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Rating: 7.5/10
Verdict: A solid HTC phone but it’s let down by battery life and high price tag.
SINCE ITS ANNOUNCEMENT, the only comment that has surrounded HTC One A9 is “it looks like an iPhone”.
The company has had a troubling year, and is in dire need of a hit, but it has people talking about a phone that would likely have been overlooked in a packed market. The intention to design it this way was deliberate, but why it went down this route is open to interpretation.
Some have raised their eyebrows at its design, and others suggested it’s HTC getting its own revenge on Apple – but now that it’s out there, is it worth getting?
The sincerest form of flattery
We’re not kidding when we say this is the iPhone in Android form. Place an iPhone 6s and One A9 side by side and bar some minor differences, it’s difficult to tell them apart.
Everything that was said about the iPhone 6s’ look and feel can be applied here, right down to the all-metal design. It’s probably the most blatant case of mirroring Apple’s look since Samsung’s original Galaxy S was released back in 2010.
Instead, let’s talk about the parts that aren’t similar. Of the new batch of Marshmallow phones coming up, the A9 is one of the first to have its own fingerprint scanner, and it acts as a home button as well.
The camera is located at the top-centre and juts out ever so slightly, while the power and volume buttons are located on the right-hand side.
The 5-inch screen is a good size for a phone like this yet it feels slender, even a little dinky, when you put it in your pocket. It’s comfortable to hold and just the right size to make it easy to use.
The disappointing part is that while it’s practically a good design, it’s sad that HTC had to resort to this. While it took much criticism for not changing its design for the M9, this feels like it went too much in the opposite direction.
The aspects that made HTC phones unique aren’t here to be seen, like the speakers which delivered great quality sound for movies and songs.
The inside that counts
The outfit might scream Apple but the inside has the bones of a good mid-range device, just shy of flagship range.
A Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset, a quad-core 1.5GHz and 1.2GHz CPU, 16GB/32GB of space, and 2/3GB of RAM is good going and you certainly feel it when running the more demanding tasks. There were some moments of slowdown with various games, but not enough to disrupt the flow.
In many ways, it’s a diet One M9, with a few things dialed back somewhat. The battery is smaller with a 2,150 mAh, and considering how power-hungry it is, you will find it difficult to make it to the end of the day if you’re a heavy user. If you’re not, then there’s a feature that will make things more bearable.
A disappointing aspect of the new design is it sacrifices the front-facing speakers. HTC phones were always great for surround sound and while the quality is decent, the impact isn’t there.
Tasty Marshmallow
When you start using the phone itself, and you get past the iOS-like fingerprint setup, the main attraction isn’t anything from HTC, but the new version of Android. Marshmallow fixes many of the problems associated with Lollipop (looking at you, volume settings and Do Not Disturb) and brings with it a few new useful features.
The obvious ones are things like fingerprint scanning as standard (which recognises your print in a moment), app permissions asked for first before use and Google Now on Tap (which picks out keywords and presents you with relevant links on them).
Yet the biggest improvement is one that works behind the scenes. Doze isn’t a feature you will come across when using it, but you won’t notice its benefits until you leave your phone alone.
Designed to help save battery, your phone senses if your phone isn’t in use for a while and if so, it turns off everything in the background save important notifications like texts and calls.
The reality of it so far is a feature that gives your battery life a much-needed extension. The benefits aren’t exactly massive, but they’re noticeable, and that in itself is an achievement considering how little battery tech has changed.
Yet its impact is dependent on how much downtime you allow your phone. If you’re a busy user, you’re not going to make it to the end of the day.
As for HTC itself, its features are the same as the M9, functional if not great. HTC Sense still acts as a Flipboard-like clone while other features like themes (where you could download an iOS-like look if you really wanted to) and its Zoe video and image editor function just as well as you’d expect.
The same applies to its location widget, which presents relevant apps based on your location (home, work or away). They’re small additions but play a minor supporting role to the benefits Marshmallow brings.
Snap happy
HTC has put a lot of work into its camera for this edition – and it’s a solid camera. The inclusion of Auto and Pro mode as well as slow-motion seems to be the norm for many native cameras and it’s a case of ticking the boxes.
The colour and exposure of shots is rather sharp; there is enough vibrancy in your images and the camera does focus rather quickly. There were moments where the camera would take a little longer than expected to boot up, sometimes directly from the lock screen, which doesn’t bode well if you want to regularly take on-the-spot photos.
