HTC One M9: My bitter disappoinment

[msm0511]

My experiences with the M8, Nexus 6, S6 at BestBuy, and Anandtech's part 1 review of the M9. Josh directly said that the M9's UI stuttered frequently. Are you going to debate me on this?
Contrary to what Android fans say, all Android devices not named the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge still have that annoying stutter from time to time. I have to give props to Samsung for finally fixing that.
I don't know why htc and nexus/stock fans keep denying that Samsung leap-frogged ahead of everyone in UI optimization.
When I had the S2 and the S3, I admitted freely that Samsung was behind in UI optimization. Why? Because it was the truth.
Now it is your turn to admit that it is htc and google that's behind. Play fair. You railed Samsung for being behind in UI optimization and now you have to rail on htc for being behind in optimization.
People like me with no emotional attachment to corporations can do this easily. Other people will find this difficult.



Unless you've held the devices in your hand, I'm afraid I can't take your words seriously. I'd rather trust Ruddock and my own experiences.



PhoneArena, GSMArena, Tweakers.net and chip.de would like to disagree with you.

Did you watch the most recent AC podcast? Andrew said the S6 stutters with animations and scrolling just like every other Galaxy has.

 

[Aquila]

Trolling - Do not post inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages to provoke users into responding in a negative way. Calling another member a troll is also a form of trolling.

Please keep this in mind - if you don't like a post, forget about it and move on. If it violates the rules, hit the report button. Some posts in this thread were cleaned.

 

[D13H4RD2L1V3]

I was initially interested in the M9, but after hearing about the camera being lackluster and seeing the samples, looks like I'll be sticking with my M7 for a little while more.

Not helping the M9 is the fact that my M7 is now running a Sense 7 ROM, so it's kinda like an M9 Mini with a purple camera. xD

 

[neo905]

I was initially interested in the M9, but after hearing about the camera being lackluster and seeing the samples, looks like I'll be sticking with my M7 for a little while more.

Not helping the M9 is the fact that my M7 is now running a Sense 7 ROM, so it's kinda like an M9 Mini with a purple camera. xD

How is the battery life on that ROM in terms of on screen time before and after? What is the link to it if you don't mind me asking. I might just keep the M7 if I can squeeze more battery life out of it with a Sense 7 ROM. Also, you can call HTC and get the purple tint fixed free of charge. A lot of people have had that done. I might finally root it and see how that goes before I decide to get a new phone.

 

[D13H4RD2L1V3]

How is the battery life on that ROM in terms of on screen time before and after? What is the link to it if you don't mind me asking. I might just keep the M7 if I can squeeze more battery life out of it with a Sense 7 ROM. Also, you can call HTC and get the purple tint fixed free of charge. A lot of people have had that done. I might finally root it and see how that goes before I decide to get a new phone.

Battery life was about the same. You can squeeze a bit more if you're frugal. And no, I can live with the purple camera because I've got multiple devices and I take photos with my Sony a6000 DSLM anyway.

The link to the ROM is below. You need to update your firmware and get S-OFF before doing so, however. Google as many tips as you can before doing so. It's risky and may brick your device if you're not careful. I'll give you 2 links for aid.

S-OFF: http://www.htc1guru.com/guides/get-s-off/

Firmware: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ybu7fZa41so

Firmware .zip (NOT ROM): https://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=95897840722644637 (Rename it to firmware.zip)

ROM: http://insertcoin-roms.org/2015/03/...ense-7-tweaksapp-launcher-battery-icon-packs/

Posted via Android Central App on a HTC One M7 running Sense 7.0

 

[D13H4RD2L1V3]

Here's how it looks like

Posted via Android Central App on a HTC One M7 running Sense 7.0

 

[neo905]

Thanks. If the battery life is unchanged I won't bother.

 

[D13H4RD2L1V3]

Thanks. If the battery life is unchanged I won't bother.

