HTC has just released its newest smartphone, the One A9. According to some observers, the One A9 will be the new flagship of the tech manufacturer. How will this new lineup compare against the previous M-series flagship, particularly the One M9?

Design and build

Both iterations of HTC's One lineup have the signature all-metal chassis and premium looks. However, the One A9's advantage in being a recent release is that it conforms more to a minimalist, slimmer look than the previous One iteration. Although the One M9 has a curved back, the One A9 has a slimmer profile in terms of dimension footprint. In terms of build options, the One A9 also has a number of colors like Topaz Gold, Deep Garnet, Opal Silver, and Carbon Grey. The M9, meanwhile, only has Gold on Silver, Gold, and Gunmetal grey selections.

Specs sheet

The earlier One M9 configuration has the current-gen Snapdragon 810 processor, unlike the lower-level Snapdragon 617 chipset in the One A9. This gives the One M9 an advantage in performance, as it also has a 3 GB RAM inside. The One A9, meanwhile, has a 2- and 3-GB RAM option. For storage, the One M9 only has a 32-GB version, while the newer One A9 is offered in both 2-GB RAM/16-GB storage and 3-GB RAM/32-GB storage models. Both lineups' storage can be expanded via microSD.

For the display, both lineups have the same 5.0-inch screen dimension, with 1920 x 1080 resolution. However, the One A9 had the advantage of having an AMOLED display, as opposed to One M9's LCD panel. This gives the One A9 more vibrant and rich colors.

Features

One of the advantages of the One A9 in being a recent release is that it will be one of the first non-Nexus phones to have Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Although the One M9 is also scheduled to receive the new Android platform, HTC still has to come out with the schedule, which could take some time. Meanwhile, other features of the newly released One A9 include a fingerprint sensor, a more stable camera, and BoomSound audio.