HTC One (M9) rumor round-up: specs, features, price, release date and all we know so far

Nearly four years after going to the peak of success with its Android smartphones, HTC has crashed to the bottom with declining revenues and barely squeezing a profit. In the past year, the company has lost key executives, failed to manufacture an appealing, competitive smartphone for the Holiday shopping season, and seems to be putting all bets on 2015.



Enter the HTC One (M9).



HTC’s One (M9) 2015 flagship is facing an uphill battle for a number of reasons: the renewed focus on design, HTC’s main selling point, from rivals like Samsung; then, the rise of Chinese smartphones that HTC simply cannot match in value for the money; and finally, the fact that even with the overwhelmingly positive reviews for the 2014 HTC One (M8), it still could not catch up.



It’s time for some radical changes.

Design: premium refined

One thing HTC will not change much according to rumors is the premium feel and industrial design in the HTC One (M9).

A new, tougher aluminum alloy

Not much, however, does not mean that the company is standing still: this time around, the One (M9) is expected to be built with a case made of an aluminum silicon-carbide composite, an alloy that is strengthened in comparison with traditional 6000 series aluminum used in products like the iPhone.



A quick look at research papers shows that adding silicon-carbide to aluminum improves the microhardness and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of a product, which is great news for the durability of the M9.