Is the HTC One M9 one of the biggest disappointments in mobile, or does its experience transcend its less than cutting-edge specs? We'll have to wait for our review to answer that, but in the meantime we can compare its features and specs to those of one of the best smartphones you can buy, the iPhone 6.
Size
The HTC One M9 is about 5 percent taller and 4.5 percent wider than the iPhone 6.
The One M9 is much beefier, with the iPhone measuring 28 percent thinner. That comes off a bit more exaggerated than it is, though, because the One has a rounded back (this measurement only counts its thickest point) vs. the iPhone's almost completely uniform backside.
Weight
See what we mean about the One M9's specs not exactly setting the world on fire? It's 22 percent heavier than the iPhone. In fairness the One M9 is a bigger handset, but there's no mistaking the fact that it has the worse size-to-weight ratio.
Build
Both phones get an A+ in this class, sporting different – but equally stunning – aluminum unibody builds.
The only asterisk to add here is that, while Apple comes up with beautiful new exteriors every two years, HTC has been iterating on the same basic design for three generations now.
Colors
These are the color options that HTC and Apple lets you choose from.
Display (size)
The iPhone 6's 4.7-in display is about 88 percent as big as the HTC One M9's 5-incher.
Navigation buttons
But in many places, your available area on the M9 is going to be close to the same as it is on the iPhone. That's because HTC's phone has persistent navigation keys that live on the bottom row of its screen (the iPhone doesn't have these).
The exception is Android's Immersive Mode (often seen in video, photo or e-reading apps), where the M9 will fade out those nav keys, letting you use its full 5 inches.
Display (resolution)
Neither phone has mind-blowing resolution by today's standards (Quad HD is the new high-end in phone displays), but the One M9's 1080p display is about 35 percent sharper than the iPhone's.
Display (type)
No AMOLED here, as both handsets use IPS panels.
Fingerprint sensor
The iPhone 6's Touch ID may get some competition from the new touch-based sensors in the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge, but HTC didn't put any biometric sensors in the M9.
Camera megapixels (rear)
As is always the case when talking about megapixels, you'll want to take this with a few grains of salt: the iPhone 6's camera is still one of the best in the (smartphone) business.
Camera megapixels (front)
The 4 MP front sensor in the M9, though, will certainly snap some higher-res selfies than the iPhone will.
Camera aperture
Both phones' rear cameras have ƒ/2.2 aperture.
Dual LED flash
The HTC One M9 and iPhone 6 both have dual LED flashes on their backsides, making your flash shots look ... well, a bit less like flash shots (not as whitewashed and more evenly lit).
Battery
We throw these battery specs up here for information purposes, but this means little until we put the M9 through a battery test. The iPhone's battery life is solid enough, but off the pace of phones like the Galaxy Note 4.
Fast charging
Qualcomm's Quick Charge 2.0 is back in the One lineup for a second straight year, letting you quickly get your battery back to a respectable state when it's almost dead.
Extreme Power Saving Mode
… and if you're almost out of juice without a charger in sight, HTC's Extreme Power Saving Mode is back too, temporarily turning your handset into a glorified feature phone so you can stay on the grid.
Removable battery
As you might expect from two unibody phones, both batteries are sealed shut.
Storage
HTC simplified its pricing model this year, only offering one storage tier for the One M9.
MicroSD
That's complemented, though, by the One M9's microSD slot – something no iPhone has ever had.
Processor
The Snapdragon 810 in the One M9 should be quite the beast, but don't underestimate Apple's A8 chip in the iPhone – it far outperforms what this visual might suggest.
RAM
The One M9 does, however, triple the RAM count in the latest iPhones.
Infrared
This feature never gets much attention, but the M9 does have an infrared blaster, letting you use your phone as a remote control for your TV.
Software
We're looking at Android 5.0 Lollipop with HTC's Sense UI on top (one of our favorite Android OEM skins), next to iOS 8.
Release
HTC still hasn't announced US release info, but the One M9 will start rolling out in Taiwan this month. The iPhone has been around for almost six months already.
Starting price (full retail)
Also no word on pricing for the One M9. For what it's worth, the last two HTC One flagships cost the same as the iPhone.
Starting price (on-contract)
The last two Ones also rang up for $200 on-contract. It will be interesting to see if HTC sticks with that, or tries to make its handset stand out by dropping that down a little bit.
For more, you can check out Gizmag's HTC One M9 review and our iPhone 6 review from last September.
