I'm so close to buying a HTC One M9

[gergy008]

Currently an iPhone user.

I love iOS, I love the apps, I love the simplicity - even for a power user. It's just so easy to get stuff done. I'm not afraid of jailbreaking.

I've been using iOS ever since I had a smartphone. I've used a few android devices and I've not really liked them that much.

iOS is SUPER secure if I lose my phone with activation lock and what not. Something I'm not aware any other phone can compare.

 

But the HTC One M9. It's good looking, simple, good camera, great battery life, great screen, front facing speakers, powerful-

I want it. But I kinda don't wanna lose iOS. The iPhone 6 is not impressive. The One M9 is.

 

I'm with the full Apple ecosystem, MacBook Pro for Uni, iPad Mini retina, and an iPhone 5.

What fancy tricks can I get android to do with my gaming PC? 

 

Tip me over the edge people, I want this phone.
If there's something you love about android, tell me what it is.

 

This is the hardest choice ever!

 

Thanks! :-)

[XTankSlayerX]

Wasn't the Samsung Galaxy S6 more of a slightly exciting option than the HTC M9?

 

Just wondering...

[gojira]

 

Currently an iPhone user.

I love iOS, I love the apps, I love the simplicity - even for a power user. It's just so easy to get stuff done. I'm not afraid of jailbreaking.

I've been using iOS ever since I had a smartphone. I've used a few android devices and I've not really liked them that much.

iOS is SUPER secure if I lose my phone with activation lock and what not. Something I'm not aware any other phone can compare.

 

But the HTC One M9. It's good looking, simple, good camera, great battery life, great screen, front facing speakers, powerful-

I want it. But I kinda don't wanna lose iOS. The iPhone 6 is not impressive. The One M9 is.

 

I'm with the full Apple ecosystem, MacBook Pro for Uni, iPad Mini retina, and an iPhone 5.

What fancy tricks can I get android to do with my gaming PC? 

 

Tip me over the edge people, I want this phone.

If there's something you love about android, tell me what it is.

 

This is the hardest choice ever!

 

Thanks! :-)

 

You can 

stream your pc display to your phone

make a diy oculus rift 

use your touchscreen as a keyboard and mouse

 

 

Just a couple of things I can think of off the top of my head

[Oberon.Smite]

I'd buy it just for the ability to install your own launcher. Check the specs. They may be better than the iPhone...

 

I personally never buy Apple products just because of how far they try to take advantage of the consumer.

[RevoltTrain]

If you need a review to watch:

 

[X1XNobleX1X]

Wasn't the Samsung Galaxy S6 more of a slightly exciting option than the HTC M9?

 

Just wondering...

It definitely is.

I'd rather buy a S6, then a M9.

[rambi36]

Dem boomsound speakers doe.

I'm sick of samsung and if I can upgrade in the next couple weeks I'm swapping out my S5 for an M9. It's not that I don't like the S6 (I've seen it person and it is a pretty decent phone) it's that Knox + usual Verizon crap = extremely hard to unlock bootloader and install AOSP roms(Basically stock android). I learned that the hard way when I got my Galaxy S5...

[gergy008]

It definitely is.

I'd rather buy a S6, then a M9.

 

I hate Samsung with a passion. Worst company in the world.

 

I'll never pay for a Samsung phone. Ever. The rest of the company is acceptable... ish.

[Mew]

The iPhone 6 is better in every way except for maybe the speakers. Read Anandtech's review- Part 1 and 2. The reason I say that it's maybe better because once the phone is in your pocket, front or rear facing speakers will become muffled compared to bottom mounted speakers. If you really want Android, the S6 is the only choice. 

 

Edit: For the M9, you're basically choosing between a slow, unexceptional phone if you use the newest and most likely succeeding firmwares, or you're choosing a mediocre, hot, poor battery life phone. 

[rambi36]

The iPhone 6 is better in every way except for maybe the speakers. Read Anandtech's review- Part 1 and 2. The reason I say that it's maybe better because once the phone is in your pocket, front or rear facing speakers will become muffled compared to bottom mounted speakers. If you really want Android, the S6 is the only choice. 

The M9 is overall a better phone minus the camera

[gergy008]

The iPhone 6 is better in every way except for maybe the speakers. Read Anandtech's review- Part 1 and 2. The reason I say that it's maybe better because once the phone is in your pocket, front or rear facing speakers will become muffled compared to bottom mounted speakers. If you really want Android, the S6 is the only choice. 

 

It's not android I want, it's the phone. I really like the One M9. It's just a big change. If I want to drop £800 on a contract phone I must really like it, I don't have a lot of money, hence my reason for absolutely justifying such a simple choice.

[handymanshandle]

Wasn't the Samsung Galaxy S6 more of a slightly exciting option than the HTC M9?

 

Just wondering...

While I've quite disliked Samsung for their phones and a couple other things the S6 is slightly elusive but slightly repulsing as well...

