HTC One M9+ Review

HTC was still on top of the Android game when it launched the original One back in 2013. As the first Android flagship with a metal unibody, it was really the only device that looked and felt as good as an iPhone, which of course was the primary competition. Even so, there were missteps - most notably the low-resolution Ultrapixel camera, which kept it from being a huge success.

Since then, the company has updated the line and launched new models, but hasn't quite managed to replicate the appeal of the original. Each time, something has held us back from wholeheartedly liking HTC's efforts. Last year's HTC One (M8) (Review |Pictures) was hobbled by the unsatisfactory Duo Camera feature, and other variants have been ugly, plasticky and weak.

HTC has now brought the One M9+ to India, ahead of (or possibly instead of) the One M9. It has a larger screen, a different processor, a fingerprint sensor and the Duo Camera feature that was dropped from the M9. In that sense, it isn't necessarily better or worse than the M9. We're curious to see how this phone stacks up.

Look and feel
We were expecting to be reminded of the HTC One Max (Review | Pictures), which was an oversized but underwhelming plastic version of the original One, but HTC has clearly learnt from that misstep. The One M9+ is all metal with a premium two-tone finish. It's available in grey, gold, and silver-gold, and we received the unique silver-gold version for review.

HTC sadly ditched its predecessors' unibody style, and the M9+ looks like two distinct halves jammed together. There's a ridge where the front meets the rear, which we couldn't stop running our fingers over. The front of our review unit was dull silver all over, but the rear half is brushed silver on the back and gold around the sides. We can't say we really like this look - it stands out, but in a garish way. The two other variants are likely to be much more popular.