HTC M9 Review Pt. II - AnandTech - Things aren't looking up

[ilikemacandpc]

The One M9 Review Part II at AnandTech Goes Really Bad for HTC

 

Overall, further testing of the One M9 basically confirms my fears, which were that the One M9 is effectively a sidegrade of the One M8 at best. I really did want to like this phone, as I still find the One M7 to be a great phone to use. I really wanted to see a phone from HTC that was worthy of an upgrade from the One M7, but the One M9 isn’t that phone. In fact, given that the One M8 is at least 200 dollars cheaper than the One M9 on contract, I find it incredibly difficult to recommend the One M9. It will definitely have its fans, but overall there are more negatives than positives. Given the competitive positioning of the One M9, the timing of the Snapdragon 810, and the strength of the Galaxy S6 I’m faced with an intense sense of déjà vu. It almost feels like we’re back where we started 3 years ago with the Sensation and Galaxy S2. I can't think of a better way to describe the situation HTC is in, which is alarming to say the least. The One M9 can't be another Sensation, but it feels like it is.

http://anandtech.com/show/9137/the-htc-one-m9-review-part-2

 

Well damn. This is as bad as it could have gotten for HTC. People should be allowed to expect improvement over time in mobile devices, but the M9 has demonstrated palpably worse performance than the M8 in a number of areas. The Galaxy S6 is going to whoop the M9 in the butt so bad that I'm genuinely fearing for HTC. I miss the glory days of the M7, a phone whose worst quality was the two buttons instead of three. 

 

Farewell HTC. We knew thee well...

 

Opinions?

 

(Edited title - originally was a bit too extreme)

[minibois]

Well, that's not cool, but the title is a slight overreaction. It's not the end of the world or something.

[Sidiox]

Damn that is a real shame, I thought HTC was carving a nice little niche for themselve with the M7 and M8, premium metal phones with normal top end specs. They really dropped the ball on this one, maybe they should have tried some more innovative stuff or something.

[pants18]

I'm still rocking my m7 and with my warranty expiring in november I've started scoping out the new phone market. Nothing from htc has really inspired me though, more looking forward to seeing what lg whipped together with the g4

[dragosudeki]

I personally don't mind. Unlike many, I don't upgrade my phone every time a new one comes out. Before my HTC One M8, I had the Samsung Galaxy S1. In fact, there really is no point in upgrading so often. It is sad that the M9 didn't do as well as the M8, but its not my problem since the M8 is going to stick with me for a long time. An upgrade isn't worth it unless you wait a couple of generations in my opinion. Though, it seems like every phone manufacturer is having problems with this generation of phones, with bending and now performance. Hopefully, the entire mobile phone industry isn't degrading.

[HellaflushMcSwaggins]

The Galaxy S6 is going to whoop the M9 in the butt so bad 

Wait until the LG G4 comes out, it's going to yell "SIT DOWN BITCH!" at the poorly designed iPhone 4/6 copy

[blackadder]

My m8 is damn good. Sucks they couldn't follow up with another winner. I upgrade my phone every 3 to 4 years so i only hope they are still around when i look for another in 3 years. Posting from my phone now.

[Misanthrope]

Good points: other than a larger display I don't feel I need an upgrade from my gen1 moto x

[NateGSR117]

Come on HTC, I want you to live! I still have my htc m7 in great condition and clean everyday. You can't be doing this, like at all you are already losing money like crazy for a company that use to be top dog in the smartphone space.

[Inkz]

If they just had a better camera, just a better camera and I would buy one at full retail price as soon as possible. I hope they can fix it for next year, I was let down.

[LAwLz]

Just gonna repeat what I said in the other M9 threads:

The M9 is a huge turd. It is worse than the M8 in a lot of very important areas. Do not buy it. If you want an HTC phone then buy the M8. If you want an actual good current gen phone then I recommend you wait for one to be announced.

 

I am pretty pissed at Samsung for dropping microSD and the removable back because it would have demolished all other phones on the market if it weren't for those stupid decisions.

[Nowak]

If they just had a better camera, just a better camera and I would buy one at full retail price as soon as possible. I hope they can fix it for next year, I was let down.

Honestly I woulda liked to see a Zeiss lens, like the Nokia Lumia 1520, 930 and Icon. That is a pretty great camera.

[Poohy14]

Really wanted the HTC M9 to have wireless charging and be waterproof and that would have been enough for me to upgrade from my M8 since I want those features but I guess we will have to wait for the M10 and see if they actually do things people want.

[TroubleKlef]

That's what happens when you accept excuses like "can't remove black bar cuz componentz##!!"

 

Poor engineering on HTC's part. 

[Sharkyx1]

Really wanted the HTC M9 to have wireless charging and be waterproof and that would have been enough for me to upgrade from my M8 since I want those features but I guess we will have to wait for the M10 and see if they actually do things people want.

How do you expect boomsound with waterproofing?

