HTC One M9 Dot View Case first look

The new HTCOne M9 has just been announced here at MWC 2015. Along with the launch of its new handset, the company has released a new Dot View case to go along with it. The new case brings some improvements from last year’s Dot View case which will be welcomed by many users.

The first big change you’ll notice with the M9 Dot View case is the addition of a few new colors to the lineup. HTChas made some of the backplates translucent, which allows the premium look of the M9 to show through. The company has ditched the soft-touch plastic feel this time around, making the cases feel slightly less-premium than before. With that said, we’re still seeing the case feature the same general build. The front of the case is still covered in dots and features a hidden magnet that allows the screen to turn on and off when the case is opened and shut.

Bringing the phone up to your face activates the Dot View case functionality, and double tapping the case gives you a quick look at your notifications. A bevy of other shortcuts are also available by swiping down, left and right when the case is closed.

The HTCDot View app has been updated to bring a few more customization options to the case, including the ability to theme your notifications. The case will also allow you to add a scrollable message that will show on the case when you don’t have any notifications taking up the screen.

If you’ve used a Dot View case in the past, you’d know that it was a little difficult to type on the device when the case was open. The hinge of the case didn’t allow the front panel to sit flush with the back of the device, which made it very difficult to hold and get anything done. HTChasn’t really made any improvements on that this time around, so it may still be difficult to use the phone when the case is open.

We scored some hands-on time with the Yellow, Blue and Gray versions of the case, and a Pink version will also be available.