There are other improvements too, but don't expect your M7 to suddenly become an M9. XD

Posted via Android Central App on a HTC One M7 running Sense 7.0

 

[Rose4uKY]

Don't they both have an 8 core processor and 3 gigs of RAM. I don't know why their is this debate every year. Some like their HTC and others prefer Samsung. When people used to ask me what phone I had I would tell them the EVO by HTC or the M7 and I would say my phone and the Samsung are the 2 most popular ones both great phones I would say but I prefer HTC. I would never recommend an i phone. LOL! This dabate goes on and on and noone has the phone yet so how can he say it lags and blah blah blah I don't buy all these reviews bad camera heck like I said as long as it's good enough to upload to facebook and as good as my M8 I am happy. People need to chill.

I have a friend who has an S3 she's getting the S6 edge she can't wait she pre ordered and I think she's going to get a great phone. I'm not bad mouthing it. I'm sure it'll be great. She is used to Smamsung and Touch Whiz like I am used to and love Sense and have had every HTC phone since the EVO. I am so excited about getting my phone tomorrow.

I've not seen the anandtech review, but every other review I have watched for this phone have not mentioned a stutter issue once. All I've heard is how fast and snappy it is, no stutter. So it appears anandtech is going against everyone else.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[D13H4RD2L1V3]

The S6 is actually more powerful than the M9, according to benchmarks. The Exynos 7 chip is a monster. Had the 810 used a Qualcomm in-house chip like a Krait, then the gap could've been narrower.

The S6 is actually quite a looker IMHO. The main reason why I'm disappointed in it is due to the omission of the microSD card slot. Now, I know it's not a big deal to many, but it is for me and a fair bunch of power users and the Android modding community. I also like the M9 but ended up with a slightly sour taste in my mouth about the design. Nothing really wrong with it, but that evleaks render really drove up the hype.

 

[neo905]

The S6 is actually more powerful than the M9, according to benchmarks. The Exynos 7 chip is a monster. Had the 810 used a Qualcomm in-house chip like a Krait, then the gap could've been narrower.

The S6 is actually quite a looker IMHO. The main reason why I'm disappointed in it is due to the omission of the microSD card slot. Now, I know it's not a big deal to many, but it is for me and a fair bunch of power users and the Android modding community. I also like the M9 but ended up with a slightly sour taste in my mouth about the design. Nothing really wrong with it, but that evleaks render really drove up the hype.

You might want to check this out.

AnandTech | Samsung Galaxy S 6 and S 6 Edge: Preview

The S6 is about at par performance wise with the M9 wise, except for the screen benchmarks.

To be honest, I think the design guy that left the company recently leaked the renders. There were a lot of disgruntled designers who were battling with the bean counters on the board who reportedly wanted a more cost conscious conservative approach. He probably did it out of spite and to prove a point so HTC could see the reaction the render would have gotten. He screwed the companies unveiling though in the process. This is all conjecture though. But nothing wrong with a little conspiracy theory.

 

[markymark]

The M9 and Nexus 6 have faster animations to make it look faster than the S6, but you can always change animation speeds on the S6 to match M9 and Nexus 6 speeds.
However, the M9 stutters and so does the Nexus 6. Don't even try to debate me on this, as you would be contradicting Anandtech.

The S6 is the first Android phone without any lags and stutter in general UI use, so it is very impressive on Samsung's part to finally rid of those pesky Android stutters.



We're complaining because there is a much better-looking and better build-quality phone being released at the same time frame (AKA Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge).
People who have the M8 who tried out the S6 at BestBuy admitted that the S6 felt WAY better than their M8.
If Samsung played it safe like last year, I don't think anyone would be railing on HTC.



Heh, the funny thing is that the S6 STILL has better battery life than the M9 even with a much faster processor, higher screen resolution and lower battery capacity. Sure, the S6 would have even better battery life if Samsung stuck with 1080p, but there's no point whining over hypothetical scenarios. The fact of the matter is that the S6 has superior battery life to the M9.



You're entitled to your opinion, but the S6 is objectively superior to the M9 in almost every metric short of front-facing speakers and expandable SD card slot.

LOL...dude you are just making stuff up. Go over to the S6 forum, Andrew Martonik from this site has been doing a hands on with the S6 and S6 edge. He said they both definitely stutter and are not even as smooth and fluid as the M8. He hasn't tested the final version of the M9 yet. He also said the S6 edge is very hard to hold because of the thin edges, he does not recommend it at all. He only recommends the regular S6. And you are fantasizing about the battery life. All the reviews I have read say the S6 will not get through an entire day without a charge. About 12-14 hours of normal use. That is pathetic for a smartphone today. My 2012 Razr Maxx HD will still go a day and a half at least.

