Buying a new phone can be a stressful decision, but it’s often a lot easier than choosing the right case to go along with it. The HTC One M9 is a phone which is begging to show off its design, but we all know that we’re more clumsy than we think, dropping our phone or banding them against tables, hand rails or walls which seem to pop up out of nowhere.
If you want to protect your HTC One M9 while adding some near functionality to it at the same time, the HTC Dot View 2 case is your best option. Like the original Dot View case for last year’s HTC One M8, the Dot View 2 case offers protection for the phone along all sides while enabling you to view and interact with notifications through the case’s front flap. While the basic functionality of the case hasn’t change much, the design has been tweaked to improve its visual appeal and ergonomics. The main improvement is the back of the case which is now clear, allowing you to show off the metal chassis of the HTC One M9 while keeping it protected. HTC has also tweaked the hinge for the front panel so that it fold a little flatter when flipped to the back of the phone.
The protection offered by the HTC Dot View 2 case is a lot better than last year’s model as well. While the original Dot View case for the HTC One M8 left the sides and top of the phone exposed, the Dot View 2 case wraps around the entire phone on all sides and securely snaps into place using the stepped edge on the side of the One M9. The case should offer more than enough protection from drops from five fet or less, but there’s a chance the front flap will open, exposing the display to possible damage.
But let’s be honest, the reason you should consider buying the HTC Dot View 2 case for the HTC One M9 is because of the added functionality it offers when the front flat covers the display. With the case closed, the translucent dots allow the screen below to present information from specific apps. While that’s not any different than what the original case offered last year, HTC has stepped up its game by adding a scrolling message and custom wallpaper design features. But if you really want something to impress your friends, you’ll definitely want to show off Dot Breaker – HTC’s take on the classic Block Breaker game which can only be played with the Dot View case. The game uses touch interaction to launch the ball and the phone’s accelerometer to move left and right. The game is limited to a mere 20 levels, but it’s the one feature on the HTC One M9 which will draw a crowd.
The Dot View 2 case isn’t the most attractive case for the HTC One M9, but it’s certainly the one that deserves the most attention. The case is priced at $49.99 on HTC’s website, but you can buy it for as little as $28 on Amazon.
- HTC One M9 HTC Dot View 2 Case (Blue) – $29.82
- HTC One M9 HTC Dot View 2 Case (Pink) – $27.83
- HTC One M9 HTC Dot View 2 Case (Black) – $31.06
I really like mine, I have the grey version. A slight annoyance is that even when brand new, it wouldn’t close flush with the side of the phone. It means the dot display is a little off-kilter. I emailed HTC support to ask if a calibration option could be built into the app which would solve my issue, but I never received a response.
Other than that, it’s a good case!
I’ve gone through two of these cases in less than two weeks the front cover soon rips at the seam and its only a matter of time before it falls off.
I’ve gone through two cases in three months; with the case for the M8, the case lasted way over a year. I love the case, it’s wicked, but the front flap has torn twice. So now I’m out $50 (it got replaced once for free at my mobile store, since it was within the 30 day window), but now I’ve gotta decide if I want to take my chances again for a case style that I love, but that has proven (to me, at least) to be of poorer quality than the previous model.