HTC may have a third device in their flagship One lineup that looks next to no different from its predecessors, but that doesn’t necessarily make it a terrible thing. The One series devices have always looked great and many users find the design appealing. Sure, nothing is really new which is something that a number of users were hoping for, in the end HTC has still produced a handset that people will find attractive. Is there anything they could do to make it more attractive? Sure, and they believe they have done just that.
A little over a month ago HTC announced they’d be doing a special, Limited Edition run of HTC INK devices, which are essentially just the HTC One M9 with a unique tattoo design (hence the name INK) on the back of the phone. At the time HTC had only shown off the chosen design which would be etched onto the back of the phone, along with the news that they’d be partnering up with supermodel Jourdan Dunn as their brand ambassador for the device. Today, they’ve unveiled the finished product for all to see, and it looks to be available in the silver and gold edition models with the body art style design that was created by renowned tattoo artist Cally-Jo Pothecary in collaboration with Jourdan Dunn.
HTC is not shy about admitting they hold brand image on a special pedestal, placing it above selling more units. While brand image is important, so is selling tons and tons of phones if you wish to continue competing at scale with other top end OEMs with popular high-end flagship devices. Will the limited edition INK line get the job done for HTC or at the least get them closer to the target number of handsets they had hoped to sell this year? Who knows, but if you like body art and are a fan of HTC products, this might be just the device for you. It’s important to keep in mind that the INK model HTC One M9 is no different in specs or hardware than the original One M9 that was released, so users will only be paying for the unique design on the back. Right now there is no word from HTC on the release date or the price of the phones, but now that the design seems to be finished those details will likely pop up soon.