 

[Rose4uKY]

This will be 1st time I will have my old phone to compare to the new one. I usually turn my phone in to Best Buy for sale or sell it on CL. I am hoing the new speakers with the Dolby Surround Sound are better. Were doing the Sprint buy back and we have like 45 days. We got 120 a piece for our M7's from BB got the M8's for $199 only paying the difference and now were getting $255 a piece for our M8's but that cost is going to Sprint to upgrade early and so were paying the $199 this time. My birthday present early I'm excited and I think it will be a great phone! I know most people are coming from an M7 to the M9 and not many want to go from M8 to M9 but I'm excited to get it tomorrow.

 

[Adam_ation]

Exciting times!, I got to hold the M9 today and I think even people like me coming from the M8 will be extremely happy with the design changes. I cannot wait for Tuesday! - Adam

 

[Rose4uKY]

Really Cool! I get mine tomorrow and I think my Best Buy is supposed to have one on display but I never made it there. I was kind of iffy cause were coming from the M8 and I am like do we really need it. Well my husband was more against than me. I really wanted the M9 cause of specs and the themes and Sense 7 and Dolby Surround Sound. I am glad were upgrading. I am excited for tomorrow. He's not gonna activate his though until he gets his defender case which will be like Thursday. I hopefully will get this wallet case I ordered to hold me over on Tuesday until the dot views or commuter comes out. Thanks for telling us that. I have been wondering how many M8's users are upgrading cause I know it's more M7's?

Exciting times!, I got to hold the M9 today and I think even people like me coming from the M8 will be extremely happy with the design changes. I cannot wait for Tuesday! - Adam

 

[trojanman]

Went to a Best Buy yesterday and they had both the Gunmetal and Silver/Gold versions of the M9. Played around with each for a bit and was generally impressed with the build quality. I currently own an M8, and while there are some minor differences, it was pretty much the same phone to me. Though I will say it was easier to hold since it wasn't as slick as the M8 and the side power button is a welcomed change (even though I've gotten used to double tapping the screen to turn on my phone).

Sense 7 looks just like Sense 6, albeit more customizable options. I do like the option to add a 4th navigation button, and would definitely add the Notification menu button since it's always a stretch for me to reach the top of my phone and pull down with one hand. There's also the option to add a button to hide the navigation buttons, which gives you more more screen real estate.

I did play a music video on YouTube and put the volume to max. Did the same thing with my M8, and in my opinion the M8 was definitely louder and had a richer, fuller sound. I mostly use headphone so it's not a big deal, but there have been times when I've watched videos in the car with friends, and the loudness/rich sound (and not even on the max volume) on my M8 always impresses, and everyone can hear with ease. So a little concerned there with the M9, especially since they "upgraded" to Dolby sound.

I took a few pics, but it was a little hard to judge the quality since the phone was tethered to the counter, so couldn't really take a variety of pics, so it was hard to judge. Based on reviews I've read, though, I'm a little concerned with low light situations.

With all that said, I've been an HTC owner since the Evo 4G on Sprint. Following a year of ownership of that phone, I got an early upgrade to the Evo 3D. Kept that phone for 2 years and then went to the One M7. Paid full price last year for the M8 since I wasn't on an upgrade year, the primary reason being that the M7 wasn't a triband LTE phone on Sprint, and the M8 was. Been very impressed with the M8 thus far. I've been averaging about 18-20 hours of battery life, and for me the camera has done great, especially in low light situations.

I was anticipating upgrading to the M9, but after the reveal and the reviews, I'm concerned with two things: battery life and camera (especially in low light situations). Also, knowing that my M8 will get Sense 7, it's getting harder and harder to justify; and I'm a tech lover and always love the newest and greatest. I'll definitely be reading how real users like the phone and may choose to purchase at a later time, but for now, I'll be on the sidelines and also wait to see LG's G4.

I will say that if you are on Sprint and have an M7 or own a single band LTE phone, the M9 is a great upgrade for the triband LTE experience (unless of course you are also concerned about the camera in low light situations, then join me on the sidelines or consider the M8, which will likely drop in price ).

