HTC One M9 Release: What You Should Know

As we approach the March 1st announcement and possible release date of the HTC One M9 rumors are starting to heat up. Everything from leaked specs and details, to concept render images based off of designs that have leaked over the past few months. In the past week more things have came to light, and below is what prospective buyers should know about the HTC One M9 and it’s potential release date.

After a successful HTC One and HTC One M8 in 2014, the company is looking to built on that success with an all-new smartphone in the first half of this year. It is codenamed the HTC Hima, but will most likely be released as the HTC One M9 in the next month or so.

Read: HTC One M9 Leak Could Show Final Design

The first rumors started floating around in September of last year with concepts and other light news, but over the past month the rumors have gone into overdrive. One leakster confirmed the specs with some leaked benchmarks, and Bloomberg reportedly talked to someone close with the matter and revealed many of the specs which match earlier reports. Below is everything buyers should know.

In 2014, the HTC One M8 was rumored for months and leaked enough times that we knew exactly what to expect come the March 27th announcement date. There were no surprises. We heard HTC had plans to keep the new HTC One M9 under wraps, but that isn’t working out so well. Even though they had some decoy units out, we’re hearing these photos are the real HTC One M9.

We’ve already seen leaks of the specs as well as some potential confirmations of those, images surfaced recently, and Bloomberg has already learned a few small details about the One M9 and are sharing them with the public.

Release Date

The release date is essentially the final and only remaining mystery, and we’ll go over everything else below. While we’re still not 100% on the design and some of the specs, as things are always changing or being redesigned, it’s safe to say the final design has been done for a while and being manufactured in time for the release date.

Last year the HTC One M8 was announced and released on March 27th, all on the same day. Something no other Android manufacturer does, and even beating Apple’s announcement and one week later release schedule. That said, the day-one launch was outside of the US, and only Verizon Wireless offered it on March 27th. Other US carriers had to wait until April before offering the smartphone.

This year, we’re hearing light whispers of a similar plan but with a more aggressive approach. HTC has already announced they’ll reveal the phone on March 1st, and it’s highly likely that will be the release date too. Beating the Galaxy S6, LG G4, and other smartphones to market in 2015. If March 1st is indeed the release date, expect more rumors over the next two weeks before the launch date arrives.

Display

First up is the display, since that is an extremely important aspect of this device and something all buyers look at. As for the HTC One M9, we’re hearing it could come with a larger 5.5-inch Quad-HD display to battle the competition, but we’re also hearing it will be a 5-inch screen like last year. The latest photos though, show an edge-to-edge glass display that could better showcase a 5.5-inch screen without making the device bigger than last year. So we’re leaning towards this being a 5.5-inch or 5.3-inch device.

Samsung’s Galaxy S5 has a 5.1-inch 1920 x 1080p HD display, one that received awards last year for being the best on the market. If the HTC One M9 is still 1080p it may not be able to match it, but all rumors are pointing to an improved 2k 2560 x 1440 Quad-HD display for the One M9. That will top last years Galaxy S5 and be on par with the incoming Galaxy S6. Below is a recent concept image made based on leaks.

Of course these are all only rumors for now, but with strong evidence based on photos of the HTC One M9, it looks like they’ll keep the screen at a decent size for portability and not to alienate current HTC One fans.

All said and done we’ll just have to wait and see what HTC delivers when they announce the HTC One M9, but we have a feeling these will still be a closer match than many expected, even with the improved internals of the HTC One M9 which we’ll get to below.

Design

The design was rumored to be nearly the exact same as last year with some minor changes to the rear camera and button placement, but if HTCSource is correct with its statements, the new HTC One M9 will look much different than the last two released.

HTC has removed the large aluminum and black bar bezels, and the HTC One M9 will have an edge-to-edge glass display, with both front facing boomsound speakers being redesigned in a smaller space at the top and bottom edge of the device. This makes for a much cleaner look, and less bezels, allowing for nearly all screen real-estate.

The photo above is the latest image to leak, and the first one claiming to be the real smartphone, and not a decoy unit or a concept render. It looks drastically different than previous years, and one that many buyers should be excited about. Rumors state the same all aluminum design will be included, with the same three color options as last year. Those being silver, black and gold.

HTC moved the power button to the right side below the volume rocker, and replaced a rocker with two dedicated volume buttons for ease of use. The design has similarities to the new iPhone 6, but either way it still looks very sharp. This could be the best phone of the year.

Specs

From what we’ve been hearing, and now reportedly confirmed by Bloomberg, the HTC One M9 will be an impressive flagship smartphone with many key features of the M8, only better. They mentioned an improved front and rear camera, a blazing fast processor, better audio (when they already offer the best) along with a sleek new design.

While specs and hard numbers aren’t extremely important, it’s something many buyers are interested in. Below are the details based on leaks, benchmark tests, and the latest rumors.

HTC One M9 Specs (Rumored)

• 5.5-inch 2560 x 1440 Quad-HD screen (edge-to-edge glass front)
• 2.3 GHz 8-core Snapdragon 810 processor (64-bit)
• 3GB of RAM
• 32GB of internal storage and a micro-SD slot for expansion
• 20.7 MP rear facing camera and 4 Ultrapixel front shooter
• Android 5.0.1 Lollipop and HTC Sense UI 7.0
• Dual HTC Boomsound Speakers with Dolby 5.1 Audio Technology
• 2,880 or 3,000 mAh battery
• more

The biggest changes here are the 8-core processor, the 20 megapixel rear camera, the replacing the front facing camera with a 4 Ultrapixel lens for better selfies. Not to mention what could be a major redesign of the front face of the device. All of this lines up with previous rumors, meaning all we need now is more confirmations and some actual real photos of HTC’s new smartphone, not decoy units.

US Carriers

As we mentioned above, Verizon had a big lead and quick exclusive on the HTC One M8 last year, and we could see something similar here in 2015. The HTC One M8 was released on all five major US carriers, as well as smaller regional and pre-paid options and the same will likely hold true to the One M9 release. Expect it to be available from all sources in the United States.

At this point all we really need is some leaks of the final design or the actual smartphone, as well as carrier announcements or information regarding when this impressive new smartphone will be available to the public to buy. Many original HTC One (M7) owners are likely ready for an upgrade after signing 2-year contracts, and it could arrive just in time to attract buyers and steal some customers from the Galaxy S6 and LG G4.