Though the sales department is pretty much ruled by Apple and Samsung, HTC has managed to create a separate and valuable fan-base for itself. Having said that, this year’s HTC flagship, the HTC One M9, did not taste a good deal of success and was rather a disappointment for a company. But thankfully for the company, its recently-launched flagship, the HTC One A9, will take HTC to a different direction altogether.
The HTC One A9 is more of an affordable high-end smartphone rather than an expensive flagship device. Nevertheless, the phone offers very promising internals coupled with a beautiful design. However, at a price tag of $399, the One A9 can still be beaten by the flagship killer Xiaomi Redmi Note 2. We know the comparison is a totally unfair one, but it does matter to those who have a really tight budget yet want to enjoy high-end specifications.
So in case you are impressed by the HTC One A9 but are wondering whether you should go for the Redmi Note 2 and save the extra bucks, then this comparison will surely help you out very well.
Looks
The HTC One A9 has been heavily criticised for borrowing design cues from the apple iPhone 6. Nevertheless, the phone looks elegant in that metal avatar and surely justifies its price tag. The nice, slim, well-rounded edges give the device its premium attire.
On the other hand, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 with its plastic body comes nowhere close to the HTC phone in terms of looks. However, the Redmi Note 2 does manage to look slim, modern, fresh, and un-cheap without trying to be too loud. The Note 2 feels good to hold, but then of course, the HTC One A9 wins in this department.
Display
Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 sports a 5.5-inch IPS LCD Full HD display (1080×1920) and delivers a pixel density of 400ppi, delivery crisp and sharp pictures. But the HTC One A9 takes the crown again with its 5-inch Full HD AMOLED display, which produces richer blacks and more vibrant colors along with 440ppi density.
Though the HTC flagship has got a screen which is half an inch smaller than the one of the Xiaomi phablet, it surely is the better one here. However, that does not make the Redmi Note 2 a loser, as the color reproduction and viewing angles are excellent on it too.
Memory, Processor, and Software
The Redmi Note 2 features an octa-core Helio X10 SoC clocked at 2.2 GHz along with a PowerVR G6200 GPU for graphics purposes. The phone is packed with 2GB of RAM and 16 GB/32 GB of storage. On the other hand, the HTC One A9 gets an octa-core Snapdragon 617 SoC clocked at 1.5 GHz. The phone is available in two variants with 2GB/3GB of RAM and 16GB/32GB of storage.
The processor in the Redmi Note 2 is a more advanced one, so the performance will be noticeable better than the HTC One A9. So the Xiaomi phablet takes the cake in the performance department. Talking about OS, the HTC One A9 gets the latest Android Marshmallow 6.0, while the Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 runs Android 5.0.2 Lollipop with MIUI 7 on top of it. MIUI lovers will prefer the software on Xiaomi, but the OS on the One A9 is definitely the better and more-desired one.
Camera, Sound, and Battery
HTC has skipped the UltraPixel technology this time for its rear camera, and the One A9 sports a 13MP shooter with OIS and dual tone dual LED flash. Nevertheless, the phone makes for an excellent primary camera and the color reproduction is too good. The capability to shoot 4K videos is missed here, and the phone is capable of recording 1080p@30fps. There’s a 4MP UltraPixel camera at the front for selfies.
Meanwhile, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 gets a 13MP rear camera with single LED flash. The colors are handled well and there are a lot of interesting features like the manual mode and photo filters. The rear camera can shoot full HD videos. A 5MP snapper sits at the front for nice selfies. The Xiaomi phablet clicks excellent pictures, but the picture quality of the One A9’s camera is a few notches higher.
The HTC One A9 gets a 2,150mAh battery, while the Redmi Note 2 packs a meatier 3060mAh unit. It does not require an expert to say that the Xiaomi phone will keep you going for more than one and a half day on normal usage, whereas the HTC phone will hardly last you a day.
Pricing
Here’s the part that is one of the most important, perhaps the most important factor when it comes to choosing a smartphone. The HTC One A9 retails for $399, while the Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 starts at $125 for the 16GB variant (in China only). The Redmi is for budget buyers, while the One A9 is for those who prefer premium phones from premium brands.
Final Words
We say it again that it is a sin to compare between the high-end, more premium HTC One A9 and the budget phablet Xiaomi Redmi Note 2. Both the phones come with excellent internals, but the HTC phone beats the Xiaomi phablet in almost every other department except processor and battery.
So it all boils down to the budget and personal preference of the buyer. If you trust HTC for its quality and are ready to pay a premium price for the premium product, then the HTC One A9 deserves it. But if you are a budget-conscious buyer who is not ready to spend more than $200 but wants top-end specifications, then the Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 is the best choice in the market currently. Take your pick!