Somehow HTC has been adding this “+” to some its phones and generally you can expect for those models to be a little upgraded. Such is the case with the HTC One E9+ since many would expect the E series to be all cheap and plasticky. However, based on PC.com experience with the One E9+, it has proven that it has got what it takes to be more than an average mid-range phone.

A Smooth Experience

The One E9+ features the Sense 7 UI, which has seen some changes, but nothing major enough to be noticed. You get Sense Home that will place your most used apps automatically on your home screen depending on where you are, and you can now disable BlinkFeed as well. Honestly, since the One M9+ also uses the same UI, so the user experience in the E9+ is pretty much the same.

Camera Shy

The camera on the One E9+ is decent with 20MP on the rear and 13MP in front, sans the Ultra Pixels duo-camera, which you can live without anyway. These two cameras performed just as well as the premium One M9+. However, its performance in low-light settings is imperfect. Images gain more noise the darker the surrounding is, but thankfully the results are still passable. Selfies are also decent with good details, but shooting 4k videos is still a little underwhelming without an optical image stabiliser to assist.

An averagely long life

When it comes to battery life, the One E9+’s 2,800mAh battery can give you at least a full day, on average usage, before you need to hunt for a charging point. As for its general performance – I encounter no major slowdowns with videos or games, and the battery actually doesn’t drain too fast. Regardless, if it runs low on juice there is always the power saving and ultra-power saving mode, which will allow you stay in touch for that really urgent call or message.

Somewhere In the Middle

The HTC One E9+ is in a strange position, performing significantly above mid-range but not quite flagship level, and has comparable premium features. With WQHD display offering 2K resolution to the signature Boom Sound with Dolby Audio, the HTC E9 plus packs all the hallmark of the brand.

Price: RM 1,899

Dimensions: 156.5 x 76.5 x 7.5 mm

Weight: 150 g

Chipset: Mediatek Helio X10

Processor: Octa-core 2 GHz

Memory: 3GB RAM

Graphics: PowerVR G6200

Display: 5.5” Capacitive touchscreen, 1440 x 2560 pixels

Camera: 20MP rear camera (autofocus, LED flash), 13MP front camera

Storage: 32GB, additional 128GB with microSD

Operating System: Android 5.0 Lollipop

Battery: Non-removable Li-Po 2800 mAh battery

Connectivity: Dual Band Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, NFC

Benchmarks

AnTuTu Benchmark 50753

3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited 8385

Value 7

Performance 9

Features 8

Design 8

Usability 8

Score 8

Verdict: A good all-rounder, premium feel and performance minus the heavy price tag.