 

[neo905]

I asked Daniel over at Mobilesyrup a couple days ago to compare the S6 and M9 battery life since he has been using both for over 2 weeks now. He just answered me in an open thread here.

We have a Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 edge. Ask us anything! | MobileSyrup.com

Me: Based on your reviews of both the S6 and M9 it seems like you came away more impressed with the M9 battery life. I know you got the software update from HTC on the 19th and still have the pre-production software from Samsung. But as of now, would that be an accurate assessment? Also, is the M9 on screen time more than 3-4 hours?

Daniel: Yeah, the One M9 definitely gets better battery life. I'll have to get back to you about the SOT, but I think it's about 10-15% higher than the S6.

 

[Adam_ation]

Makes me cry a bit inside when all you US people are spouting all this LTE stuff and I havnt even got 3g where I live here in the UK haha - Adam

 

[neo905]

Went to a Best Buy yesterday and they had both the Gunmetal and Silver/Gold versions of the M9. Played around with each for a bit and was generally impressed with the build quality. I currently own an M8, and while there are some minor differences, it was pretty much the same phone to me. Though I will say it was easier to hold since it wasn't as slick as the M8 and the side power button is a welcomed change (even though I've gotten used to double tapping the screen to turn on my phone).

Sense 7 looks just like Sense 6, albeit more customizable options. I do like the option to add a 4th navigation button, and would definitely add the Notification menu button since it's always a stretch for me to reach the top of my phone and pull down with one hand. There's also the option to add a button to hide the navigation buttons, which gives you more more screen real estate.

I did play a music video on YouTube and put the volume to max. Did the same thing with my M8, and in my opinion the M8 was definitely louder and had a richer, fuller sound. I mostly use headphone so it's not a big deal, but there have been times when I've watched videos in the car with friends, and the loudness/rich sound (and not even on the max volume) on my M8 always impresses, and everyone can hear with ease. So a little concerned there with the M9, especially since they "upgraded" to Dolby sound.

I took a few pics, but it was a little hard to judge the quality since the phone was tethered to the counter, so couldn't really take a variety of pics, so it was hard to judge. Based on reviews I've read, though, I'm a little concerned with low light situations.

With all that said, I've been an HTC owner since the Evo 4G on Sprint. Following a year of ownership of that phone, I got an early upgrade to the Evo 3D. Kept that phone for 2 years and then went to the One M7. Paid full price last year for the M8 since I wasn't on an upgrade year, the primary reason being that the M7 wasn't a triband LTE phone on Sprint, and the M8 was. Been very impressed with the M8 thus far. I've been averaging about 18-20 hours of battery life, and for me the camera has done great, especially in low light situations.

I was anticipating upgrading to the M9, but after the reveal and the reviews, I'm concerned with two things: battery life and camera (especially in low light situations). Also, knowing that my M8 will get Sense 7, it's getting harder and harder to justify; and I'm a tech lover and always love the newest and greatest. I'll definitely be reading how real users like the phone and may choose to purchase at a later time, but for now, I'll be on the sidelines and also wait to see LG's G4.

I will say that if you are on Sprint and have an M7 or own a single band LTE phone, the M9 is a great upgrade for the triband LTE experience (unless of course you are also concerned about the camera in low light situations, then join me on the sidelines or consider the M8, which will likely drop in price ).

There are two dolby sound settings. Which one did you have it in when you tested it? The M8 just has one setting. I am wondering if one is louder than the other on the M9. I think they are called Music and Theatre modes.

 

[Gruff35]

You might want to check this out.


The S6 is about at par performance wise with the M9 wise, except for the screen benchmarks.

To be honest, I think the design guy that left the company recently leaked the renders. There were a lot of disgruntled designers who were battling with the bean counters on the board who reportedly wanted a more cost conscious conservative approach. He probably did it out of spite and to prove a point so HTC could see the reaction the render would have gotten. He screwed the companies unveiling though in the process. This is all conjecture though. But nothing wrong with a little conspiracy theory.

Only techies saw those renders so your theory is a moot point. HTC probably leaked those photos of the renders to see how customers would react to their Apple type of advertising. "Why change an already perfect phone?" That crap didn't work and people are holding onto their M8s.