HTC has just introduced the HTC One M9, the brand’s latest offering in its continuous evolution of the smartphone. As expected, this latest incarnation is the best yet. At a private event held last week I had the opportunity to get a quick overview of the device before putting it to the test over the last few days. The HTC One M9 delivers on it’s promise to raise the ante and become the essential multimedia communications device one expects from one of the world’s top selling brands.

We all know that with hundreds of smartphones to choose from, the one that will emerge winner in the competition to win your hard earned dollars has truly to stand above the rest. Besides its ability to deliver clear audio connections when you placed that rare phone call, your device has to look cool, provide the best camera on the market, offer superb sound with or without speakers or headphones, and if it can seamlessly integrate with your lifestyle and multimedia options then you’ve found your perfect pocket companion. The new HTC One M9 delivers on all counts and surpasses your expectations.

“HTC has built its reputation on challenging expectations in the mobile industry,” said Cher Wang, Chairwoman, HTC. “The HTC One M9 accomplishes this once again with stunning elegance and design, combined with smart features that help bring your world to life, connecting you in a deeper way to the things you consider most important. So much more than just a phone, the HTC One M9 is an extension of who you are.”

DESIGN
The HTC One M9 has a stylish streamline design; slightly thinner than the previous version and with rounded metal edges. The new model combines elements of the HTC One M7 and HTC One M8 into a modern, sleek powerhouse that hides its massive capacity for performance. The all-metal unibody model is small and easy to hold. Here the brand introduces two new colors that will surely stand out. Mirror-polished gold sides cascade effortlessly into a hairline brushed silver back panel, encasing a bright and vivid display.

CAMERA
Perhaps the best reason to own an HTC One M9 is the new and improved camera. Your smartphone just became the best camera you can carry in your pocket, sure to take brilliant, creative and fun photos. With 20 megapixels, it’s bound to make attached camera phone lenses obsolete. Now you can have crisp, intricate detail, and a sapphire cover lens that protects from scratches. The picture image is superb. For vivid video, the camera also shoots movies in 4K resolution.

The front facing camera offers auto exposure and UltraPixels that capture 300% more light than standard cameras to deliver sharper, more natural and balanced self-portraits in any lighting conditions. Ultrapixels means you can still get good resolution quality when you take that selfie.

IMAGE EDITING
A big plus I’ve found with HTC is the included editing features. Even before you click the shutter you can have the smooth facing option set to decrease the need for photoshop. Even if you choose to further manipulate the image once taken you can do more, including soften the skin, open the eyes wider, erase the double chin… and other options. And once you’re done with the image you can let your creativity run wild enhancing your photo with patterns, double images and elements including snowflakes, leafs, bubbles, hearts, and rose petals, among others. The final image can be JPEG, or a GIF with the moving objects.

A host of new editing effects including Shapes, Prismatic, Elements and Bokeh allow you to add a little bit of individual artistry into every shot, with the Zoe app automatically editing them, putting them to your choice of music and letting friends remix the collection with their own shots to create a shared celebration from every moment.

With so many incredible images, quickly showing your friends those brilliant shots could become an issue. Wherever they’re stored, the new One Gallery makes it easy to search through your entire photo library, viewing images saved on the phone, on social media and on select cloud platforms. The gallery puts your whole image library at your fingertips, searching by date, location, event, album or even the images themselves with Image Match.

SOUND
The sound quality is far superior with dual front facing speakers that will project your audio with crystal clear sharpness. The HTC One M9 offers a larger-than-life soundtrack courtesy of HTC BoomSound, combined with 5.1 channel Dolby Surround sound3 simulation. This makes for extraordinary, cinema-style surround sound creating an immersion vibrant audio experience, so you can enjoy movies with rich, clear and powerful sound even without connecting headphones or external speakers. Whether listening via the stereo speakers or headphones, you’ll find perfect, 24-bit high-definition sound that surpasses even CD quality.

HTC’s unique combination of HTC BoomSound, Dolby Audio, a finely tuned sound profile, and Qualcomm Immersive Audio gives all of your music and movies a powerful quality.

HTC SENSE 7
Your phone should make a statement about who you are, and the new HTC Sense 7 experience puts you in control of everything. The device is highly customizable. ‘Themes’ puts you at the center of the smartphone experience, intelligently analyzing your photos to modify the look and feel of your apps, color scheme and backgrounds. Just choose your favorite photo and let ‘Themes’ do the rest. Suddenly all your important icons become part of the design, blending seamlessly with the outstanding elements of your photo.

As your always-on travel companion, your smartphone is perfectly placed to enrich your mobile life. Sense 7 reinvents the home screen to deliver the most useful apps to the homepage based on your location. Whether at home, work, or play, you’re never more than a click away from the features you need with this contextual, customizable widget. A more intelligent HTC BlinkFeed also makes it easier to uncover the hidden gems that surround you by using location data to recommend points of interest, news and information.

MULTIMEDIA
Smartphones are fast becoming the central hub for home entertainment, and HTC Connect makes it easy to enjoy your multimedia experience beyond your phone. A threefinger swipe on the screen connects the phone to compatible TVs or external speakers from leading manufacturers including Harman Kardon. HTC Connect’s integration with Qualcomm AllPlay smart media platform and Blackfire Research wireless media technology, allows you to stream high-quality content from your smartphones to multiple home entertainment devices around the house. The playlist feature also allows multiple smartphones to share a speaker with Qualcomm AllPlay.

For the ultimate connected smartphone-powered TV experience, the HTC One M9 comes exclusively preloaded with the Peel Smart Remote app. Instantly connecting you to the shows you love, the app even learns from your viewing habits, transforming your phone into a personal TV guide and remote control.

The new HTC One M9 is now available in the U.S. on AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon. It will also be available through HTC.com, Amazon, Best Buy, Best Buy Mobile specialty stores, Costco Wholesale and Target. An unlocked version is available on www.htc.com. Follow @HTCUSA and visit www.htc.com/one for more information.