HTC has announced that a limited number of its latest device, the One A9 will arrive in South Africa through local carrier MTN. The smartphone will be available to purchase on both contract or prepaid from select physical retail stores or MTN Online in December. At this stage neither MTN, nor HTC, has detailed a precise date for the One A9's availability.

Taking care of the software is Android, which HTC is particularly excited about as it is one of the first devices to feature the new Marshmallow (6.0) OS, as well as bringing the company's Google Now on Tap functionality to the fore.

When the device made its official debut in New York in October, it was unclear at the time which consumer it was designed for. Our initial thoughts were that it was a high-end mid-range offering, and giving its suggested retail price of R10 199 by HTC, it seems closer to the flagship crowd than anticipated. For those looking to avoid a prepaid purchase and dive in with a contract, MTN has slapped a R479/pm 24 month option on the One A9, which throws in an extra 30 GB of data to further tempt consumers.  

While the device's local reception still remains difficult to gauge, HTC is hoping that its 5" full HD edge-to-edge display, all-metal design and 13 MP camera prove too good to pass up. With a range of great mid-range devices sporting similar specs on the market at the moment, the One A9 will have its work cut out.