Similar for the M9. I fear a similar fate might be headed for the LG G4. I own a Moto G 2014, which is pretty good but if Motorola uglifies (goes with the square camera thing and stuff like that) I most likely will become a defector of the AMR(Android Master Race) most likely defecting to the iOSMR (iOS Master Race)

 

Either-way OP (@gergy008) If you like it, buy it. The HTC One M9 is a very well spec'd phone. I sort of hope Google basically brings back the Nexus 5. 

Because for most people a 5.9" screen is too much. Lollipop is okay, not sure about HTC sense because the last time I used it was on a Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 2 running Gingerbread.

[rambi36]

While I've quite disliked Samsung for their phones and a couple other things the S6 is slightly elusive but slightly repulsing as well...

Similar for the M9. I fear a similar fate might be headed for the LG G4. I own a Moto G 2014, which is pretty good but if Motorola uglifies (goes with the square camera thing and stuff like that) I most likely will become a defector of the AMR(Android Master Race) most likely defecting to the iOSMR (iOS Master Race)

 

Either-way OP (@gergy008) If you like it, buy it. The HTC One M9 is a very well spec'd phone. I sort of hope Google basically brings back the Nexus 5. 

Because for most people a 5.9" screen is too much. Lollipop is okay, not sure about HTC sense because the last time I used it was on a Verizon HTC Droid Incredible 2 running Gingerbread.

^ This and Sense has gotten a lot better in recent years especially on the M9

[handymanshandle]

^ This and Sense has gotten a lot better in recent years especially on the M9

Yeah I've seen that they certainly improved cosmetics so I would sort of hope they did the same for functionality, because I remember the old Sense being clunky. I like LG's UX 3.0 (the one on the LG G3.) Though the G4 could turn me away from wanting LG. So yeah... Shame that Android Silver never launched because that would have been cool to have phones that had the aesthetic of an iPhone and the flexibility of an Android. Touchwiz I suspect is getting better but I'd still probably rather load on a custom Lollipop ROM for it. (Even if there is a high risk of voiding the warranty) if I had a Samsung phone and it broke or was defective I most likely would send it off for recycling because touchwiz from what it still seems to be is a sort of lackluster UI - Better but still lacking.

[TechFnatic]

You don't realize how trapped you are with iOS, go to android and be free

[VolkA]

Flip a coin.

 

Head = Don't buy M9.

Tails = Buy M9.

 

After flipping it, look at it (assuming the result is head) and if you feel disappointed? Then you should choose the other result (which is this case of assumption would be to buy the M9).

 

Basically, phone are just phone to me. I'm using M8 currently btw. iOS and Android are almost the same (I know they are not the same that's why I said almost) at least that's what I feel.  

[Dredgy]

The One M9 is the phone that made me finally go "fuck flagship phones, the budget ones are just as good".

 

It was honestly the most boring phone I've used (and I used to own a Galaxy!). There's nothing special about it, and it stuttered on the two demo models I used. Camera app, while good in theory, is not tangibly better than the M8, and the swapping focus thing is a pain to launch on the fly. Speakers are just a "whoop-de-fucking-doo" for me - I don't use my phone for media (unless I've got headphones or speakers connected) and I prefer rear mounted speakers so I (and no one else) can hear the damn thing go off when it's upside down in my pocket.

 

Ended up back on an iPhone.

[Samfisher]

From all sources, the camera seems to be utterly shit though.

[Mew]

The M9 is overall a better phone minus the camera

 

Don't be silly.

[jimi]

wait for the m9+

http://www.androidauthority.com/htc-one-m9-plus-specs-official-599370/

[handymanshandle]

Flip a coin.

 

Head = Don't buy M9.

Tails = Buy M9.

 

After flipping it, look at it (assuming the result is head) and if you feel disappointed? Then you should choose the other result (which is this case of assumption would be to buy the M9).

 

Basically, phone are just phone to me. I'm using M8 currently btw. iOS and Android are almost the same (I know they are not the same that's why I said almost) at least that's what I feel.  

True.

I think the only thing that separates iOS and Android is mostly personal preference. 

 

Do you like the more simplistic side of things, or do you enjoy the more technical side of things.

 

I like iOS because it does what you want it to do and very well. No need for trying to troubleshoot and hope you get a response that resolves your issue. Apple has a whole division dedicated to this sort of thing and feeds it generously.

I personally like the aesthetic of Lollipop (vanilla) but the sort of consistency and certainty of future upgrades of iOS. 

So really I get wedged in place where I appreciate Android for a lot of reasons (and I currently own a Moto G 2014 (aforementioned))  Yet I like iOS and iPhone for it's simplistic nature, and sadly this combination that would be probably very successful does not exist. If I were to upgrade my decent Moto G 2nd gen I'd either go for the Xperia Z4 (It's probably coming soon since T-Mobile pulled the Z3) or the Moto X 2014 or an iPhone 6.