 

as far as the M9, i was waiting for it, but i got the M8 at christmas because of a deal going around and it being the best phone on the market at the time and being no money down, was worried for a long time that i should have waited but it seems Qualcomm screwed the pooch here and HTC is in trouble becuase of it. i doubt this will strongly affect sales one way or another in the future, 99% of people have no idea what a benchmark is and don't care, i think the metal design on the one attracts a fair number of sales

[Mew]

How do you expect boomsound with waterproofing?

 

as far as the M9, i was waiting for it, but i got the M8 at christmas because of a deal going around and it being the best phone on the market at the time and being no money down, was worried for a long time that i should have waited but it seems Qualcomm screwed the pooch here and HTC is in trouble becuase of it. i doubt this will strongly affect sales one way or another in the future, 99% of people have no idea what a benchmark is and don't care, i think the metal design on the one attracts a fair number of sales

 

Well, to be fair, Qualcomm chips have always throttled, depending on what phone it was being used in. The M8 gets 29.9fps on the first run of GFXbench and 25fps at the final run when the battery ran out, about 3 hours later. That's about a 17% decrease in graphics performance just from throttling. Of course, it isn't as extreme as the M9 and the 810, but it did exist. 

[Victorious Secret]

That's what happens when you accept excuses like "can't remove black bar cuz componentz##!!"

 

Poor engineering on HTC's part. 

 

Poor? No. SHITTY. Shitty engineering AND shitty design. 

Look at the iPhone 6+ or Samsung S6. They somehow got it figured out without needing ugly double bezels that are so large. 

[Mew]

Poor? No. SHITTY. Shitty engineering AND shitty design. 

Look at the iPhone 6+ or Samsung S6. They somehow got it figured out without needing ugly double bezels that are so large. 

 

Well, a common complaint on this forum is that the iPhones have pretty big bezels. Personally, I think the bezels on the iPhone are a fine size because it makes accessing the bottom of the screen and the home button much easier than if the bezels were extremely skinny. 

[Sharkyx1]

Poor? No. SHITTY. Shitty engineering AND shitty design. 

Look at the iPhone 6+ or Samsung S6. They somehow got it figured out without needing ugly double bezels that are so large. 

This coming from someone who doesn't engineer or design phones, your opinions are very valid and we all thank you for expressing them /s

 

Jokes aside, the bezels on the M8 and M9 are smaller than the iPhone 6, i don't know what you're talking about, the black bar is literally there for the reason you put in your post, there are actual real physical parts that need to be somewhere, the iPhone has space above and below the screen, the HTC One speakers  take up a ton of space, and Function>Form, so ill take the chinbar over shitty speakers like on the iPhone. 

I think the design is better on the One either way, i like the metal look over the white plastic/glass.

[Yoinkerman]

Honestly I'm alright with a marginal upgrade.  I shouldn't be, but I am.

 

I don't think phones are capable of being a every generation upgrade device.  A m9 would be good for someone with an old htc device, or a gs3, or iphone 4 and maybe iphone 5.

 

My GS3 is only now showing its age, and it's almost 3 years old.  There's no way I need to upgrade every generation.

[Nowak]

Poor? No. SHITTY. Shitty engineering AND shitty design. 

Look at the iPhone 6+ or Samsung S6. They somehow got it figured out without needing ugly double bezels that are so large.

The iPhone 6+ doesn't have huge bezels? Huh, funny, because every photo I've seen of it shows that it has huge bezels. As you can see here.

 

But I suppose it's okay because it's Apple right? Honestly, the amount of free passes people give Apple is astonishing.

[Ynkeeblood9]

I owned the M8 and loved it, sad I upgraded to the LGG3 since I switched carriers. Was looking forward to the M9 too bad.

[LAwLz]

That's what happens when you accept excuses like "can't remove black bar cuz componentz##!!"

 

Poor engineering on HTC's part. 

Don't get me wrong, I hate when people make excuses for things which could have been fixed, but in the case of the logo bar it really seems like they have no choice. What bothers me about the logo bar is that they could add capacitive buttons like on the M7. That way you will have more room for actual content on the screen, and that black bar actually offers functionality.

 

 

Honestly I'm alright with a marginal upgrade.  I shouldn't be, but I am.

 

I don't think phones are capable of being a every generation upgrade device.  A m9 would be good for someone with an old htc device, or a gs3, or iphone 4 and maybe iphone 5.

 

My GS3 is only now showing its age, and it's almost 3 years old.  There's no way I need to upgrade every generation.

I am okay with marginal upgrades as well, as long as there are no downgrades. The problem with the M9 is that HTC has downgraded it in a lot of significant areas. The downgrades are so big that given the choice between the M8 and M9 for the same price, I might pick the M8.

If I am being generous I would call the M9 a sidegrade from the M8, not an upgrade. That is a big issue when you look at the big improvements the other smartphone manufacturers are making each generation.

[Bsmith]

guess my iphone 4s will stay for an other while...

[Voids]

I remember my M8 chasis bent on the right side of the scren the bezel looked like this '>' coming away from the screen. I lay on it with my arm all night... Just bent it back into place like it was butter before selling it on. It's a pity that phones are progressing in ways we don't really want them . I don't care about 2k displays until the battery can handle it. I don't want a phone thinner than paper to the extent that it feeling unnatural aka. my OPO.