HTC’s flagship handset was well received at the Mobile World Congress earlier this month, and will initially be sold via the company’s website before being made available on all major U.S. carriers (AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon) on April 10.
HTC undergoing management transition
Prices will vary depending which carrier you buy the handset through, but details have not been provided as of yet. Not only will customers pay more if they choose a certain carrier, they will also receive different specifications of handset.
The latest release comes at a time when HTC is undergoing changes in its management structure, as well as growing competition in the smartphone market. Former chairwoman Cher Wang took on the role of CEO last week, while her predecessor Peter Chou was given a new position as head of the “Future Development Lab.”
HTC’s new handset will enter into competition with Samsung’s Galaxy S6, which will also launch on April 10, as well as Apple’s iPhone 6 and 6S, in an increasingly crowded premium smartphone market. April 10 is set to be a busy day in the technology sector, with the Apple Watch also becoming available for pre-orders and fittings.
Fierce competition for the One M9
Although the One M9 received praise for its use of metal casing instead of plastic, critics also pointed out that its design is rather too similar to its predecessor, the M8, and the quality of its camera is not at the same level as competitors.
Build quality is of paramount importance in the high-end smartphone market, and Samsung has improved its Galaxy S6 in order to battle it out with Apple’s strong-selling iPhone 6. According to IDC, HTC was the world’s 14th largest smartphone vendor for the year 2014, and it remains to be seen whether the One M9 can improve on that situation.
In order to sweeten the deal for U.S. customers, HTC is bundling the One M9 with its “Uh-Oh Protection” plan. The scheme offers customers the chance to replace their device with an equivalent for free, as well as changing to a different carrier, should their device suffer a cracked screen or water damage.
