HTC Unveils The HTC One M9m, The HTC Grip, VR Headset
HTC kicked off MWC 2015 with the announcement of the HTC One M9 flagship smartphone, the HTC Grip smart fitness tracker and a virtual reality headset. The HTC One M9 melds the best of the HTC One M7 and HTC One M8 into a new design. Distinct metal edges combine with curves in an all-metal unibody design, highlighted by a dual-tone silver and rose gold finish.
The smartphone comes with the new HTC Sense 7 interface, which offers Themes toanalyze your favorite photos to modify the look of your apps, color scheme and backgrounds. Sense 7 delivers the most useful apps to the homepage based on your location, whether at home, work, or play. A more intelligent HTC BlinkFeed also makes it easier to uncover the hidden gems that surround you by using location data to recommend points of interest, news and information.
The phone has a 5-inch full HD 1080p display, runs Android 5.0 Lollipop and is powerd by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 Octa-core processor. Its main camera features 20 megapixels and a sapphire cover lens that protects from scratches. The camera also shoots movies in 4K resolution.
HTC One M8 |
HTC One M9 |
|
Chipset | MSM8974ABv3 2.26 GHz Snapdragon 801 | MSM8994 2/1.5 GHz A57/A53 Snapdragon 810 |
Memory | 2GB LPDDR3 16/32GB NAND + microSD |
3GB LPDDR4 32GB NAND + microSD |
Display | 5-inch 1080p LCD | 5? 1080p LCD |
Network | 2G / 3G / 4G LTE (Qualcomm MDM9x25 IP UE Category 4 LTE) | 2G / 3G / 4G LTE (Qualcomm UE Category 7/9 LTE) |
Dimensions | 146.36 x 70.6 x 9.35mm max, 160 grams | 144.6 x 69.7 x 9.61mm max, 157 grams |
Camera | 4.0 MP (2688 x 1520) Rear Facing with 2.0 µm pixels, 1/3" CMOS size, f/2.0, 28mm (35mm effective) and rear depth camera 5MP Front Facing, f/2.0 |
20MP Rear Facing w/ 1.12 µm pixels, 1/2.4" CMOS size, f/2.2, 27.8mm (35mm effective) 4MP Front Facing, 2.0 ?m pixels, f/2.0 26.8mm (35mm effective) |
Battery | 2600 mAh (9.88 Whr) | 2800 mAh (10.64 Whr) |
OS | Android 5 with Sense 6 | Android 5 with Sense 7 |
Connectivity | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac + BT 4.0, USB2.0, GPS/GNSS, MHL, DLNA, NFC | 2x2 802.11a/b/g/n/ac + BT 4.1, USB2.0, GPS/GNSS, MHL, DLNA, NFC |
SIM | NanoSIM | NanoSIM |
The HTC One M9 addresses low-light shots with an UltraPixel front-facing camera. Dynamic auto exposure and UltraPixels that capture 300% more light than standard cameras to deliver more natural and balanced self-portraits in any lighting conditions.
HTC Sense 7 with HTC's EYE Experience software offers a host of new editing effects including Shapes, Prismatic, Elements and Bokeh. Using the Zoe app you can automatically editing them, put them to your choice of music and let friends remix the collection with their own shots.
Wherever pictures are stored, the new One Gallery makes it easy to search through your entire photo library, viewing images saved on the phone, on social media and on select cloud platforms. The gallery allows searching by date, location, event, album or even the images themselves with Image Match.
The HTC One M9 guarantees a soundtrack courtesy of HTC BoomSound, dual front-facing speakers, combined with 5.1 channel Dolby Surround sound simulation. Whether listening via the stereo speakers or headphones, the phone supports 24-bit high-definition sound that surpasses even CD quality.
A three-finger swipe on the phone's screen connects the phone to compatible TVs or external speakers from manufacturers including Harman Kardon. HTC Connect's integration with Qualcomm AllPlay smart media platform and Blackfire Research wireless media technology, allows you and your friends to stream content from your smartphones to multiple home entertainment devices around the house. The playlist feature also allows multiple smartphones to share a speaker with Qualcomm AllPlay. In addition, the HTC One M9 comes preloaded with the Peel Smart Remote app. Connecting you to the shows you love, the app even learns from your viewing habits, transforming your phone into a personal TV guide and remote control.
The new HTC One will be available in the U.S. on AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon early Spring. It will also be available through HTC.com, Amazon, Best Buy, Best Buy Mobile specialty stores, Costco Wholesale and Target. An unlocked version will be available on www.htc.com.
HTC is also set to release a virtual reality headset as part of a tie-up with PC video games publisher Valve.
The Taiwanese company provided limited datails of the headset, which is planned to be presented by Valve at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco on Wednesday.
The HTC Vive will be paired with wireless controllers and tracking technology to let wearers explore computer-generated environments by walking round their rooms. HTC said that the headset features more than 70 sensors to track a wearer's gaze and movements it and can display video at 90 frames per second (fps). It supports a facility developed by Valve that allows users to explore a virtual space and the objects within it from different angles - by moving about in real life.
"Our collaboration with HTC is driven by the companies' shared desire to produce the most compelling and complete VR experience," said Ken Birdwell of Valve. "Delivering content creators with the Vive Developer Edition is an incredibly important milestone in our efforts to achieve that goal."
A test version of the kit will go on sale to developers shortly, followed by a public edition later this year.
Last but not least, HTC unveiled its first smart fitness tracker, the GPS-enabled HTC Grip. Powered by UA Record, the new health and fitness network from Under Armour designed for athletes and fitness enthusiasts, Grip fuses HTC's design with tracking across a range of sports and activities. Compatible with Android and iOS devices, as well as Bluetooth-enabled accessories like heart-rate monitors, Grip extends its functionality, providing additional performance data to the Under Armour Connected Fitness platform.
The waterproof band features a curved, 1.8-inch PMOLED display that also makes it easy to read time, distance and notifications on the move.
Available in three sizes, Grip is capable of tracking and recording a variety of workouts (from running and cycling to time spent at the gym), Grip is also waterproof, and it is powered by a 100mAh battery that lasts up to five hours when the integrated GPS is turned on.
HTC Grip | |
SoC | STM32L151QDH6 (Cortex-M3) |
memory | 8MB SRAM + 16MB Flash |
Display | 1.8-inch 32x160 PMOLED, mono |
Dimensions | Small: 51.9 x 68.2 x 22.5 mm Medium: 60.98 x 74.57 x 22.5 mm Large: 68.92 x 85.24 x 22.5 mm |
Battery | 100mAh |
Connectivity | Bluetooth LE 3.0/4.0, USB (Charging) |
Grip is able to capture route, distance, pace and calories burned, all of which sync with UA Record in real time. It also connects to an assortment of external heart rate monitors, including the Under Armour A39. For everyday usage, Grip lasts up to 2.5 days on a single charge, ideal for tracking daily activity.
Grip's auto sleep detection records the total amount of time spent asleep. Periods of deep and light sleep are also recorded with a view to helping wearers develop sleep patterns that will help them unlock peak fitness and performance.
When connected to an Android or iOS smartphone, a simple glance at your wrist allows you to see incoming call and message notifications.
The HTC Grip will be available in Deep Teal/Lime at select retailers in North America, beginning this Spring, for $199. It will be available at HTC.com, Under Armour, Academy Sports + Outdoors, AT&T, Cabela's, DICK'S Sporting Goods, Sports Authority, and Walmart.