One Mini 2 won’t be getting Lollipop, as updating it to the newer Android version would not result in an “optimal experience.”
@EdoardoBerti We determined that Lollipop on the One mini 2 will not provide an optimal experience; it isn’t scheduled to receive the update
— HTC (@htc) April 27, 2015
With 1GB of RAM and a Snapdragon 400 1.2GHz processor, the One Mini 2 is indeed relatively poorly endowed in terms of specs. Then again, Motorola has been doing a solid job issuing Lollipop for the first-gen Moto G, which features the same processing package. HTC’s Sense software is probably harder on the system than the Moto G’s stock-like OS, but we’re still unconvinced that HTC really couldn’t make it work.
The One Mini 2 was HTC’s compact version of the One M8, featuring Android 4.4 KitKat, a 4.5-inch HD display, a quad-core processor, 16GB of expandable storage, a 2,100 mAh, and a 13MP rear camera.
The One M7 is another device that HTC is ready to leave behind, though the company hinted it may reconsider its decision to not update the former flagship to Android 5.1.
The HTC One M9 can finally capture uncompressed images
Look, sometimes it takes a little while for things to reach their full potential. Or does it? In our review of the HTC One M9, we talked about how lackluster the smartphone’s camera is, especially when compared to rival flagships like the iPhone 6 and Samsung Galaxy S6. That said, HTC has released an update to its standalone camera app that will make quite a few people happy. Available now on Google Play, this version of the HTC Camera is finally getting RAW support, which will let those of you with an M9 start capturing uncompressed image files — unfortunately, that’s the only device compatible with the new feature. You can grab the refreshed app right now — and once you’ve taken it for a spin, be sure to share your thoughts with us.
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, HTC
Source: Google Play
Galaxy S6 Edge vs Huawei P8, Honor 6 Plus & HTC One M9 blind camera comparison: vote for the best phone
There’s an age-old saying that the best camera is the one you have on you and most manufacturers seem to have gone back to focusing on their cameras. In the past, cameras were a playground with most OEMs banking on higher megapixel counts to sell their handsets to customers, but in recent years, we’ve seen the specs war move to processors and displays.
In the past year, we’ve now seen manufacturer refocus their efforts on their smartphone cameras in a bid to offer an experience that can rival the excellent images captured by the Apple iPhone. Yet with some focusing on megapixel counts, others using advanced sensors and some focusing on software optimisation, which smartphone has the best camera?
On a recent trip to Malta for the IFA 2015 GPC, we decided to put this to test and armed with the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, Huawei P8, Huawei Honor 6 Plus and HTC One M9, we decided to use the stunning backdrop of Malta for this camera shootout.
AA camera shootouts:
.rvs_wrapper
width: 335px;
.rvs_wrapper.align_left
float: left;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center,
.rvs_wrapper.align_none
width: 100%;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center
text-align: center;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
float: none;
display: inline-block;
vertical-align: top;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos:not(.align_none) ul li:nth-child(2n+1)
clear: both;
.rvs_title
font-weight: 600 !important;
margin: 0 !important;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right .rvs_title
padding-left: 20px;
.rvs_title a
font-family: ‘Roboto Condensed’;
color: #3a3a3a;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
padding-top: 10px;
.rvs_wrapper.align_left.cbc-latest-videos ul li,
.rvs_wrapper.align_none.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 15px 0 0;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 0 0 15px;
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 7px;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a
font-weight: 400;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a .yt-thumbnail
margin-bottom: 0;
@media only screen and (max-width : 480px)
.rvs_wrapper
width: 100%;
text-align: center;
#page .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 7px;
display: inline-block;
float: none;
vertical-align: top;
Unlike previous camera shootouts, we’ve decided to let YOU decide which handset wins this shootout. We’ve got eighteen scenes for you to choose from below and all four handsets captured the scene under the same conditions. From daylight to lowlight and crops to nighttime, there’s a collection of scenes designed to put the capabilities of each camera to the test. There may be slight differences with the crop and people walking through each image as Malta was open to all, but we’ve done our best to make this as fair a fight as possible.
What you need to know before casting your vote is that we’ve removed the EXIF data from each image and cropped them to make it near impossible to determine which handset captured each image.
