HTC has introduced its flagship smartphone the HTC One M9+, crowding the premium phone category in India which already has the likes of Samsung Galaxy S6 and the iPhone 6.
So does the phone, priced at Rs 52,500, make the cut?
Watch: HTC One M9+ Review
What’s Good?
After Apple, HTC is the only other company that knows how to craft beautiful smartphones. The HTC One M9+ is no different.
The M9+ will remind you of the HTC One M8 launched last year in terms of design but then if you look closer you find the difference. The grip of the phone has improved and the paint quality on that metal body looks top-notch. The HTC One M9+ is heavier than the iPhone 6 (129 grams) but it feels reassuringly sturdy in your palm. And at 168 grams, it isn’t really a heavy phone.
The power button on the right side also makes it easy to use with one hand. The front BoomSound speakers now come with Dolby’s sound technology making them even more loud and clear.
The HTC M9+ sports a 5.2-inch Super LCD3 capacitive touchscreen display with a 1440x2560 pixel resolution. It is a display that you expect on a flagship smartphone, the colours are balanced and the display does not strain your eyes. The outdoor visibility is also better on this device as compared to the M8.
The Android 5.0L Lollipop experience coupled with HTC’s new Sense 7 UI is seamless and non-intrusive.
The phone comes powered by a Mediatek 2.16GHz octa-core SoC (System on Chip) with PowerVR G6200 GPU backed by 3GB RAM. The phone is super fast and handles multitasking with ease.
The AnTuTu benchmark test on our device gave a score of 51,839 which is pretty high for a flagship device. Though the device is fast and responsive it feels just like a minor upgrade to the HTC One M8.
Though there are issues with its rear camera (see below for more on that), the One M9+ really comes into its own when it comes to the selfie camera. And here’s why: HTC has placed its 4 MP ‘Ultra-Pixel’ camera upfront. HTC pushed for the Ultra-Pixel technology in rear cameras but it never really took off. It’s finally found a home as a selfie camera on the M9+.
The HTC One M9+ also comes loaded with a non-removable 2,840 battery. In real world usage, which includes watching videos, clicking photos, browsing on 3G, connecting to a smartband via Bluetooth, it easily lasts you a day.
The HTC One M9+ delivers a better battery performance than the iPhone6 but not as great as a Samsung Galaxy S6. But lasting a day easily after a full charge is pretty impressive in today’s day and age for a powerful smartphone.
What’s Bad?
HTC uses a metal body frame on their flagship smartphones and when you use them for longer duration the phone starts heating up. Heating issues are prevalent on the HTC One M9+ as well. If you play games like Real Racing 3, expect your palms to feel the heat.
We’ve already said the phone has a great selfie camera, but the rear camera on the HTC One M9+ is a disappointment. The phone sports a duo camera at the back (20.7 megapixel + 2.1 megapixel) with a dual tone flash. Sure on paper that sounds great but, sadly the cameras do not deliver on image quality.
The Samsung Galaxy S6 has got a far superior camera than what you will find on the HTC One M9+. The image results are washed out at times and the camera also lacks the ability to focus quickly while capturing moving subjects.
The low-light image quality is distorted. Still HTC has an improved camera considering that the Ultra-Pixel cameras on their earlier models were really bad.
There is also a fingerprint scanner on the HTC One M9+. Sadly, its performance is not even close to the one on the Samsung Galaxy S6, leave alone the touch ID of the iPhone.
Why Buy it?
HTC One M9+ is a beautiful looking smartphone that has performance by its side. Still the phone will always leave you wanting for some more. It’s a step up from the HTC One M8 but it still lands on no man’s land, between an M8 and the Samsung Galaxy S6.
The M9+ is not a complete flagship smartphone but just a minor upgrade. It heats up, the camera is average and priced at Rs 52,500, it’s about Rs 3,000 more expensive than the entry-level model of the Samsung Galaxy S6.
Sure it is a good smartphone in terms of performance but not good enough. The wise thing to do would be to wait for the HTC One M9 to come to India. For now even the HTC one M8 Eye would do the job for you.
Watch: First Impressions HTC One M9+
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