Re: Oneplus X just killed the A9
I almost decided to wait on the Oneplus X instead of jumping in with the A9. I was extremely skeptical about the A9 when I first saw the design, then again when I saw the specs, then again when I saw the non-promo price. Somehow I still ended up ordering it at the $399 price point ($499 is too high and I hope HTC comes to their senses).
I've been a fan of HTC in the past. I had a Vivid a few years ago, then a One Mini (another phone with middling specs that was surprisingly usable). I read the reviews of this phone on a dozen different sites and talked myself into taking the plunge.
I know people are gonna mistake it for an iPhone, but the design does strike me as very premium looking, and I love the garnet color. The processor isn't the best, but I'm not into gaming, so I'm not too concerned. The memory is supposed to be fast and 3 gigs of RAM will help. The battery is small, but with Marshmallow out of the box, and quick charge 3.0 coming I think it'll be ok. Sound quality from the headphone jack is important to me, and HTC has made that a focus. The Uh oh protection is appealing if HTC doesn't fold in the next year.
I've been using 5.5 and 5.7 inch phones and I'm ready to try 5" again. The AMOLED display is supposed to be good. The Oneplus X gave me some pause, coming in at $150 cheaper than the promo price with a tried-and-true processor and good design itself (though I'll take metal over glass anyday). But no NFC, no finger-print scanner, no quick charging, no OIS and the need to wait for an invite or general sale down the line made it less appealing. It's still in the back of my mind if the A9 doesn't work out. I've had a Oneplus One and I was happy with the experience. I'm hoping HTC is rebounding though, so I'm giving them a fair shot.
I'm on the list for a Oneplus X though, and at $250 I might buy one also and use them back-to-back, then see which one goes one the market