If you have an HTC One M8 lying around wishing you got some love from the devs at Android, wait no longer because it’s been made official that the 2014 flagship will get updated to the M Android version; when it launches that is. Mo Versi is the one who made the announcement in a response to a Twitter question, so it’s as official as it gets.
Previously, Jeff Gordon, another executive from HTC, announced that M will be released for One M9 and M9+ with more devices to follow. It appears that last year’s flagship will be one of these followers, as expected.
If the launch of Android M will follow the same timeline as Lollipop, it should arrive sometime around the end of the year, when M8 will be almost 2 years old. Considering the fact that HTC usually updates its devices as old as two years, M8 is clearly covered.
HTC One M9 from AT&T is getting an OTA to Android 5.1 as we speak. The device is also getting some camera improvements along the way, so hit that Update button now if you haven’t already been prompted to update already.
The announcement was made official on Twitter yesterday by Mo Versi, the HTC Vice President of Product Management.
The camera improvements include noise reduction and accurate colors production in extreme lighting conditions. This should mean that users unimpressed by the camera issues on HTC One M9 may get a better experience now. The rest of the update is the usual Android improvements we already know and love.
HTC One M9 is going live on March 27th at 12:01 AM and the unlocked version starts selling at $649. This is only available for pre-orders at the moment, since the actual device will be bought in stores starting April 10th. You can choose a device found at various retailers and carriers in two weeks, as previously announced though.
When you buy it directly from HTC, the new flagship costs $649 and it includes the Uh Oh Protection plan, where you get one replacement within the first 12 months from purchase. You can choose to pay the whole price in one shot or you can sign a 12-month agreement with no interest from HTC.
If you want a device on contract with a carrier plan, you may have to wait until April 10th, when the device launches everywhere.
OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE:
[box type=”shadow”]Bellevue, WA —March 26, 2015 — HTC America Inc., a leader in mobile innovation, will begin selling its highly anticipated new flagship device, the HTC One® M9 that comes with the industry-leading UH OH™ Protection, online in the U.S. at 12:01 a.m. ET on Friday, March 27 and in-store on April 10 at major carriers and retailers.
Widely considered smartphone of the year for the past two years, the third generation of the HTC One ups the ante in the smartphone category with the most personal, intuitive and powerful smartphone from HTC yet while continuing the design heritage for which the HTC One is known.
“The craftsmanship of our new HTC One M9 resembles that of a fine watch. We’ve retained our iconic design but made it even better while not compromising on what is important to our customers,” said Jason Mackenzie, president of HTC America.
The HTC One M9 boasts the iconic all-metal unibody design with a new scratch resistant, dual finish that is as distinctive as it is durable. The HTC One M9 is launching in the U.S. in two stunning color options – gunmetal gray and jewelry-like, dual-tone silver with subtle gold mirror polished sides. Its beauty is only matched by its performance. The HTC One M9 is running on the latest Android™ 5.0.2 Lollipop release with the most advanced Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 810 octa-core processor.
“According to Kantar*, HTC One owners listen to music more than the average smartphone user and so we didn’t compromise on what is important for our consumers,” said Mackenzie. “We kept the microSD slot and increased capacity to 2TB because you want your content with you, we made our HTC BoomSound™ experience even better by adding Dolby Audio™ to give you a surround sound experience, and while others are reducing battery size, we increased it so you can enjoy your music and movies even longer.”
The HTC One M9 delivers an unparalleled personalized smartphone experience with the new HTC Sense® 7. HTC Themes offers a unique customizable home screen either by selecting from the theme collection or by creating a custom theme from a favorite photo. Sense Home is a new, intelligent widget that automatically curates apps based on your usage and location. It is contextually aware of location, time of day and what apps are preferred at home, work or on the go and will intelligently recommend apps and nearby restaurants with ratings from friends and followers.
The HTC One M9 cameras are designed to capture every moment with amazing quality. A 20 megapixel rear-facing camera delivers crisp, detailed shots and has a sapphire lens cover to protect it from scratches. The front-facing UltraPixel™ camera captures more light than most 13 megapixel cameras ensuring sharper, more natural and balanced self-portraits in any lighting conditions. A host of new editing effects have been added to HTC EYE™ Experience software include Double Exposure, Shapes, Prismatic, Elements and Bokeh.
The HTC One M9 comes with HTC BoomSound, the iconic dual front-facing speakers, now featuring 5.1 channel Dolby Audio Surround*. HTC BoomSound with Dolby Audio has two modes, theatre mode and music mode. Theatre mode uses HRTF and Crosstalk Cancellation technology to create an extraordinary, cinema-style surround sound effect while watching movies. Whether listening via HTC BoomSound speakers or headphones, users will be blown away by 24-bit high-definition sound. As a hub for home entertainment, HTC Connect® makes it easy to create a multimedia experience beyond your phone. A three-finger swipe on the screen connects the phone to compatible TVs or external speakers. The integration of HTC Connect with Qualcomm® AllPlay™ smart media platform and Blackfire Research™ wireless media technology enables high-quality content to be streamed from the HTC One M9 to multiple home entertainment devices around the house.
“We are not only delivering the best-looking, best-performing smartphone on the market, we are ensuring it stays that way with UH OH™ Protection,” said Mackenzie. “We are the only smartphone company that has your back if something unfortunate happens or if you need to change carriers.”
Purchase of an HTC One M9 includes UH OH Protection. A first-of-its-kind, UH OH Protection provides a one-time free replacement within the first 12 months of purchase for cracked screens, water damage or a different carrier variant for customers wanting or needing to switch networks. If the UH OH Protection isn’t used within 12 months, HTC will give $100 in credit towards a future purchase of an HTC One.*
The HTC One M9 with UH OH Protection will be available at AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon. It will also be available from Amazon, Best Buy, Best Buy Mobile specialty stores, Costco Wholesale and Target. Exact specs, colors, availability and pricing of the individual carrier versions will be shared by the carriers and retailers. An unlocked version will be available on www.htc.com for $649, starting tonight (March 27th) at 12:01 AM ET, with a 12-month interest-free financing option. HTC.com offers carrier versions and the financing option as well.
The HTC One M9 will be available with a range of unique accessories including a second-generation HTC Dot ViewTM case, which adds new color options with a transparent back. It also has cool new interactive features such as a customizable scrolling message, games and animated, holiday or make-your-own themes. Adventure seekers can pair the HTC One M9 with the IP68 water-resistant HTC Active Pro case.[/box]
