Earlier this week, HTC finally took wraps off of the HTC One A9, their latest HTC One smartphone. This time, the Taiwanese firm created something that was designed to please the everyday smartphone user, while also offering them something a little extra. That “extra” included an all-metal build, with the glass panel fused to the frame and a fingerprint sensor thrown in as well. On paper, the device doesn’t have the best specs out there, but it’s designed to be a device that just works, with little fanfare or hassle, and when you take that into consideration, things start to look up.
The problem for HTC however is that their new device happens to look like another device that has been on shelves for quite some time now. Folks that watched the launch earlier this week have been criticising HTC, saying that their new device is nothing but a copy of the Apple iPhone. This whole “who copied who” rabbit hole goes deeper than the majority of us would think, but according to Chinese media, HTC is pointing the finger at Apple first. According to WantChinaTimes, HTC’s North Asia President has accused Apple of copying the iPhone first, as HTC were the first to release an all-metal design with plastic lines for the antennas, and they would be right. The problem here however, is that the HTC One M7, the M8 and M9 looked their own phone. They didn’t have the curved edges that the iPhone 6 and now One A9 have, and the BoomSound speakers on previous devices created a unique look and feel from the front as well.
No matter what though, HTC is betting big on the One A9, at least in the mid-range sector. Selling the device at a reduced cost directly from HTC.com, complete with he ability to unlock the Bootloader without voiding warranty is a big move from HTC. The overall package is not what might hurt HTC, but how they’ve presented it, and only time will tell whether or not the buying public is going to pick up the One A9 in large numbers or not.