HTC’s Amazing Audio: Past, Present and Future

Boasting front facing dual speakers and ever-evolving audio hardware, HTC flagship devices have always been at the cutting edge of mobile speaker technology. With the imminent release of the HTC One M9, we take a look back at the Taiwanese firm’s greatest hits, and hunt for clues as to what the future may hold for HTC audio.

Beats by Dr Dre (2011 – 2012)

Back in the autumn of 2011, HTC’s then flagship handset, the HTC Sensation XE, arrived with the fanfare of being the first mobile phone to feature Beats audio technology. This came just a few months after HTC shelled out a cool $309 million to become majority shareholders in the company.

With Beats equalizer technology built in, HTC flagships from the Sensation XE, through to the HTC One and One Mini all boasted the heavy bass and clear sounds that Beats prided themselves on.

Some audiophiles were critical of the Beats name however, citing clever marketing and celebrity endorsements as more of a priority than the technology itself. In summer of 2012, HTC sold its remaining share of Beats back to the company for a tidy profit, before moving on to bigger and better things.

HTC BoomSound (2012 – Present)

After parting company with Beats, HTC decided to focus on developing their own technology, which gave birth to BoomSound. Whereas Beats was mainly just interested in cranking up the bass, BoomSound switched the focus to all aspects of the audio experience for their next flagship, the HTC One M8.

Continuing to be one of the few mobile manufacturers to appreciate the logic of forward facing speakers, HTC went on to add dedicated amplifies to boost the noise of the M8, while including larger speaker chambers to add natural acoustics.

But it’s not just about the volume, HTC identified that clarity was just as important. BoomSound’s advanced custom software goes one step further by recognising the type of audio you’re listening to, and optimising the speaker performance according to the scenario. This means that spoken word will be crystal sharp, while your tunes get the edge they really deserve.

Bose or Dolby? (The Future?)

Where does HTC go from the current BoomSound iteration? If current internet chatter is to be believed, then it looks like another collaboration may be on the cards for the upcoming HTC One M9.

Several sources point to a marriage with American electrical company, Bose, who specialise in audio hardware. With the success the company has seen with both their household and professional speakers, they could well help HTC to take their amazing audio to the next level.

Other rumours suggest that HTC may have teamed up with Dolby Laboratories, to inject the HTC One M9 with a dose of 5.1 audio technology. Whether they team up with Bose or Dolby, either one of these tech giants would certainly bring something new to the HTC table.

Wherever HTC go from here, you can be certain that although most mobile manufactures continue to add just one rear facing speaker, HTC will continue to blast out amazing sounds from their dual front-facing speakers, whilst continuing their own trend for audio innovations