HTC’s Next One M9 Flagship Allegedly Leaks In New Photos Ahead Of March 1 Unveiling

Fans of HTC’s last two flagship phones will no doubt be excited that the smartphone manufacturer is preparing to release yet another entry in the One series, the HTC One M9. We just might have gotten our first look at the One M9, and it looks like HTC will be continuing the tradition of high-quality builds that have made its handsets the envy of just about every other company out there without an Apple logo.

The leak comes by way of NoWhereElse, which has had a pretty solid record of revealing pre-release Apple products and gadgets from other manufacturers, so there’s a solid chance that this HTC One M9 leak is the real deal. Assuming this leak is legit, it looks like HTC won’t be changing up the overall look of the One M9 too much, as the pictures show the same front-facing speakers, camera, and sensor placement as the One M8.

The One M9 appears to have a brushed aluminum finish, a departure from the powder coat finish of last year’s One M8. Also, HTC appears to have gone with a squarish camera for this year’s One, whereas last year’s One had the more traditional circular camera lens.

That last bit is important, as HTC has been trying since it first redesigned the One line to distinguish its flagships by their cameras. This year, rumor has it that HTC is ditching the Duo Camera setup that distinguished the One M8. Instead, HTC may pack a 20-megapixel rear camera into the One M9, though it is unclear whether the company will use that full sensor resolution or once again rely on UltraPixels in order to improve the rear camera’s performance in low light.

According to a recent Bloomberg report, the next HTC One’s internals will keep it well in line with other high-end Android smartphones. HTC is expected to pack an eight-core Snapdragon 810 processor into the One M9, as well as Dolby 5.1 audio technology to boost those front-facing speakers’ performance.

That same report claims that the One M9 might not be the only thing that HTC will introduce in a few weeks. The company is also said to be working on a smartwatch to compete with devices like Smasung’s Galaxy Gear line and Apple’s Apple Watch. That device would reportedly pair with Under Armor’s fitness service, automatically reporting the wearer’s fitness levels to an online tracking service.

HTC is expected to unveil both the One M9 and the rumored smartwatch in a few weeks when the Mobile World Congress kicks off in Barcelona, Spain.

[Lead image via Droid-Life]