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Prerelease Rumors Here
- Thread starter DILands
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- htc one m9
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So, front that is identical to the M8 (as far as can be judged from that picture), and a back view where the picture seems to have been carefully framed to not reveal whether there is a duo camera there or not.
Somehow this feels like an engineering prototype to me. Partly I find it very hard to believe that they'd not make some visual change, partly I'm just suspicious about where that back shot is cut off: what are they trying not to show?
Somehow this feels like an engineering prototype to me. Partly I find it very hard to believe that they'd not make some visual change, partly I'm just suspicious about where that back shot is cut off: what are they trying not to show?
Nah, they're not hiding anything (no second back camera). And I *think* the front will look slightly different. Other than that, I think the m9 is all about upgrading the specs
No duo - no bueno. 
I *really* like that feature.
I *really* like that feature.
My dad has the m8, and while I'm sure he never uses the feature, it sounded like it would be bad ass.
It's totally cool - my wife took a picture of a speaker at an art gallery lecture - basically everything in focus. A few taps later, the speaker popped in sharp focus, everything and everyone else was a blur - great stuff.
Hopefully it'll return some day.
Couple of the example pics I saw were really sweet. Need to show my dad how to use that
Well, everything (OK, one more day's leaks!) is pointing to that being what it really does look like. Dunno, I get the internal updates, but many customers are fashion-conscious, and it seems a risk to me to make so little change in appearance. Not that there's anything wrong with the M8's looks, and a marginally smaller version with the power button on the side and more powerful innards is an appealing beast. Just I worry that some people will pass over it just because it doesn't look "new".
Having said that, a visit to AndroidCentral did remind me that 2 years ago (almost exactly) there were pictures of a M7 prototype that used a One X-like body circulating.
Now my real question, of course, is "do I actually need to upgrade this year?". If I take the word "need" seriously then the answer is "no", but it would be nice to have the SD slot back, stick a big card in, keep more music, nandroids, a larger collection of maps permanently on the device...
Having said that, a visit to AndroidCentral did remind me that 2 years ago (almost exactly) there were pictures of a M7 prototype that used a One X-like body circulating.
Now my real question, of course, is "do I actually need to upgrade this year?". If I take the word "need" seriously then the answer is "no", but it would be nice to have the SD slot back, stick a big card in, keep more music, nandroids, a larger collection of maps permanently on the device...
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A lot of the Disqus comments on Phandroid are hating on the design because it looks like an M8, and isn't exciting and new - and that's aside from the bezel haters.
Why does HTC suddenly become a fashion fail when it was praised in the past?
The LG G3 was a breakaway last year - fashion had nothing to do with it, it's like carrying a piece of plate glass.
I just don't understand conspicuous consumption.
Sold my head-turning roadster and bought a truck lol. And noticed that a lot of people changed their behavior around me, for the worse. Suddenly, I was not as cool because I no longer owned a car that they could never afford anyway.
My friend Bugs Bunny calls those people maroons. I feel the same way about people whining that HTC won't sell enough if they don't step it up on fashion.
Function has to lead to form, not the other way around.
Here's what I've seen about every HTC with an LCD before the M7 but not since - complaints about light leakage around the periphery.
The popular meme is the bezels are there for electronics. Look at the teardowns on the M8 - the bezels are bonded to the glass and the lower one protects the wiring harness.
Why does HTC suddenly become a fashion fail when it was praised in the past?
The LG G3 was a breakaway last year - fashion had nothing to do with it, it's like carrying a piece of plate glass.
I just don't understand conspicuous consumption.
Sold my head-turning roadster and bought a truck lol. And noticed that a lot of people changed their behavior around me, for the worse. Suddenly, I was not as cool because I no longer owned a car that they could never afford anyway.
My friend Bugs Bunny calls those people maroons. I feel the same way about people whining that HTC won't sell enough if they don't step it up on fashion.
Function has to lead to form, not the other way around.
Here's what I've seen about every HTC with an LCD before the M7 but not since - complaints about light leakage around the periphery.
The popular meme is the bezels are there for electronics. Look at the teardowns on the M8 - the bezels are bonded to the glass and the lower one protects the wiring harness.
That's my concern: that there might be a large enough section of the buying public who think like those Disqus commentators, or are influenced by bloggers who echo such thoughts, to make a difference. If I were HTC I'd have probably tried to differentiate it a bit more visually just to head off that possibility.
Btw - a standard headphone plug, into the bottom on the M8, goes deeper than the top of the c in the logo. Lol
And yet not once have I seen the terms bezelicious or bezelgate ever applied to this on Disqus -
Today I saw a complaint that the cosmetic glass covering the camera caused the entire design failure because it was square.
The only way for HTC to win on Disqus is to hire as many students as Apple and Samsung have for their negative campaigns.
I share your concern - the whole Apple campaign really killed the One X sales. All it took prerelease was the rumor that sales were down, followed by the Disqus warnings that you don't want to buy from a company going out of business.
In a high earnings quarter. Quarter later, they were screwed.
The M8 was among the top rated designs last year on every site.
Now Disqus has exploded with design complaints.
A different look on the M9 would have led to the same design complaints, just a details change to whine about it looking different.
You can't fight astroturfing with design.
Actually I like the square camera. If you are going to change tack on the camera, make it visible that you have done so.
Now I know the article says not to read too much into is, but where's the fun in that? So what does anyone reckon to the possibility that maybe, just maybe, the mark on the top antenna bar in this photo is actually a duo camera with a larger separation than the M8 one had from the primary camera?
It is very blurry, but it is about the right size and shape, and it would be nice to think there was a surprise, or a unique feature, that hadn't been leaked yet
It is very blurry, but it is about the right size and shape, and it would be nice to think there was a surprise, or a unique feature, that hadn't been leaked yet
That would suggest that we have multiple versions out there - something they've done before.
