Let’s get a couple of things straight: the HTC One A9 isn’t a flagship phone, which explains why so many iconic elements have been left out. And yes, it looks a lot like an iPhone 6S.
But that would miss the point of this phone. It’s a ’fashion’ device, one for those who want a slightly cheaper smartphone with decent build and some attractive specs, sitting apart from the usual bun-fight for attention that happens twice a year when Sony, Samsung, HTC, LG and Apple throw their new phones into the ring.
The interface is much, much closer to stock Android than ever, with loads of HTC’s apps being dropped in favor of just presenting the Google options; this is a phone that’s designed to be sleek when it comes to software, with HTC elevating the best parts of the new Android OS instead of putting its own stamp on the phone.
It’s stripped-back, clean and easy to use, with just a hint of HTC’s touch on top. It’s a Nexus with less of a Google stamp on it, with more freedom from the manufacturer to create the phone it wants.