HTC One M9 listing reveals US price and availability
It is hard not to like HTC's latest flagship, One M9. The smartphone retains the features that we like from its predecessor, such as the stereo front-facing speakers, metal body and expandable storage, while fixing the bigger issues surrounding the rear-facing camera. There is now a 20.7 MP sensor on the back, which should lead to more detailed photos, while the front of the flagship gets a 4 MP UltraPixel shooter -- it's similar to the camera on the back of One (M8).
Yet while we know what One M9 brings to the table, in regards to specifications and design, HTC hasn't told us much about availability and pricing. Luckily for us, US retailer B&H's listing of the flagship sheds some light on the matter.
B&H has One M9 listed on its site, in the silver and gold trim, with a March 25 availability date. HTC's flagship from last year, One (M8), launched on the same date, adding some credence to this estimate. (In case the listing is pulled, there's a screenshot at the end of the story.)
Also, the off-contract price is said to be $649, which is, again, the same as for One (M8), when it first arrived. Of course, more important for US consumers is how much One M9 will cost on a two-year contract, and here B&H doesn't have the answer.
Normally, I'd say that we are looking at a $200 on-contract price-tag. However, HTC might have a different take this year. Talking to Business Insider, HTC's president of the Americas Jason Mackenzie said: "We have a huge announcement in middle to late March around extreme differentiation between Samsung and the iPhone. It solves key pain points".
Mackenzie suggests that HTC may differentiate One M9 from its obvious rivals based on pricing, which in turn may mean a lower-than-usual on-contract price. Off-contract, it matches iPhone 6, which kicks off at $649, but it packs twice as much built-in storage and a microSD card slot. If we are to compare it to the 64 GB iPhone 6, One M9 is $100 cheaper.
For those interested in pre-ordering One M9 in UK, local retailer Carphone Warehouse has the flagship listed at £579.99 off-contract, with deliveries expected to happen before the end of the month.