There are some good additions. The ability to take RAW photos is a welcome addition for those who like the option, and the ability to convert normal video into hyperlapses is one that many will play around with.
The front-facing camera is also rather solid, with beautifying features – smoothing out and brightening the skin – although it’s inconsistent when dealing with less than optimal lighting conditions, both bright and dark.
Should you get one?
There are two reasons why you would want to purchase an A9. The first is it’s the first non-Google Nexus phone to come with Android Marshmallow and the second is its design. Whether you like it or not, it has already received enough attention for the latter alone and that would make people seriously consider buying one.
The inclusion of Marshmallow also gives it an advantage, especially for those who would rather go for bill-pay where the upfront costs are cheaper.
Yet it’s a tough one to recommend. The mid-range market is flooded with great mid-range devices, and more importantly, the likes of the Moto X Play and OnePlus Two are cheaper. Even Google’s Nexus 5X, which is only available unlocked, is cheaper than the One A9.
While Apple can point to iOS, the App Store and its general ecosystem as unique selling points, HTC doesn’t have that. Instead it has to compete against many other similar Android devices, those that could put forward a better case than the A9.
It’s a shame that for all the similarities the A9 has to Apple’s flagship range, it had to also mirror it with its pricing strategy.
Pros
- Android Marshmallow brings much-needed improvements.
- Good hardware specs.
- Fun camera features.
Cons
- Design is virtually similar to the iPhone 6s.
- Battery life is poor for heavy users.
- Price point is high.
The HTC One A9 costs €549 unlocked (starting free on bill pay) and will be available in Vodafone, Meteor, Three, Carphone Warehouse, Tesco Mobile and ID Mobile at the beginning of November.
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Protected cycle lanes are needed in Dublin. Painting a white line on the road and calling it a cycle lane does not offer any protection to cyclists.
@Nomis Andrews: hardened rubber uprights need to be parallel to every cycle lane
Damaged bumper rather than an injured cyclist
@Nomis Andrews:
The lycra brigade never use the cycle lane in my experience
Try riding a bike to work for a year in traffic, see if the reasons become apparent to you.
@Nomis Andrews: the article says the bus was turning right, so it would seem the victim was on the right hand side of the lane.
Condolences to the family of Mary White. And also the driver must be given a bit of sympathy as well. The faults/reasons in this incident are difficult at best to side on. Instead of taking sides why dont both motorists and cyclists show each other more due care and attention.
On a side note, I cycle myself late at night, but my lights are rated at 700 lumens front and dual 50 lumen rear reds. You should not be driving or cycling if you cant notice something that bright. Was Mary’s lighting strong enough for the driver to notice her? Visibility is paramount for cyclists. Im not trying to say her lights were at fault. A sad incident. Be safe everyone.
@Finn Faulkner: you’re right it’s a tragic and difficult case, but a court of law, having heard all the established facts, found him guilty. That in itself is rare enough.
@IrishSportives.ie: with respect, it’s not rare. The outrage that often follows in such cases from certain quarters usually hangs on it ‘only’ being a suspended sentence – not that the person is found not guilty.
@IrishSportives.ie: Yes, i completely agree. My sympathy for the driver is limited, but he will have to live with that for the rest of his life. He maybe should have pleaded guilty…..
@Finn Faulkner: I believe he should have pleaded guilty, but I suppose he had his livelihood to consider. He also allowed his barrister to try and victim blame the woman who died, but a Garda witness put the record straight on that one.
I noticed that more and more drivers are cutting the corners when they are turning right at a junction. They show a complete disregard for the safety of others road users.
@Vincent: Same with curves in the road too. Cutting them to “straighten out” the road.
@John Flood: yep. Driving to fast to take the curve in their lane.
Very sad.
So deeply remorseful yet you plead not guilty there needs to be a penalty for the not guilty plea
@Seán O’Sullivan: Exactly. If he was that remorseful he would have taken a plea deal and avoided dragging the family through court. He was obviously desperate to save his job and happy to sacrifice them on the way
Life is so cheap in this country…
This Bus driver will live on to drive one of the biggest vehicles on the road, to pass many more cyclists and pedestrians…
Who knows what could happen, the potential is there again for him to kill due to his carelessness, he wanted to save a few seconds by cutting a corner, yet he cut the life of the victim off permanently…
It’s almost impossible to get any jail time in this country if you kill a vulnerable road user with a motor vehicle on Irish roads..
