HTC has been making good-looking phones for a long time. But, in 2013 it made something beautiful, something that would make even Apple sit up and notice: the One M7. It was probably one of the first phones to come with a rounded metal back with plastic antenna inserts on the back. And yet, every time you see a unibody metal-clad phone with distinct antenna lines on the back, you’re instantly reminded of the iPhone. Well, the irony! A lot of it has to do with Apple’s clever marketing techniques. HTC on the other hand relied heavily on carriers to promote its phones. The company has grown wiser over time.
With the One A9, it has built a design worth imitating, it says.
If an all-metal design, antenna lines, and a protruding camera lens are all that it takes to copy an iPhone, the HTC One A9 should seem like the most unabashed copy of the iPhone 6 ever made. Add to that some 2.5D curved edge front cover glass and a fingerprint scanner, and voila we have the iPhone 6 running Android.
Though HTC has stretched the imitation game too far, if you look closely you’ll observe that the One A9 has something very One M7-esque about it. Keep the One M7, the One M8( even the disappointing M9+) and the One A9 together and you will see evolution. The One A9 is thinner and flatter than previous HTC One phones. It is also the most compact.
At 7.3mm and 143 grams the HTC One A9 has almost the same dimensions as the iPhone 6S. Phones like the Google Nexus 5X and Samsung’s Galaxy S6 are lighter though.
It’s a pleasure to hold the One A9 in hand. Unlike the plastic shells of the Nexus 5X and the Motorola Moto X Style, the One A9’s brushed metal casing looks and feels premium from every nook and corner. Only the Galaxy S6 looks better in comparison, but it also costs more.
Unlike the One M8, the One A9 is easier to grip and operate. It won’t slip out of your hand unless you really want it to. And, its body stays clear of fingerprints and smudge practically all the time. The power button( on the right) has a grooved texture that sets it apart from the plain volume rocker. It’s much like the one on the Moto X Style. The texture makes it easier to locate and power up the phone even in complete darkness.
The fingerprint scanner on the front is similar to the one found on the One M9+ . It also functions in a similar way. Unlike an actual physical home button( like in the iPhone 6 and Galaxy S6) where you need to press it all the way to unlock the phone, this one gives you a tap-to-open mechanism. A gentle tap on it instantly unlocks the phone. It also doubles up as the home button. There are no other physical capacitive keys on-board.
The One A9 is a gorgeous looking phone, copy or no copy. Top that with its compact form factor and you get one of the most ergonomic phones of the current generation. There’s a trade-off though. The One A9 doesn’t come with HTC’s trademark BoomSound speakers. Instead it opts for a single stereo speaker that lies on the bottom edge.