HTC One X9 comes to Vodafone next week ahead of retail launch in May

HTC is bringing its midrange One X9 phablet to Vodafone from April 13 ahead of a wider retail launch in May.

Vodafone will offer the HTC One X9 for AUD$5 per on month on its AUD$40 Red plan, over a 24-month period. Vodafone's AUD$40 Red plan includes 500MB of data, and unlimited talk and text.

After Vodafone's exclusivity period is up, JB Hi-Fi stores will range the HTC One X9 for AUD$699.

While HTC calls the One X9 a midrange smartphone, Australia and New Zealand Country Manager Ben Hodgson still describes it as a premium device.

"Every aspect of the X9 is premium, except the price," said Hodgson. "It is sleek, beautiful, powerful and delivers a true flagship experience at around half the price of some of our competitors. The handset has been carefully crafted to achieve the perfect balance between an elegant and rich design that will satisfy the style needs of our consumers, providing top of the range performance at a midrange price point."

In terms of hardware, HTC has kitted out the One X9 with a 5.5-inch 1080p screen, a MediaTek eight-core processor, Android Marshmallow, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of expandable storage, and a 13MP rear-facing camera with optical image stabilisation. Notably, the One X9 continues HTC's long lasting tradition of front-facing stereo speakers.