Samsung may have stolen much of the spotlight yesterday with the Galaxy S6, but HTC’s One M9 flagship smartphone had its highly-anticipated unveiling as well. HTC’s previous flagship was one of the most gorgeous smartphones released last year. So gorgeous, in fact, that the company basically just took the design of the One M8 and equipped it with better hardware. This has been met with mixed responses, but the specs are undeniably impressive.
Listen to HTC talk about its flagship One smartphone, and you’ll hear a tale of heartfelt passion and commitment. No detail too small, no effort too strenuous. Look at the actual product of the company’s labors, however, and you’ll wonder where the year of work since the previous One has gone. On the surface, the One M9 is difficult to distinguish from the One M8 preceding it. The display’s 1080p resolution and 5-inch size haven’t changed, and neither have the BoomSound speaker grilles that surround it. The brushed aluminum case also looks thoroughly familiar, which is quite intentional from HTC. The Taiwanese company wants to “build an icon” around an instantly recognizable and widely appreciated design, the same way that Porsche and Volkswagen have done with their cars.