Taiwanese phone maker HTC finally unveiled the successor to its successful HTC One M8, the One M9. While both devices might possess the same screen size and resolution of 1080p, the One M9 overtakes its predecessor in performance and features, while shedding off some of the aesthetics.

Starting off, the One M9 is powered by the Snapdragon 810, which is running an octa-core processor and 3 GB of RAM. The octa-core processor is based on ARM's big.LITTLE technology and features one quad-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 CPU and another quad-core 2 GHz Cortex-A57 processor.

The chip is also compatible with the 64 bit architecture, a feature that is void on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 chipset's quad core Krait processor present inside the One M8. The One M9 also possesses a whole GB of RAM more compared to the company's previous flagship smartphone. HTC's current flagship offering is going to be shipped out in the 32 GB internal capacity model, whereas the One M8 is available in the 16 and 32 GB variants. Both smartphones can expand storage up to a limit of 128 GB.

The One M9's 20.7 megapixel rear camera is also capable of recording 4K videos, which is another feature not present on its predecessor. HTC has also managed to stuff in a larger battery pack compared to one incorporated in the M8; a 2,840 mAh compared to the 2,600 mAh present on the lesser performing smartphone. While both devices features the same wireless adapter (802.11 ac), the One M9 features a Category 6 LTE modem, whereas the One M8 is only equipped with a Category 4 modem.

The commendable thing about HTC is that it maintained its hold on the full HD display present on both devices. While the 1440p resolution will improve overall image quality, it will drain battery life at a much quicker pace, a drawback that all smartphone users are not fond of. It is expected that the off-contract price of the M9 will be $649 and it will be available sometime later this month.