@Dotty Dunleary: can’t see any bus company giving him a job, not after being found responsible for a death, the insurance would be phenomenal.
@edelno5 .: As far as I know, Dublin Bus insures itself.
May you Rest In Peace Mary.
Your soft voice, sincere smile, compassion, and sincerity, will always be remembered by your previous work colleagues at OLHSC.
Very good video by the RSA on just how vulnerable cyclists are when moving with HGVs and LPSVs, it shows clearly how often in the space of seconds cyclists are not seen as they pass vehicles that have by their nature blind spots. Sympathy to the family of the cyclist and spare a thought for the driver.
@William Bryan: hi I am taxi driver and when I am behind cyclist in traffic in bus lane I stay behind till gap in traffic I know there situation :ie manhole or gully or pot holes I cycle for years to and from work
WTF Judge Useless & very wrong let Driver walk free
@Brian Flavin: After reading the full story I disagree with you.
@Ciarán O’ Donoghue: i m disagree you
@Brian Flavin: No, you disagree with the sentence.
@Ciarán O’ Donoghue: how can he disagree with a sentence if he can’t write one?
@Eoin Byrne: watch out lads the grammar Nazi is about!!!!
1. 13 tonne buses don’t cut corners on their own .
2. Since the driver was Deacon couldn’t a confession or a few prayers be prescribed.
No jail time for killing a person. Well done..
It is difficult for me to accept the judge’s ruling as it was for me to accept the jury’s finding about the Wellington Quay deaths.
@Denis Patrick Gill: W@nker comment of the week, and it only Monday.
RIP to the lady who lost her life. Perhaps we should all be more aware of the dangers to both cyclists and motorists on the roads. Last Thursday night we were stopped at traffic lights on the quays travelling towards O’Connell Street. We had a clear left indicator on signalling our intention to turn left after the lights changed. Cyclists came up our left hand side and remained there despite the indicator being on. Rolling down the window I asked the nearest cyclist did he not see our indicator. Having removed his headphone he asked what I had said. Then he apologised and moved in front of us. What would have happened if we hadn’t spotted him and the lights had turned green? Just an observation.
@Mary Dunphy:
(b) A pedal cyclist may overtake on the left where vehicles to the pedal cyclist’s right are stationary or are moving more slowly than the overtaking pedal cycle, except where the vehicle to be overtaken—
(i) has signalled an intention to turn to the left and there is a reasonable expectation that the vehicle in which the driver has signalled an intention to turn to the left will execute a movement to the left before the cycle overtakes the vehicle,
SOURCE: http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2012/si/332/made/en/print
One can deduce with certainty that the vehicle you were travelling in was stationary at the traffic lights by way of your observation that whilst stopped at the traffic lights, “cyclists came down our left hand side and remained there”. This certainty is further supplemented by the fact you were able to engage in conversation with one of them at the traffic lights.
“What would have happened if we hadn’t spotted him and the lights had turned green?”
Goodness knows but should a driver of a vehicle turn left in the very circumstances you describe above, s/he would be fully liable for any collisions that may occur on grounds of negligent driving.
@Mary Dunphy: You need some driving lessons love. Indicators do not and never have allowed priority. It’s amazing you don’t know this.
So Mary Dunpy came to a story about an incompetent driver to declare that she’s an incompetent driver.
@Bob Moore: As you may not have noticed I was not driving at the time. We did indeed notice the cyclist and asked if he had seen that we were indicating to turn left. Having removed his headphones he admitted he hadn’t as he was feeling quite tired at the time. It was merely a point in observation which was applied to both motorists and cyclists and obviously you have some type of chip on your shoulder if this is your nasty reaction to an observation. There was never any danger to the cyclist under the circumstances so what’s your point?
@Mary Dunphy: “what’s your point?”
You came to a story about an incompetent driver to declare that you’re an incompetent driver.
Incredibly sad. She had all the “necessary” equipment and yet it proved to be no use against careless driving. The sentence handed down by the judge is bitterly disappointing.
My thoughts are with her family and friends, justice wasn’t served.
@C Moloney:
Bus driver is still on the roads. The courts allowed a killer bus driver to carry on over Christmas.
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