Updated: 1/28 at 11:10am
Old habits die hard is what they say. Retired leaker Evan Blass has re-emerged with the latest renders of the upcoming HTC One M9, this time being accompanied by the rumored ‘Plus’ variant. We’ve seen many images of what were allegedly decoy units as well as some press renders from a third-party case manufacturer. These however, could be our best look yet.
The two images of the One M9 and One M9 Plus lineup with our previous information coming from HTC Source; they have redesigned the speaker grilles that mimics the Nexus 9. Along with that, it seems confirmed that, at least on the One M9, that HTC has decided to ax the black bar that once housed their logo, and shift it down to where the speaker once resided.
The One M9 Plus is a totally different story. The HTC logo remains in the black bar, previously seen on the One M7 and One M8, but for a different reason. The Plus variant will feature a fingerprint sensor along with the larger 5.5 inch display. It was rumored that this was a home button as well, but upleaks denies that claim.
March 1st is getting closer and closer so that brings us to our question of the day. With these latest leaks of the One M9 variants, will you be picking one up?
Updated: 1/27 at 10:38am
HTC Source has once again brought us exclusive details regarding the HTC One M9 (Hima). Previously, they released information that all of the Hima leaks seen previously, were all decoys employed by HTC to keep the real design under wraps.
Their new info coming from a trusted source takes us even further into the design aspect of the HTC One M9. It suggests that it will not feature the solid black bar below the display, as seen on the One M7 and One M8. Previously, this is where the HTC logo resided, but it has since been moved south.
As previously reported, Hima will feature an edge-to-edge display so the speaker grilles will have to take a hit. The slits, which are expected to be similar to the ones on the Nexus 9 (pictured above), will span 50% of the phones edge, both top and bottom. The edges of the speaker slits will be angled at a 45 degrees to give it a sleeker look.
Updated: 1/25 at 12:32am
The latest news coming to us has thrown a wrench in the works of the previous HTC One M9 (Hima) leaks. According to HTC Source, they have new information that suggest that the leaked images we’ve seen are indeed real, but there’s a catch. The leaked images we’ve come to familiarize ourselves with are a legitimate HTC device, but they are decoy units and do not accurately represent what the One M9 will become.
Their exclusive source has revealed that the HTC One M9 will look like a combination of the One M8 and the Desire 826. Their sources also state that the device will feature an edge-to-edge glass panel on the front, with familiar BoomSound speakers, and a large front-facing that will be centered on the top of the device.
The BoomSound speakers design will get the minimal treatment and they will be small slits pushed up against the edges on the top and bottom. While all the same internals will remain the same on the upcoming HTC One M9, the aesthetics are purely up to everyone’s best guess. It’s good to see HTC playing with leaks and keeping things interesting.
The question is, are you excited to hear that the images leaked previously won’t be the final device or are you bummed that they are changing an already good design? You know the drill, shoot us a comment below and let us know!
Updated: 1/22 at 10:10pm
Phandroid has just obtained even clearer images of the upcoming HTC Flagship, the One M9. This time around, the front of the device is seen entirely by itself; that means no hands our any shadows in our way. The device definitely looks like an upgrade to the One M8, but it still holds the same design. 
The back of the device shows the one camera lens; we can now move away from the rumors have the HTC One M9 sporting a duo camera setup like its predecessor. The squarish circular camera housing is now all but confirmed from HTC. According to the source of Phandroid, this is the final product and it isn’t a prototype. 
Updated: 1/22
Today, Phandroid got their hands on the clearest image we’ve of the upcoming HTC One M9. They obtained the photos from trusted source that is reportedly close to HTC. 
The new images go along with what was previously reported below. The device seems like a more finely tuned version of the One M8. Most notably, the lock button’s new location is almost guaranteed now, with all leaks point towards the same placement. The lock button has moved south to join the volume rockers on the right side of the device. To go along with the updated lock button, the volume rockers have been revamped as well. Instead of using a solid one piece ‘rocker-type’ volume button, they have moved to the two button setup. This will most likely give the button a more tactile, premium feel. 
While not much else is shown in these images, the front-facing camera does seem a little larger than the One M8’s. It is most likely due to the fact that it is expected to be a 13 megapixel camera instead of its predecessors 5 megapixel shooter. The source also went as far as confirming that the device will indeed feature Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 810 processor, Adreno 430 GPU, and will be backed up by 3 GB of RAM. They would not confirm or deny anything else.
Last year’s HTC One M8 was one of the hottest Android devices to be released, mainly because it featured a premium aluminum unibody in a slim package. With expectations among consumers rising, HTC has their work cut out for them to top an already good design with their upcoming One M9. Rather than passing along every single rumor that comes across our plate we’ve opted to cover only those devices that we find most relevant. To that end, the “What We Know” column aims to highlight the flagship smartphone models that are looming on the horizon. What you’ll find below is a list of rumors, leaks, speculation, images, and other information that pertains to the HTC One M9. We’ve done our best to gather up the juiciest stuff floating around, even if it conflicts with other reports. Unless otherwise noted, this is all to be considered unofficial and unconfirmed. Note: This post will be updated continually until such time that the device is announced by HTC and made official. Design The one thing that HTC has perfected on its flagship devices is the design. The HTC One M8 was very well-received and even critically acclaimed for being one of the first Android devices to feature an all-metal encasing, so it is expected that it will continue that trend. The One M9 is expected to come within a 144.3 x 69.4 x 9.6 mm frame. Comparing it to its predecessor, it is 2.1 mm shorter vertically and 1.2 mm thinner horizontally. The One M9 also comes in at 2 mm thicker, most likely to support the bigger battery expected in the device. 
