Recent rumours have suggested the popular and acclaimed HTC One device will soon become ‘Nexusised’ with the stock version of Android, but reports on Tuesday suggested punters may have difficulty getting their hands on one.
Speaking with its sources at HTC, Pocket-Lint believes that the Taiwanese smartphone giant will only produce a limited number of handsets earmarked for a ‘Google Edition’
The source said HTC is planning on releasing “around 1 per cent of total sales of the device so far” in order to test the appetite for such a device.
With the company announcing that it has already sold a considerable 5 million One handsets around the world, that would equate to around 50,000 pure Android editions being manufactured.
This, of course, would mean the everyday smartphone enthusiasts may have trouble getting their hands on such a device should it officially come to pass.
Speculation that a Google Edition of the HTC One followed the surprise launch of a Samsung Galaxy S4, free of all Samsung’s software additions, at the Google I/O conference last week.
That handset, which is only available in the US at present for the rather sizeable SIM-free cost of $649, ditched the likes of S-Voice, SmartStay and the entire TouchWiz UI for the no-frills, but arguably more usable stock version of Android.
For HTC a Google Edition would mean stripping the One of its polarising Sense UI in favour of the Google’s own version of Android Jelly Bean, which ships on the Nexus 4 device.
The company had previously denied it planned to follow Samsung’s lead, but all recent speculation has pointed to something being in the works.
Naturally, we’ll let you know when the official word drops, as potential buyers may need to act quickly to snag one of these.
Would you be in the market for a HTC One Google Edition? Has a hatred for the Sense UI prevented you from taking the plunge on the undeniably gorgeous 5-inch handset? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