With this in mind, we’re asking you to scroll through each of the galleries below and then vote in the poll under each scene for the handset you think took the best image. We’ll keep this open for 7 days and in a week’s time, we’ll tally up the votes and reveal the winner.
Scene 1
These first few scenes are from Valletta, the capital city of the small republic of Malta. This scene was shot upwards from the ground and the images then cropped to provide the same view of the Bank of Valletta building.
#gallery-1
margin: auto;
#gallery-1 .gallery-item
float: left;
margin-top: 10px;
text-align: center;
width: 50%;
#gallery-1 img
border: 2px solid #cfcfcf;
#gallery-1 .gallery-caption
margin-left: 0;
/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
Scene 2
Captured at ground level, this scene features a still flag and it’s an interesting test of whether a smartphone camera can capture the flag colours and position while also capturing the rest of the scene around the flag.
#gallery-2
margin: auto;
#gallery-2 .gallery-item
float: left;
margin-top: 10px;
text-align: center;
width: 50%;
#gallery-2 img
border: 2px solid #cfcfcf;
#gallery-2 .gallery-caption
margin-left: 0;
/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
Scene 3
This scene was mainly taken because it features the Wembley Store. Yes, a shop with the name of a town in North West London found in the capital city of Malta. Strange right?
#gallery-3
margin: auto;
#gallery-3 .gallery-item
float: left;
margin-top: 10px;
text-align: center;
width: 50%;
#gallery-3 img
border: 2px solid #cfcfcf;
#gallery-3 .gallery-caption
margin-left: 0;
/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
Scene 4
In this scene, we can see a building with ancient Greek style columns and the interesting thing about this scene is that it tests whether the depth of field of each smartphone. Can it capture the detail of the tree in the foreground and also capture the building details and colours in the background?
#gallery-4
margin: auto;
#gallery-4 .gallery-item
float: left;
margin-top: 10px;
text-align: center;
width: 50%;
#gallery-4 img
border: 2px solid #cfcfcf;
#gallery-4 .gallery-caption
margin-left: 0;
/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
Scene 5
The next scene takes us to an Bibliotheque – which houses written works dating back nearly 900 years – with a statue of Queen Elizabeth in front. The statue was a gift from ladies in Malta to the Queen of England and sits pride of place in the heart of the city.
#gallery-5
margin: auto;
#gallery-5 .gallery-item
float: left;
margin-top: 10px;
text-align: center;
width: 50%;
#gallery-5 img
border: 2px solid #cfcfcf;
#gallery-5 .gallery-caption
margin-left: 0;
/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
Scene 6
From Queen Elizabeth to a square which houses parliamentary building. As you can see, the theme of Greek-style buildings is apparent throughout Malta and this scene proves an interesting test of just how much detail the smartphone camera can capture in such a wide-angle shot.
#gallery-6
margin: auto;
#gallery-6 .gallery-item
float: left;
margin-top: 10px;
text-align: center;
width: 50%;
#gallery-6 img
border: 2px solid #cfcfcf;
#gallery-6 .gallery-caption
margin-left: 0;
/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
Scene 7
From outside, we move in and specifically, we move into the Manoel Theatre, which is rated as one of the top ten attractions to visit in the capital city. The ceiling has a stunning design and this image is a crop of the chandelier that takes pride of place.
#gallery-7
margin: auto;
#gallery-7 .gallery-item
float: left;
margin-top: 10px;
text-align: center;
width: 50%;
#gallery-7 img
border: 2px solid #cfcfcf;
#gallery-7 .gallery-caption
margin-left: 0;
/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
Scene 8
One of the best things about Malta is that it’s an island surrounded by water everywhere and as such, there’s lot of water-based activities and sights. Here we’re at the edge of Valletta and are greeted by some stunning stone-based architecture that looks fantastic.
#gallery-8
margin: auto;
#gallery-8 .gallery-item
float: left;
margin-top: 10px;
text-align: center;
width: 50%;
#gallery-8 img
border: 2px solid #cfcfcf;
#gallery-8 .gallery-caption
margin-left: 0;
/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
Scene 9
From Valletta to the complete outskirts of Malta and the scene of the IFA 2015 GPC Gala Dinner. Naturally, this provided an entirely different view of Malta so the smartphone shootout continues with this water feature.
