See if your carrier will let you try one for a day. Just got back from vacation with wife both kids (one 15 and one 19 have the M9, wife had M7). I have M8. No question, camera is better on the M9 except in very low light. Details are much sharper on the M9. M9 is a snappier interface/device, ever so slightly. Battery is pretty equivalent and both are dramatically better than the M7. Multitasking is better on M9. My M8 is the Harman Kardon, and I like the sound better with the speakers and with headphones, but really, they are pretty equivalent and to each his own with sound quality. In the hand, the slimmer M9 feels a little better to me, and the power switch on the side is a nice improvement. Selfies are better on the M9 (kids care.) Got the M9 for wife 2 days ago free on lease from Sprint. Easy upgrade, and she is pleased. We are an HTC family, for better or worse. Kids have had the M9s since May, and overheating is not an issue for them. They are power music and video streamers, too. Daughter has a Speck case, son and wife with Tech21 cases. RAW camera mode is just fantastic on the M9 by the way. I agee with Petvas that the M9 screen is slightly better than the M8. Overall, M9 is better than M8 by a reasonable margin (and will be updated if HTC stays solvent) and is a big upgrade from the M7. M9 is definitely sleeker and slimmer than the M8 but not in a big way. Go try one out for a day.