HTC unveiled the first non-Nexus device to run Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box on Tuesday. With the HTC One A9 and its accompanying features, the struggling Taiwanese manufacturer is attempting to transform into a choice for the core Android user.

HTC's all-online press event took place on Tuesday. It was definitely not the usual smartphone unveiling, as no media was in attendance at the unveiling, which was live streamed from the Barclay's center in Brooklyn.

Instead, company representatives stood in the empty arena, speaking plainly into the camera about the HTC One A9 and how the company is positioning itself against its stiff competition.

HTC One A9 Specs

First, here are the details on the smartphone itself.

For one, the HTC One A9 is not the company's flagship phone. The HTC One M9 still holds that title. Instead, the HTC One A9 is an attempt at a flagship-level device that's still relatively affordable unlocked -- a build strategy that mirrors Motorola's 2015 Moto X and Moto G.

The HTC One A9's hardware specs are the following:

  •  5-inch AMOLED Display with 1080p HD (441 ppi) and Gorilla Glass 4
  •  64-bit Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 @ 1.5GHz and 1.2GHz
  •  Aluminum unibody; 145.75 x 70.8 x 7.3 mm
  •  4G LTE across multiple carriers
  •  13-megapixel main camera with Optical Image Stabilization, Autofocus, RAW mode, and Hyperlapse, 1080p HD video; sapphire lens cover
  •  4-megapixel UltraPixel (low light) front facing camera with 1080p video
  •  Fingerprint scanner on front
  •  16GB / 32GB internal storage with 2GB / 3GB RAM; microSD up to 2TB
  •  Bluetooth 4.1, GPS, Dual-band WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
  •  Doubly Audio with Hi-Res and dedicated headphone amplifier
  •  2150 mAh battery with Quick Charge 2.0 (Quick Charge 3.0 future-compatible) and microUSB 2.0 port
  •  Android 6.0 Marshmallow, new Android updates 15 days after Nexus

iPhone-like Design

The HTC One A9 shares some structural elements with the company's flagship One M series, but it also represents a big change in the HTC design language.

To put it simply, the HTC One A9 looks a lot like an iPhone 6.

(Photo : YouTube: HTC)

With the HTC One A9, the company has dropped the curved back of the HTC One M7, M8, and M9, while moving the camera to the very top of the device, smoothing out the edges of the device as well.

With the completely flat, brushed aluminum unibody, the smaller camera lens placed above the top grip line, and the Gorilla Glass 4 covering and curving into the edges of the HTC One A9, you'd be forgiven for thinking it was a later-model iPhone at a glance.

But HTC had to make some compromises to make this design work -- especially with the addition of the fingerprint scanner on the front. For one, the long-running HTC IR blaster is gone in the A9.

Another compromise entailed dropping the dual stereo front-facing speakers, once hailed by the company as the trademark feature "BoomSound."

For audiophiles however, HTC may have made up for its reverting back to a single speaker with its focus on 24-bit high-resolution audio and the dedicated headphone amp built into the One A9.

Moto X-style Flexibility and Support

The other major move by HTC with the One A9 has less to do with the smartphone itself but rather the system openness and device support HTC is offering along with the device. Taking a shot at Apple's "deciding what you can and can't do with your phone," HTC promised some changes to its warranty and support structure to lure hardcore Android users into the fold.

First off, the HTC One A9 is indeed launching with Android 6.0 Marshmallow running right out of the box, which includes Google's new mobile payments system Android Pay.

(Photo : YouTube: HTC)

And while HTC still layers Android with its Sense UI, the company boasted it has tightened its relationship with Google to the point where any major Android updates in the future will be available on the HTC One A9 within 15 days after they roll out to the first-in-line Google Nexus family of devices.

HTC also boasted the One A9 wouldn't come with all the bloatware that other Android OEM devices carry, but the exact wording, "less pre-installed software," doesn't sound like a promise to be pure Android. In any case, there are examples of good HTC apps you'd want anyway, like the Zoe camera software.

HTC is selling the One A9 carrier-unlocked, but you still have to get a specific model depending on if you're using Sprint or T-Mobile / AT&T. HTC also emphasized that for fans of Android custom ROMS, unlocking the boot loader will not void the device's warranty.

And finally, speaking of the warranty, HTC is offering free "Uh Oh" protection that includes a free replacement device for a year if you crack the screen, cause water damage, switch carriers, or damage the phone any other way, "no questions asked."

Release Date and Price

With the upper-mid range Snapdragon processor and camera hardware, HTC has managed to keep the unlocked price of the One A9 relatively low. The 32GB storage with 3GB RAM model is $400, matching the base price of another major premium mid-ranger in 2015, the Moto X Style. Official pricing on the 16GB / 2GB RAM model hasn't been disclosed, but it's safe to say it'll cost somewhere around $50 to $100 less.

HTC already has preorders available on its website, and the company said the HTC One A9 would begin hitting retailers in early November.