Five reasons to choose the HTC One M9 instead of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge

Yesterday I wrote five reasons to choose the Galaxy S6 Edge over the HTC One M9 and I thought it would be fair to post the other side of the story. Like the One M9, I initiated a return of the S6 Edge because the constant hunt for a charger and glare on both sides is driving me mad. I'm not yet sure if either of these new flagships will remain past the return period.

I posted my HTC One M9 review a few weeks ago and awarded it a rather high rating. There are many more pros than cons and if you use your camera primarily for online sharing then the M9 may be the perfect device for you.

Both the HTC One M9 and Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge are excellent choices and the one we purchase is a personal decision. The Galaxy S6 Edge may be the one for you, but these are a few of the reasons I am considering the M9 over the S6 Edge:

1. Design: HTC took the best from the M7 design and lessons learned from the M8 to create an in-hand feel for the M9 that is fantastic. I enjoy holding the M9 in my hand and it doesn't slip out like the M8 did. The dual tone metal also looks great and is sure to win design awards.
2. HTC Sense 7: HTC didn't do much to Sense, but the custom themes are an easy way to personalize your phone. You have lots of control over how Sense functions and Sense is easily my favorite Android UI. I love that you can even customize the bottom navigation buttons.
3. Performance: In my experiences, Samsung phones perform well for a month or so, but then TouchWiz takes over and bogs things down. I'm already noticing lag in the S6 Edge while the HTC One M9 continues to fly. I haven't had any application shutdowns or issue with the M9 and the responsiveness is refreshing.
4. BoomSound stereo speakers and Dolby Audio: While you may listen to headphones most of the time, the front facing stereo speakers sound great when watching YouTube videos with friends and they set the bar for phone speakers. Even headphones sound great with the amplified headphone jack helping improve output.
5. Uh Oh Protection plan: These flagship smartphones are very expensive, costly you $650+, and with large glass displays it doesn't take many drops to break them. HTC's protection plan gives you peace of mind for one year and if you are careful then you can get a discount on next year's model.

I should add a sixth reason and that would be software updates. HTC has a proven track record of providing Android updates on a timely basis while companies like Sony and Samsung often lag behind so that buying a new device is the fastest way to get upgraded to the next version of Android.

HTC released my favorite smartphone ever, the HTC One M7, a couple of years ago and the M9 honestly improves upon that phone in many ways. I have just a couple of more days to make a decision on the M9 and S6 Edge and look forward to reaching that decision deadline.