HTC One M9 to go on sale for $649 unlocked tonight
Never mind that M9+ thing in China. Back in the US, it's all about the M9 for local HTC fans, as the device is about to hit the official online store at midnight ET for $649 unlocked (it'll have the same bands as the AT&T model).
Context & Ripple Effects
HTC is putting its new flagship directly into consumers' hands: after the pre-launch leaks and the March 1st One M9 announcement promised mid-March availability, the phone lands tonight at midnight ET on HTC's own online store for $649 unlocked, with the same bands as the AT&T model. That means US buyers get the device without a carrier contract, and the AT&T hardware variant works on other networks.
The move sits alongside HTC's split-market strategy: while the US gets the standard M9, China receives the distinct One M9+ with a Quad HD screen and fingerprint sensor. The unlocked-at-launch play also prefigures how HTC prices later devices — the One A9's headline $399 figure turned out to be a temporary pre-sale promotion ahead of a $499 regular price.
First-order effects
- US buyers can buy the One M9 contract-free starting midnight ET at $649 from HTC's store, with AT&T-band compatibility making it usable beyond that carrier.
Second-order effects
- An unlocked $649 flagship sets a reference price point for the direct-to-consumer channel that rivals later enter — Huawei's Mate 9 arrives in the US two years later at $600 unlocked, undercutting it by $49 without carrier involvement.
Third-order effects
- If the pattern holds, premium Android flagships compete on unlocked pricing and update commitments rather than carrier subsidies — Huawei's Mate 10 Pro launch at $799 unlocked with a two-year security-update pledge shows the channel maturing into a standalone battleground where HTC's early-mover position offers no lasting shield.
The trend: Premium smartphones are shifting from carrier-controlled distribution toward unlocked, direct-to-consumer sales, with launch pricing becoming a public marketing lever rather than a negotiated subsidy.