In the first batch of leaks from NoWhereElse, their images depict that the reasoning for the slimming down is due to the fact that HTC removed the outer metal rim seen on the One M8. To give a better perspective of the aesthetic changes, Senior Editor of NoWhereElse posted an image via his Twitter account detailing the differences. The range from the lack of metal rim, front sensor/flash, and a smaller gap between the HTC logo on the bottom of the display. 
Another change made to the design is the location of the lock buttons. They now will join the volume rockers on the right-hand side of the device, whereas it used to be on the top of the device. The button placement can be seen in the latest leaks obtained by NoWhereElse from case renders for the One M9. 
Display The HTC One M9 has been rumored to have a screen size ranging from 5 to 5.5 inches, with the latter being more widely supported, and even backed by infamous leaker upleaks. HTC will not join the fray of QHD displays, but retain FHD support. A 5 inch display sporting 1080p resolution comes in at 443 ppi, so the picture will definitely be crisp. It is also expected that HTC will stick with LCD display technology and not move to AMOLED, although that is unconfirmed. While nothing has been announced as far has what glass the display will feature, it is safe to assume that the device will feature Corning’s latest Gorilla Glass 4, as will other flagships of 2015. Camera If there was any area of the HTC One M8 that was lacking, it was definitely in the camera category. HTC kept trying to boost their UltraPixel setup claiming that quality wasn’t related to the amount of pixels. Consumers voiced their opinions of their distaste for the 4 UltraPixel camera seen on the One M8, and it seems as they have listened. 
According to upleaks, the device will now boast a massive 20.7 megapixel camera in the rear and a reported 13 megapixel or 4 UltraPixel camera up front. The 13 megapixel camera for the front-facing shooter has been reported more often, and even showed up on an AnTuTu Benchmark, but the UltraPixel setup hasn’t been ruled out entirely. Internal Hardware The internal aspects of the HTC One M9 are the part of the device that is most widely agreed upon, as it has been seen on the AnTuTu Benchmark as well as reported by upleaks. The device will feature Qualcomm’s 2.0 GHz octa-core Snapdragon 810 processor that will be backed up by 3 GB of RAM, and an Adreno 430 GPU. 
It is unknown if the rumored overheating issues on the Snapdragon 810 processor will cause any delays for the release of the One M9, but according to Bloomberg, Samsung has already jumped ship. The One M9 will feature 32 GB of ROM and will have the option to expand up to 128 GB. Including an external microSD slot on their devices have been a staple for HTC and is one of the reasons why consumers like their devices so much. To top off all of the internals, a rumored 2,850 mAh battery will power the HTC One M9. This is a significant boost from the HTC One M8’s 2,600 mAh battery. As always with HTC, the battery is expected to not be removable. OS HTC’s latest device will be running Android 5.0 Lollipop straight out the box. While some of the devices HTC has released are already receiving the latest Android OS update, none have been shipped with a device before. On top of Android Lollipop will come HTC’s custom user interface (UI) called Sense. The Sense UI version on the One M9 will be updated to 7.0, up from version 6.0 that is currently seen on the One M7 and M8. HTC has done a fairly good job keeping their new update under-wraps and little is known about it, except for a few screenshots from You Mobile.
The images barely give us a peek into what to expect from Sense 7.0, except for the fact that it features Material Design and it has newly added detailed battery stats. It is also expected to feature an avatar maker and other features such as BlinkFeed. Variants A new leak has appeared online today, supporting the claims of HTC producing a “Plus” variant of the HTC One M9. The leak, which was brought to us by Steve Hemmerstoffer, shows off a larger 5.5 inch variant dubbed the HTC One M9 Plus or Ace. 
This device may look odd, and that is for a few reasons. Mainly, the device features a physical homescreen button that would even make Samsung proud. It also features a duo camera setup on the back. The bottom camera features an enormous footprint, so we could assume it would likely be a 20.7 megapixel shooter. 
One of the most interesting parts of the leak, shares with us that an HTC device might soon come with a fingerprint scanner. The leaked image shows a fingerprint scanner toggle baked into the notification shade on what could be Sense 7.0. The original HTC One M9 was rumored to have one at first, but has since been shot down. Maybe a more premium, high-end HTC device could feature it. The HTC One M9 Plus or Ace is expected to feature the same Snapdragon 810 processor, 3 GB of RAM, and a 5.5 inch QHD display. This could be the reasoning of why HTC left out the extra pixel treatment on the standard One M9. Launch It has been announced that HTC will debut the HTC One M9 (Hima) March 1st at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona this year. It is was announced by an image that stated “Utopia in progress.” 
The AndroidGuys team will continue to keep this article updated with the most recent news surround HTC’s next flagship, the One M9. So, be sure to bookmark this page and check back often as this page will continually receive updates!
