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The most popular custom ROM available, LineageOS, keeps on getting better and better. Since we last covered the project, two more devices are now supported, and a number of great features have been added. The project recently posted a new changelog, highlighting recent improvements and device changes:
The U Ultra is HTC's first flagship phone for 2017, and it didn't get great reviews. It's expensive, has poor battery life, lacks waterproofing and a headphone jack, and the US model only supports GSM networks. If you really wanted one for some reason, the U Ultra is now $150 off at HTC's website, along with several other phones.
We only heard of the new HTC iPhone One A9s a couple of days ago when Evan Blass leaked the first render of the phone. Thankfully, we didn't have to go through weeks of more torturous rumors over the existence and purpose of this device, as HTC has just officially announced it at IFA.
Last year's HTC One A9 was perhaps most famous for being an iPhone clone, but it was also a pretty solid smartphone. With this leak by the famed Evan Blass (@evleaks), it appears that the One A9's successor, the One A9s, will resemble a certain fruit-named company's flagship (no, not the BlackBerry Priv) even more. Blass's source is someone familiar with the phone.
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- Now that Android 7.0 Nougat is out, HTC has shared again its plans to roll it out to the 10, One A9, and One M9, with a small additional detail: the Unlocked HTC 10 will get it first in Q4 2016, followed by the unlocked One M9, One A9, and then the carrier versions of these phones. It's not much to go on, but at least it tells you not to expect anything before October.
Android N still isn't officially released yet, but that hasn't stopped HTC from trying to grab some attention and get its time in the limelight during I/O's news cycle. The company announced through its official Twitter account that Android N will come to three of its existing devices.
After this morning's surprise announcement of Android Nougat (comment on the original post to express your displeasure at the name, por favor), HTC wasted no time in using it for a little social media marketing. About an hour later the company posted the tweet below on its official international account, promising an upgrade for the current HTC 10 flagship, last year's One M9, and the sleeker One A9.
When HTC announced the One A9 back in October, it decided to sell it for an introductory price of $399. That made a lot of sense for what is essentially an upper midrange device with excellent build quality and very good specs. However, when the phone passed the preorder period, its price shot back up to $499 (or even $520 with AT&T), which made it a lot less desirable. After all, you were paying top dollar for a 5" 1080p smartphone with a Snapdragon 617 whereas you could get a more powerful processor and a better screen for the same amount of dough.
The Team Win Recovery Project can be considered the most popular, best supported custom recovery available for Android devices. This is the kind of software you need to flash custom ROMs or make a complete backup of your device. Recently Team Win introduced support for two more devices. Yes, those two, but also the HTC One A9 and the Galaxy Trend.
HTC isn't joining with Samsung and LG to announce its 2016 flagship phone as MWC kicks off, but it is expected to do so in the following weeks. Now we've got our first look at what may be the unannounced device courtesy of Evan Blass (formerly just @evleaks). And how about that, it looks like the A9.
HTC's One A9 is the luckiest Android but non-Nexus non-Android One phone on the planet these days. It keeps getting updates sooner than most other OEM smartphones and is even receiving the monthly security patches faster than all of them too. The unlocked version of the device received Marshmallow 6.0.1 at the end of 2015 and now, one month later, the Sprint carrier version is ready for this update too.
The HTC One A9 was HTC's first device to ship with Android Marshmallow, but despite a relatively clean version of Sense, there's still reason to want to flash a custom ROM. Maybe you want the genuine stock Android look. Maybe you want to cut down on the number of pre-installed apps. Either way, you now have the option to flash CyanogenMod and keep Android 6.0 thanks to the arrival of CM 13 nightly builds.
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- Here are the official update details:
Beside the new Android 6.0.1 version, we saw the release of the December security updates earlier this week. Many manufacturers committed to roll these updates monthly to their devices and HTC seems to be keen on jumping to the front of the line with its near-stock One A9.
It's officially the Christmas season, and you know what that means: holiday meals with family, fruit cake, and terrible gifts. I mean, there are probably (hopefully?) going to be some good gifts, too, but there will almost definitely be some terrible ones. Whether it's that out-of-touch aunt who thinks you're still 12, or that one relative who always buys you something even though they know nothing about you, there will definitely be some crap gifts this holiday season. I can't wait.
The HTC One A9 is making its way to various parts of the globe, so now the company is pushing out open source kernel files. Over at the HTC developer center, you can find downloads for models released in Austria, Germany, Spain, Turkey, and Arabic-speaking nations.
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- The APK is available on APK Mirror. The app requires Android 6.0, so there's a chance other HTC devices will be able to install this version once they get Marshmallow.
The HTC One A9 comes with a 13MP camera that, like those found on the backs of other smartphones, is capable of shooting photos. To do so, tap the camera icon that's initially located on the right side of your dock. That little rectangle with a circle in it will fire up an app with the expected capture button, shooting modes, and settings. Said app is also available in the Play Store.
The HTC One A9 is a fun phone to mock, but as it turns out, it's also a fun phone to use. And if you're an AT&T customer, your chance to do so has arrived.