More fake photos...
http://www.technobuffalo.com/2015/0...-leak-offers-a-clear-look-at-the-rear-camera/
Looks like someone used photoshop and had about 20 cups of coffee when making this fake.
Heck, one photo shows black plastic on the back, the other shows light grey. They could have at least been consistent. Not to mention the camera and flash bezel edges... I truly don't think that HTC would make a refresh with such similar design elements. They know they have to break the mold if they want to keep making profit.
They already have the same basic design with the M7, M8, and all of the M8 refreshes (like the E8). I expect them to make some serious design element changes, aside from refreshing the camera (hope they don't dump the duo)- though I expect they will since many effects can be simulated with software.
I stopped by the HTC CES booth a few weeks ago and aside from talking about the desire and the "Re" camera (see pic below) the lady at the booth told me I would be in for a welcoming refresh that reflects the forward thinking of HTC (whatever that means!) when it comes to the M9
http://www.technobuffalo.com/2015/0...-leak-offers-a-clear-look-at-the-rear-camera/
Looks like someone used photoshop and had about 20 cups of coffee when making this fake.
Heck, one photo shows black plastic on the back, the other shows light grey. They could have at least been consistent. Not to mention the camera and flash bezel edges... I truly don't think that HTC would make a refresh with such similar design elements. They know they have to break the mold if they want to keep making profit.
They already have the same basic design with the M7, M8, and all of the M8 refreshes (like the E8). I expect them to make some serious design element changes, aside from refreshing the camera (hope they don't dump the duo)- though I expect they will since many effects can be simulated with software.
I stopped by the HTC CES booth a few weeks ago and aside from talking about the desire and the "Re" camera (see pic below) the lady at the booth told me I would be in for a welcoming refresh that reflects the forward thinking of HTC (whatever that means!) when it comes to the M9
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Those aren't fakes.
As Phandroid said, they shopped out the tracking codes on the back of the evaluation unit. I've seen the originals and know that to be so.
I still don't believe that is the m9. Not after what they were saying at CES. If it is the same basic design as the M7 than HTC is in a world of trouble. Can you explain the two different colors for the moulding?
It is possible they are real, but I sure hope not. Just makes me a lot less interested in the new revision.
It is possible they are real, but I sure hope not. Just makes me a lot less interested in the new revision.
I can only speak to the one but I do know that cosmetic details don't matter on beta units and that it's fairly common to see several versions. Frankly I'm surprised that there aren't more differences. These aren't necessarily early production, but they may be - but they're definitely betas.
Remember, the LTEvo betas and the famous youtube after those were released? How many different chassis they built and sampled on that one? Those were in the background of that youtube.
And for the record - I speak only as a member of the Phandroid Team where the pictures are concerned.
As for whether that's the final product or near to it, I have no opinion in either direction.
They could be sampling near final - or they could have been just sampling for software feedback using mostly M8 jigs.
Frankly, I like my M8 so much that I disqualify myself on having a meaningful opinion on whether they should change anything.
I think an M9 like that would be great and a bigger M9 to go along with it would be better.
The One Max is overdue for replacement - and I doubt that they did the Prime stuff and not release it in the fall just to lose money on the experiment.
The press hasn't been kind about the Nexus 9 build quality so maybe they wanted to be conservative with the betas.
Or maybe the final form is being kept under wraps.
Plus a dozen other possibilities.
But the Phandroid photos, while shopped to protect the source, are not fakes.
As for whether that's the final product or near to it, I have no opinion in either direction.
They could be sampling near final - or they could have been just sampling for software feedback using mostly M8 jigs.
Frankly, I like my M8 so much that I disqualify myself on having a meaningful opinion on whether they should change anything.
I think an M9 like that would be great and a bigger M9 to go along with it would be better.
The One Max is overdue for replacement - and I doubt that they did the Prime stuff and not release it in the fall just to lose money on the experiment.
The press hasn't been kind about the Nexus 9 build quality so maybe they wanted to be conservative with the betas.
Or maybe the final form is being kept under wraps.
Plus a dozen other possibilities.
But the Phandroid photos, while shopped to protect the source, are not fakes.
Namrak
Android Expert
Apparently one source is claiming that the leaks are of a decoy device, and the real m9 will have edge to edge glass among other changes. The website also claims that the phablet version will be called the ultra. I don't know how reliable this website usually is.
http://htcsource.com/2015/01/exclus...ails-will-distinguish-it-from-the-htc-one-m8/
http://htcsource.com/2015/01/exclus...ails-will-distinguish-it-from-the-htc-one-m8/
DILands
Android Expert
Is this [part true? "In 2013, HTC managed to keep the true design of the HTC One (M7) concealed during testing with decoy replacement parts, renderings, and working test units. "
Namrak
Android Expert
Yes, that was circulating at this time in 2013. Though the actual design did leak before the announcement - if I recall correctly a French retailer let slip their shop signage a couple of weeks before the One was revealed (though not everyone believed it, since they'd seen these photographs).
As you say, it remains to be seen how reliable this latest claim is. With no evidence produced, but knowing that it's been done before, my verdict right now is "it's possible". As I've said, some visual distinction would seem reasonable to me for marketing reasons.
If not, well the two-tone aspect of the model Phandroid have been showing (dark front, light back) has been growing on me
As you say, it remains to be seen how reliable this latest claim is. With no evidence produced, but knowing that it's been done before, my verdict right now is "it's possible". As I've said, some visual distinction would seem reasonable to me for marketing reasons.
If not, well the two-tone aspect of the model Phandroid have been showing (dark front, light back) has been growing on me
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