It Deserves Another One

HTC just won’t stop with the One M9

We all know that the HTC One is one of the best precision-built phones out there, and a sturdy one at that. The HTC One M9 — a combo of its predecessors, the M7 and M8 — tries to continue on this tradition.
As always with the One line, HTC put a great deal of focus on the design and specs, and again, we’re in for a treat. However, given the high bar set by the previous two phones, especially with the M8 comprehensively outdoing the already-great M7, it may be a tall order. Design-wise, I’ve got to give credit to HTC for another excellent one-piece metallic-finish device. (Each unit is handmade, by the way). It’s design is very similar to the M8, and for me, that is both a bane and a boon. Not-so-good because from a distance it doesn’t really distinguish it from the M8, and good because it projects its own identity. I’m going for the latter.
It runs on the latest Android 5.0 Lollipop OS, and is blessed with really neat hardware. And yes, BoomSound, Zoe, BlinkFeed and HTC Sense are once again present. The biggest omission, though, is the UltraPixel camera, as HTC decided to ditch it for a “less-confusing” 20MP shooter with sapphire cover lens. The resulting images are better, but it takes a while for its autofocus to ready itself, especially in low-light conditions. I like the way you just need to swipe the camera screen to switch from camera/video to selfie to panorama. And those who miss UltraPixel, fret not; it’s now on the front camera.
Performance is ace and that HTC Sense Home function helps you with the apps you may need where ever you are with a few taps. Battery life, surprisingly, is not on par with the M8; the M8 had the stretch to almost two days, but the M9 lasted just over a day-and-a-half. Probably the best, standout feature? Up to 2TB of microSD extended memory! Problem: 2TB microSD cards don’t exist yet. And by the time it does, you’ve probably changed phones several times.
AND SO…
A lot more has to be said about this smartphone... The HTC One M9 is another excellent phone from HTC, but, to be honest, while there is improvement, it’s not by leaps and bounds. As always, I’m waiting for its smaller and, of course, bigger version.
 
 
The Launchpad
Lenovo recently threw a new pair of smartphones in the affordable-device arena — the P70 and S90.
The Lenovo P70 is a 5” mobile that packs a 4000mAh battery, which Lenovo claims can make it last up to three days “for an always-on life”. It’s dual-SIM and 4G LTE-capable, and comes with a 1.7 GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage and up to 32GB of microSD extra space. A main 13MP and front 5MP snapper are also on board.
On the other hand, the Lenovo S90 — also at 5”, is dual-SIM and 4G LTE-capable — comes with a Super AMOLED screen, a 1.2 GHz processor, 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal memory. Main and front cameras are at 13MP and 8MP, respectively. Both run on Android 4.4 KitKat, and are also equipped with a range of DOit apps. The P70 is available for Dh899 and the S90 for Dh1,199.
 alvin@khaleejtimes.com 

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