#gallery-9
margin: auto;
#gallery-9 .gallery-item
float: left;
margin-top: 10px;
text-align: center;
width: 50%;
#gallery-9 img
border: 2px solid #cfcfcf;
#gallery-9 .gallery-caption
margin-left: 0;
/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
Scene 10
The aim of this scene is to capture detail in the palace buildings which are located some distance away. We’ve kept the full scene instead of cropping in so you can see how much noise appears in each photo as you zoom in.
#gallery-10
margin: auto;
#gallery-10 .gallery-item
float: left;
margin-top: 10px;
text-align: center;
width: 50%;
#gallery-10 img
border: 2px solid #cfcfcf;
#gallery-10 .gallery-caption
margin-left: 0;
/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
Scene 11
From wide-angle shots with lots of focal points to a single focus – this stunning building. Here we have an ancient building located high up in the mountains – which smartphone camera manages to capture the finer details?
#gallery-11
margin: auto;
#gallery-11 .gallery-item
float: left;
margin-top: 10px;
text-align: center;
width: 50%;
#gallery-11 img
border: 2px solid #cfcfcf;
#gallery-11 .gallery-caption
margin-left: 0;
/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
Scene 12
The purpose of this scene is simple – can it capture the detail of the grass fields, the sky and the forestry in the background? A stunning view that many would like to capture so which is the best camera to capture this type of scene?
#gallery-12
margin: auto;
#gallery-12 .gallery-item
float: left;
margin-top: 10px;
text-align: center;
width: 50%;
#gallery-12 img
border: 2px solid #cfcfcf;
#gallery-12 .gallery-caption
margin-left: 0;
/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
Scene 13
It wouldn’t quite be a smartphone camera shootout without some close up shots and as I was walking by this statue, I noticed this cockroach just poking out. This is a close-up shot that’s been further cropped and look out for the camera which manages to capture both the stone, the statue’s foot and the cockroach itself.
#gallery-13
margin: auto;
#gallery-13 .gallery-item
float: left;
margin-top: 10px;
text-align: center;
width: 50%;
#gallery-13 img
border: 2px solid #cfcfcf;
#gallery-13 .gallery-caption
margin-left: 0;
/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
Scene 14
From close-up grossness to another look at buildings and this stunning building which was the scene for our Gala Dinner. Look out for the detail and colouring of the stone building and this scene is quite a good test for the colour reproduction on the handset.
#gallery-14
margin: auto;
#gallery-14 .gallery-item
float: left;
margin-top: 10px;
text-align: center;
width: 50%;
#gallery-14 img
border: 2px solid #cfcfcf;
#gallery-14 .gallery-caption
margin-left: 0;
/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
Scene 15
In this scene, we’ve taken a portrait photo from afar and then zoomed in to feature this stylish outdoor area. As people were moving in front of the camera, the images may slightly differ but the concept is the same across all four. Look out for the detail on the stone, the dome above it and the red IFA boxes (you’ll definitely want to click on these pictures to see the full scene as below is just a thumbnail).
#gallery-15
margin: auto;
#gallery-15 .gallery-item
float: left;
margin-top: 10px;
text-align: center;
width: 50%;
#gallery-15 img
border: 2px solid #cfcfcf;
#gallery-15 .gallery-caption
margin-left: 0;
/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
Scene 16
If you’re with us so far, good on you and you’ll be happy to know, we’re almost at the end! The penultimate gallery is the same area as above but a few hours later when it was lit up with the IFA red. This is a good test of how each smartphone camera is able to handle a mass of colour at night and the results are certainly quite interesting.
#gallery-16
margin: auto;
#gallery-16 .gallery-item
float: left;
margin-top: 10px;
text-align: center;
width: 50%;
#gallery-16 img
border: 2px solid #cfcfcf;
#gallery-16 .gallery-caption
margin-left: 0;
/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
Scene 17
The last scene is one of my favourite – it’s the same as the scene above but around the side where we’ve got some steps lit up in red. In front of them is the IFA 2015 sign, which is not lit up at the moment but a few minutes later, was the main attraction in a stunning fireworks display. Look out for how each smartphone camera manages to capture the IFA 2015 text (you may need to zoom in a little) as there’s very little lighting.
