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HTC unveils new One M9, Vive VR headset at MWC2015

HTC unveils One M9, its next generation flagship smartphone, and virtual reality headset Vive.

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Meet HTC's brand new flagship superphone, the One M9. Andrew Hoyle/CNET

HTC unveiled a slew of products Sunday at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, including a new version of its One flagship smartphone, a virtual reality headset and a fitness band.

HTC's new One M9sports a metal body with a gold and silver finish, a 5-inch screen with sapphire glass, a 20-megapixel camera on the back, and Snapdragon 810, Qualcomm's newest high-end processor. The handset offers immersive 5.1 surround sound through front speakers.

Watch this: Hands-on with the sumptuous metal HTC One M9

"This is our third generation of our iconic design," HTC CEO Peter Chou told conference attendees. "People say M8 is the most beautiful smartphone on the market, but we wanted to strive higher."

The M9 also features HTC Sense 7, an Android skin that allows users to personalize their handsets, recommending restaurants in new neighborhoods and creating special themes for social media.

The HTC One M9 will be available in mid-March in Asia in four colors.

Up close with the metal curves of HTC's new flagship One M9 (pictures)

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The company also announced its entry into the burgeoning virtual reality sector with the Vive, a lightweight headset that allows users to look around and walk around without getting sick. HTC is teaming up with game developer Valve, as well as other developers, and entertainment giants HBO, Google and Lions Gate.

The headset is expected to be available to the public by the end of the year.

"We believe that VR will totally transform the way we interact with the world. It will become a mainstream experience," Chou said.

HTC also unveiled the Grip, a GPS-enabled fitness band that can track your walking, running, cycling, or a gym session. It can connect it to your smartphone so you don't miss calls or notifications. The fitness band will work on both the Appel iOS and Google Android operating systems.

The Grip will be a US-only product that will arrive this spring for $199.

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The HTC Grip will work on both the iOS and Android platforms. CNET