Where to buy HTC's One M9 in the UK
This year's MWC trade show was unquestionably headlined by mobile heavyweight duo HTC and Samsung. Not only did they both have fresh VR headwear to show off, but they arrived in Barcelona with new Android flagships in hand, too. Samsung's Galaxy S6 and S6 edge make their way to the UK on April 10th, but we get those smartphones ain't gonna be everyone's cup of tea. And if you've been waiting on HTC's latest instead, then today's your lucky day, as the One M9 is now available in the UK. In our review of the device, we noted the display was actually better on last year's model, and the M9's 20-megapixel primary camera didn't exactly leave us swooning. But one thing's for certain: HTC knows how to build a gorgeous, workhorse of a phone, even if the M9 isn't leaps and bounds ahead of its predecessor. So, first up, you need to decide whether you want one or not; then, you've just gotta figure out where you're going to get it from.
Cheapest contract (with upfront) | £13.50 (£610) | £32 (£200) | £26.50 on 3G (£169) | £39 (£19) | £30.50 on Voda 4G (£130) | £17 on EE (£360) |
Cheapest contract (no upfront) | £42.50 | -- | £43.50 on 3G | -- | £37.50 on O2 | £42 on Three or EE |
Pay-as-you-go | £610 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Unlocked (SIM-free) | -- | -- | -- | -- | £580 | £580 |
As you'd expect, all the major carriers and contract resellers have jumped on HTC's latest premium device, so you've got your pick of 'em. Carphone Warehouse and Buymobiles.net have some sensible contract options that don't require an upfront dowry, but true to recent form, MVNO Tesco Mobile has arguably the sweetest deal -- it's offering the One M9 on a £36 per month contract with no upfront charges and a 2GB data cap. giffgaff is the only other MVNO on the case from day one, albeit with slightly less competitive pricing. For an initial payment of £40, it'll hook you up with an M9 for £39.91 per month. (Update: Virgin Media now also has contract options available, starting at £31 per month with no upfront payment. That tariff only includes 250MB of data each month, however, so you'll need to up your spend if you'd care for more megabytes.)
If you're after a One M9 with no strings attached, then HTC, Carphone Warehouse and Buymobiles.net will all hook you up with one for £580. Unfortunately, there's not as much movement on that RRP as we tend to see among online retailers. One particular Amazon reseller and Tesco Direct have the M9 priced at £569, but if you want to save another few quid then head to Unlocked Mobiles, where it's available for £565. (Update: As one reader has pointed out, Fonehouse looks to have one of the best deals around currently, offering the M9 for the bargain price of £529.)