#gallery-17
margin: auto;
#gallery-17 .gallery-item
float: left;
margin-top: 10px;
text-align: center;
width: 50%;
#gallery-17 img
border: 2px solid #cfcfcf;
#gallery-17 .gallery-caption
margin-left: 0;
/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
Wrap up
And there you have it, a rather in-depth and interesting (at least I think so) blind camera shootout between the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, Huawei P8, Huawei Honor 6 Plus (with the unique dual 8MP cameras which capture 13MP images) and the HTC One M9.
Which do you think won? Be sure to cast your vote in the poll and let us know which device you think is the best in the comments below! We’ll reveal the overall winner in a weeks’ time so stay tuned!
// <![CDATA[
(function () document.getElementsByTagName('body')[0]).appendChild(opst); ());
// ]]>
Now check out the full reviews:
.rvs_wrapper
width: 335px;
.rvs_wrapper.align_left
float: left;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center,
.rvs_wrapper.align_none
width: 100%;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center
text-align: center;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
float: none;
display: inline-block;
vertical-align: top;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos:not(.align_none) ul li:nth-child(2n+1)
clear: both;
.rvs_title
font-weight: 600 !important;
margin: 0 !important;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right .rvs_title
padding-left: 20px;
.rvs_title a
font-family: ‘Roboto Condensed’;
color: #3a3a3a;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
padding-top: 10px;
.rvs_wrapper.align_left.cbc-latest-videos ul li,
.rvs_wrapper.align_none.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 15px 0 0;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 0 0 15px;
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 7px;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a
font-weight: 400;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a .yt-thumbnail
margin-bottom: 0;
@media only screen and (max-width : 480px)
.rvs_wrapper
width: 100%;
text-align: center;
#page .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 7px;
display: inline-block;
float: none;
vertical-align: top;
HTC posts $11 million profit in Q1 of 2015, expects higher revenue in Q2
HTC has posted their quarterly earnings for Q1 2015, and things look decent for the company. Revenue sat around $1.36 billion, up from $1.08 billion last year, and HTC actually managed to turn a profit instead of a loss like they did in the first quarter of 2014.
They only pulled in $11 million in profit, which isn’t massively successful, but anything is better than their $66 million loss from their previous first quarter.
HTC expects to bring in around $1.5 billion next quarter, so hopefully the HTC One M9 helps the company maintain profitability.
source: HTC
via: Android Central
Come comment on this article: HTC posts $11 million profit in Q1 of 2015, expects higher revenue in Q2
HTC Camera updated with raw image support for the One M9
The HTC One M9 now supports raw image files taken with its camera. The Raw Camera mode comes along with three other features that are also included with the latest HTC Camera app update. The app’s icon has been updated for the One (M8) and Desire EYE, too.
What’s New
– Raw Camera mode, only available on the HTC One M9
– Crop-Me-In mode, only available on the HTC One (M8 EYE) running Android 5.0 Lollipop and the HTC Desire EYE
– Adjustable divider in Split Capture mode
– Add and remove camera modes
The same trio of devices are also seeing the HTC Gallery app be updated. Check out the changelog:
What’s New
– Powerful adjustment tools in the new Photo Editor
– Stylish special effects: Shapes, Photo Shapes, Prismatic and Double Exposure
– Eye-catching animated effects: Elements
– Pinch to change views in the Timeline
– Image Match now searches photos for similar faces in One Gallery
Come comment on this article: HTC Camera updated with raw image support for the One M9
HTC INK campaign debuts with limited edition One M9 from supermodel Jourdan Dunn
Supermodel Jourdan Dunn has an HTC One M9 design to call her own. The company debuted its HTC INK campaign earlier today and Dunn is its first global embassador. The HTC INK campaign focuses on expanding the “definitions of beauty” by offering limited edition One M9 designs.
To encapsulate the exact design that Dunn wanted, HTC had the supermodel collaborate with tattoo artist Cally-Jo Pothecary.
Here is what the main logo, seen above, portrays:
The open hand and eye symbolize the need for protection and strength while still being open and approachable in personality and style. The natural leaf elements and patterns around the outside of each visual reflect the growth in creativity that Jourdan is feeling at this time, and the sun and moon together represent balance and harmony in her character.
Availability of HTC INK-related devices has not yet been clarified.
Source: HTC
Come comment on this article: HTC INK campaign debuts with limited edition One M9 from supermodel Jourdan Dunn
AIVAnet 
