14 DAY TRIAL // HTC announced the One M9 metal-clad smartphone at MWC 2015, where Samsung too unveiled its current flagships. But while the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge got all the attention in the world, the One M9 was sadly pushed aside.
A few months have passed since the One M9 became official, but HTC is still not seeing customers thronging to get their hands on the new phone. On the contrary.
A new report coming out of Asian publication Digi Times claims that HTC will be forced to lower its component orders for the One M9 by 30% due to a shortage in demand.
The sources cited by the aforementioned publication say that HTC One M9’s disappointing sales are due to the handset’s failure to differentiate itself from other models on the market but also from its predecessor, the One M8.
The HTC One M9 is just too common
Basically, the One M9 can be considered just an incremental update from the One M8, as the phone doesn't bring anything too innovative to the table, aside from refreshed specs.
Blaming this for the disappointing sales makes sense at some level, but we can’t help but note that other companies like Apple haven’t had troubles selling similar looking devices for years. But what works for Cupertino doesn't always apply to companies like HTC or Sony.
On the other hand, HTC might have been a little too bold. The company launched the phone on the same day when Samsung unveiled its best Galaxy S effort to date, so the One M9 arrived into this world at a disadvantage.
It will be pretty hard for any flagship coming out this year to top Samsung’s offer, and we are expecting this to be Apple’s new iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.
On the other hand, the HTC One M9 offers a 1080p display, when the current industry standard is 2K, and it doesn't have a great camera either, compared to other flagship models.
Furthermore, HTC is also facing tough competition in China from companies like Xiaomi, Huawei, Vivo, Oppo, Lenovo or Coolpad, especially in the entry-level to mid-range segment.
HTC’s failure to impress smartphone enthusiasts has prompted the company’s shares to drop $0.05 / €0.04 to close at $103 / €92, the lowest level the company has seen in the last 10 years.