Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer HTC is planning to release a new version of its One A9 model on September 1, one day before the start of IFA 2016 in Berlin, Germany. The original One A9, released in October 2015, was the successor to the One M9 in the United States.
The One M9 was a complete failure in the market, and its weak sales saw 40% decline in revenue. Overheating caused by the Snapdragon 810 chipset and poor performance of the camera were the main reasons behind the fiasco.
In June, HTC CEO Cher Wang confirmed the company was developing a hero device for its smartphone business. Famous phone leaker Evan Blass revealed via his Twitter account it was the One A9.
Following the launch, HTC reported a 15% increase in overall revenue by November 2015. The unveiling of HTC’s updated One A9 will reportedly happen ahead of the Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin (IFA).
The conference will take place from September 2 to 7. Europe’s biggest tech show hosted 245,000 visitors and 1,645 exhibitors in 2015. So, HTC should make the announcement before Friday.
Rumored specs and design
As with the original, Evan Blass is once again the man behind the leaked images of the new One A9. Labeled as an iPhone 6 clone when first launched, it seems HTC’s Android smartphone will look even more similar to Apple’s flagship.
The centered rear camera and flash got moved to the top left as well as the front camera got pushed to the left of the now smaller earpiece.
Also, the sensors are now at the center above the earpiece. Much like Apple’s iPhone 6 arrangement. Its fingerprint scanner and HTC logo should help customers know the difference, though.
The rear camera will remain at 13MP, while the front one will go from 4 UltraPixels up to 5MP.
Other changes include the removal of the HTC logo above the fingerprint scanner and the relocation of the rear microphone to the top edge. Plus, the One A9 will now come in black too.
A9 release date and estimated price
Blass also disclosed the new HTC One A9 is supposed to be unveiled by the company the day before the IFA which begins on September 2.
The original version got criticized for being overpriced. Critics thought its feature set didn’t justify the $500 price tag. So when it launches on September 1, hopefully, HTC will either release a mid-range price phone or make a high-end handset worth the buck.
The first One A9, though, was praised for its construction, fingerprint scanner, and software. Critics also noted the camera was an improvement over other HTC phones.
These features should return and even get enhanced but with a decent price tag the handset could finally stand out on its own, iPhone comparisons aside.
Source: VentureBeat