HTC One A9 is now available in the US

HTC has had a difficult year, with the HTC One M9 proving to be less than a runaway hit. As the year closes out, HTC is hoping to win over fans with a handset that is arguably the Android world’s best alternative to the iPhone, offering similar looks yet offering a few extras that the iPhone doesn’t (microSD, quick charging, etc). We’re of course talking about the HTC One A9, a phone that has found itself surrounded it a bit of controversy with many feeling that the phone seems a bit too inspired by the iPhone.

It’s hard to say how well the HTCOne A9 will do among casual consumers, but we’ll find out soon enough, as the HTCOne A9 is now available in stores in the United States via HTC, AT&T, Sprint, or unlocked from Amazon.

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The HTCOne A9 is powered by an octa-core Snapdragon 617 with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage, with microSD for further expansion. Other specs include a 5-inch 1080p display, a fingerprint scanner, hi-res audio, a 13MP main cam, Ultrapixel front cam, and a 2150mAh battery with quick charging. The phone also runs Android 6.0 right out of the box, making it one of the first devices on the market to ship with Marshmallow.

While the specs aren’t bad for a mid-range device, pricing isn’t the cheapest. While it originally arrived for $399, after the pre-order phase it has bumped up to around $500 – depending where you get it from.

For AT&T customers, you can get it for $99 with a two year contract, or $17.34 a month on the Next 30 plan. For Sprint, it’ll cost you $20 a month with a two-year lease. Amazon is offering the 16GB model for $488.90, or $529 for the 32GB model. Lastly, HTC offers the phone “for pre-order” at $399, so you better jump quickly if you still want that price, as it is expected to go up tomorrow.