[VolkA]

True.

I think the only thing that separates iOS and Android is mostly personal preference. 

 

Do you like the more simplistic side of things, or do you enjoy the more technical side of things.

 

I like iOS because it does what you want it to do and very well. No need for trying to troubleshoot and hope you get a response that resolves your issue. Apple has a whole division dedicated to this sort of thing and feeds it generously.

I personally like the aesthetic of Lollipop (vanilla) but the sort of consistency and certainty of future upgrades of iOS. 

So really I get wedged in place where I appreciate Android for a lot of reasons (and I currently own a Moto G 2014 (aforementioned))  Yet I like iOS and iPhone for it's simplistic nature, and sadly this combination that would be probably very successful does not exist. If I were to upgrade my decent Moto G 2nd gen I'd either go for the Xperia Z4 (It's probably coming soon since T-Mobile pulled the Z3) or the Moto X 2014 or an iPhone 6.

Yes. I agree with you that iOS would be more on the simple and straight to the point kind of thing whereby Android is more (sort of) on the technical side of things.

 

For me, I really prefer the more technical side of things. Maybe due to my interest in PC (or rather building / research on PC and technology), the technical side inside of me is strong. Haha.

[ThE_MarD]

Heyyo,

Yes. I agree with you that iOS would be more on the simple and straight to the point kind of thing whereby Android is more (sort of) on the technical side of things.

 

For me, I really prefer the more technical side of things. Maybe due to my interest in PC (or rather building / research on PC and technology), the technical side inside of me is strong. Haha.

You want customizability? HTC One M9 hands down. HTC just released the kernel source code a day ago... which means you can change everything about the phone.

You can overclock it (if you're crazy that is lol, passive cooling on a smartphone so not a lot of overhead there...), you can unlock the bootloader and install any third party versions of Android (Cyanogenmod, stock Android... heck! Soon if you wanted to? I bet you could even toss Windows on it! ) and of course the Google Play store has lots of amazing offerings for customizability.

I dunno if you're big into emulators? But DAYUM! That blew me away how you can find PSX, SNES and N64 emulators in the official Google Play store. There's even a half decently working Dreamcast emulator that works pretty decent (well, minus Unreal Tournament for Dreamcast.. I can't get that to work on my HTC One M7 lol).

There's even ways to multi-boot an Android phone and install Debian if you wanted full-blown Linux in your hand.

http://htc-one.wonderhowto.com/how-to/boot-linux-from-your-android-onto-any-mac-pc-0157549/

So much possibilities.. it's awesome. The HTC One M7 was my first Android phone after rage quitting Apple iPhone after the terrible mess that was iOS 7... ruined my iPhone 4S... and of course? No way to downgrade even with saved SHSH blobs... couldn't return to iOS 6.1.3 because Apple is assholes... that and the upgrade to iOS 7.0.2 back in the day FRIED my WiFi chip. Look it up, you'll see that Apple even said sometimes during iOS upgrades on the iPhone 4S that the WiFi chip just starts ramping up until it takes heat damage. Could be even from going iOS 5 to 6... 6 to 7... just a flaw in their product they don't warranty past the regular manufacturer warranty... and when did iOS 7 come out? AFTER my manufacturer warranty expired. Fuck Apple iPhones.

Android? Don't like the newest upgrade such as going from Android 4.4 to 5.0? Just unlock your bootloader and revert back to whatever previous version of Android you want. Heck! If I really wanted to? I could even go back to the original version that shipped with the phone! I could go back to 4.2! I don't want to though lol, Android Lollipop runs fast. Yep! Latest Android version made my phone run faster unlike my iPhone 4s transition from iOS 6.1.3 to 7.0.2 which made my phone ridiculously slow.

Proof that Android Lollipop made my HTC One M7 faster:

Oddly enough? 2D Graphics ran a hair slower than 4.4.2... but I really doubt I'd notice that haha. Note my 3D Graphics test I got a pretty hefty improvement. Once Khronos Group releases Vulkan? I bet 3D Graphics performance will jump even higher. Life just keeps getting better and better on Android. THIS is how I wish Linux would be evolving at such a pace... but meh, I'll settle for rapidly evolving Linux in my smartphone.

[Thorium19]

I've been using windows phone for over 2 years, which is almost as locked in, if not more so, than apple and iOS. I recently switched to android and absolutely love it, the freedom I have to customise every single aspect of the experience without voiding the warranty is incredible. I quickly realised just how trapped I was by WP 8.1, as well as by iOS on my iPad. I didn't get an M9, I got a sony Z3, but that's got front speakers and a large 5.2" screen (bigger than the M9), so going from a 4" phone to a 5"+ phone was a strange, but pleasing experience. You won't regret getting an M9, I've tried one and loved the feel of it as well as how snappy the software was. The iPhone may have more optimised software, but what it has in loading speed it lacks in personalisation, uniqueness and ability to control so much more, including your computer.