Latest HTC device with ‘stock’ Android available to pre-order from today
Update: The HTC One (M8) Google Play edition has arrived in the Play Store with the expected $699 price tag, and you can place an order immediately. Regular ground shipping is free, and expected shipping times are currently set at 2-3 weeks.
Original story: Since the first Google Play edition devices’ arrived last summer, they’ve given Android enthusiasts a way to pair the latest hardware from top manufacturers with the latest vanilla Android software from Google, with speedy updates to boot. And today, alongside the standard HTC One (M8), the official press release reveals that there’ll also be Google Play edition M8 heading to the Play Store.
The new GPe HTC One — not to be confused with last year’s model, the M7 — will offer the same top-notch build quality and internals as the Sense-based model, only with “stock” KitKat replacing the Android 4.4.2 + Sense 6.0 combo found on the standard M8. And it’ll also be able to utilize HTC’s unique “Duo Camera” system, which combines the “Ultrapixel” rear shooter with the second camera module that gathers depth information.
HTC’s best hardware coupled with Google’s latest ‘stock’ Android, and a bevy of LTE bands.
The Google Play edition HTC One (M8) will be available to pre-order today in silver, priced $699, before going on sale in the coming weeks. Here’s a quick breakdown of the wireless bands supported by the GPe M8 —
- GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900
- WCDMA: 850/AWS/1900/2100 with HSPA+ up to 21Mbps
- LTE: 700/850/AWS/1900 (B17/B5/B4/B2, carrier aggregation B4+17;B2+17), + roaming 2600/1800 (B7/B3)
Besides that you’re looking at similar hardware to the regular HTC One (M8) — a great-looking handset with some top-notch internals.
Anyone planning on picking up the new Google Play edition HTC One? Or will you be opting for the Sense version? Shout out in the comments!