HTC Launches the One M9+ Supreme Camera Edition
by Joshua Ho on September 29, 2015 4:51 PM EST
Today, HTC launched the One M9+ Supreme Camera Edition. The rather verbose and mildly surreal name probably gives away what this phone is, which is a variant of the One M9+ with some significant changes to the camera. The spec sheet below should give a pretty good idea for what to expect.
| HTC One M9+ | HTC One M9+ Supreme Camera Edition | |
| SoC | MT6795 2.2GHz 8xA53 MediaTek Helio X10 | MT6795 2.2GHz 8xA53 MediaTek Helio X10 |
| RAM/NAND | 3GB LPDDR3 32GB NAND + microSD |
3GB LPDDR3 32GB NAND + microSD |
| Display | 5.2” 1440p IPS LCD | 5.2” 1440p IPS LCD |
| Network | 2G / 3G / 4G LTE (MediaTek Category 4 LTE) | 2G / 3G / 4G LTE (MediaTek Category 4 LTE) |
| Dimensions | 150.99 x 71.99 x 9.61mm 168g | 150.99 x 71.99 x 9.61mm 168g |
| Camera | 20MP Rear Facing w/ 1.12 µm pixels, 1/2.4" CMOS size, f/2.2, 27.8mm (35mm effective) 2MP Duo cam 4MP Front Facing, 2.0 µm pixels, f/2.0 26.8mm (35mm effective |
21MP Rear Facing w/ 1.12 µm pixels, 1/2.4" CMOS size, f/2.2, 27.8mm (35mm effective) Laser AF + PDAF + OIS 4MP Front Facing, 2.0 µm pixels, f/2.0 26.8mm (35mm effective) |
| Battery | 2840 mAh (10.79 Whr) | 2840 mAh (10.79 Whr) |
| Connectivity | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac + BT 4.1, GNSS, NFC, DLNA, microUSB 2.0 | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac + BT 4.1, GNSS, NFC, DLNA, microUSB 2.0 |
| SIM Size | NanoSIM | NanoSIM |
As you can see, the big change here is the camera. Instead of the 2.1MP secondary camera, HTC has added an IR laser rangefinder for short distances, which should dramatically speed up auto-focus in low light and macro shots. The sensor is now a Sony IMX230 with phase detect auto focus, so in conditions with good light it should be possible for the sensor to traverse straight to in-focus instead of bracketing the in-focus point with contrast detection. However, the optical characteristics are unchanged from the One M9 and M9+ with an f/2.2 aperture likely to keep edge distortions under control. OIS is also added to improve low light performance for still photos and improve video stability.
The One M9+ Supreme Camera edition will go on sale in Taiwan on October 6th for $630 USD in gunmetal grey and two-tone silver/gold. This is likely to remain an Asia-only variant, although we may see a similar camera in future devices.
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danbob999 - Tuesday, September 29, 2015 - link
??? They added only 1MP to the camera? From 20 to 21? Or is it an error in the table?olafgarten - Tuesday, September 29, 2015 - link
I think the main changes are the OIS, Laser Auto Focus and a new sensor.mczak - Tuesday, September 29, 2015 - link
Dude, it's not about the megapixels - it could have less than the "old" version and still be much better.Albeit I'm not sure it's really worth a new device for just a different camera - while AF should be better (faster) and OIS is always nice I don't think the old camera was particularly bad.
danbob999 - Tuesday, September 29, 2015 - link
I know I just expected a bigger difference on a "supreme camera edition" phone.NXTwoThou - Tuesday, September 29, 2015 - link
I read the headline and thought "Smart move, coming out with a Lumia 1020 spiritual successor three days before MS reveals their non-successors to it". Unfortunately, not so much.icrf - Tuesday, September 29, 2015 - link
Agreed. While they are improvements, they're not nearly as significant as the model name suggests.EddyKilowatt - Tuesday, September 29, 2015 - link
Megapixels are over. PDAF and OIS are the new hotness and will deliver more usable shots under conditions of marginal light or excessive motion.But the real determinants of image quality are still numbers they're not publishing (dynamic range and SNR) or things that can't be reduced to a number (quality and "artfulness" of the image processing chain).
SeventyFive - Wednesday, September 30, 2015 - link
You would consider adding megapixels an upgrade??I actually expected them dropping the pixel count in half, or nearly in half while upping the sensor size in order to up the pixel size. And the fact that the pixel size stayed the same or even gotten smaller, I see nothing but IR & OIS as a real upgrade to the camera and not really a truly "supreme" upgrade.
LordConrad - Wednesday, September 30, 2015 - link
Agreed. I would much prefer 8 or 10 Ultrapixels with OIS.damianrobertjones - Tuesday, September 29, 2015 - link
The Nokia 1020 needs an update