Connect with us

Android

HTC One U.S. Release Mysteries

Published

on

In February, after months of rumors, leaks and speculation, HTC took the curtain down from around its brand new smartphone, the HTC One, a device that is set to replace the HTC One X and the HTC One X+. At the time, HTC revealed that it would be hitting a number of carriers across the globe during the month of March, including the United States. But as we’ve found out, there are still plenty of questions about the HTC One U.S. release date and a launch that has turned into a mess.

Read: HTC One Release Bringing Bold, Expensive Marketing.

In the months before February 19th, HTC had been rumored to be coming up with a new flagship smartphone for 2013, a device that was originally called the HTC M7, and one that it hoped would bring the company back to prominence and take on the likes of the iPhone 5 and its biggest Android rival, the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S4.

New reports point to HTC One release date delays and shortages into late Apri..

The HTC One U.S. release still has plenty of mysteries surrounding it.

Those rumors culminated with an event in the United States, New York City to be exact, where HTC took the stage and announced its brand new HTC One, a device that features a number of upgrades over the company’s previous flagship models. In order to make it appealing in the face of intense competition, HTC went to great lengths with its features.

Starting with its design, it’s made entirely out of metal and features a ZeroGap design that makes the device feel flush throughout. HTC also loaded it up with a new Ultrapixel camera, a speedy quad-core processor, and a 4.7-inch display with 1080p resolution to set it apart, at least size-wise, from its many competitors.

The company also outfitted the device with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and its new version of HTC Sense, HTC Sense 5.0, which is a vast departure from its previous skins. The partial cherry on top of the entire event was that the HTC One was announced for several American carriers, something that hadn’t happened with previous HTC phones at launch. Better yet, HTC said that the device would be hitting shelves across the globe starting in March.

However, despite all of HTC’s revelations about the HTC One including information about its release date, the HTC One still hasn’t arrived on carriers in the United States.

In fact, as we approach the end of March, we still have a number of mysteries surrounding the HTC One U.S. release date which has devolved into a complete mess.

HTC One U.S. Release Date

Shortly after the HTC One’s launch, we saw mobile operators in the UK announce that the device would be made available starting on March 15th, a little under a month after its launch, and a date which fell in line with HTC’s March pronouncement. On March 12th though, word of a delay spread like wildfire and HTC unfortunately confirmed that it would be pushing some release dates back.

Word soon came that the HTC One U.S. release date wouldn’t be delayed as it was on a different timeline than the other models but its rumored release date of March 22nd has come and gone and thus far, no American carrier has stepped forward to provide any sort of pertinent information about the HTC One’s release.

AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile have remained quiet through it all, leaving HTC to attempt to clean up the mess that it has created. So far, none of them have confirmed any details in regards to the timing, leaving potential customers completely in the dark.

Read: HTC One Release: Additional Delays & Shortages Into Late April.

The T-Mobile HTC One is still without a release date, just like its AT&T and Sprint counterparts.

The T-Mobile HTC One is still without a release date, just like its AT&T and Sprint counterparts.

From what Gotta Be Mobile has heard, the original delay pushed the HTC One U.S. release date back to mid-April. However, the delays now have evidently threatened to push the release dates back into late April which could mean that they will collide with the release of the Samsung Galaxy S4 which is set for a May 1st arrival on T-Mobile. Precisely the thing that HTC wanted to avoid with its early launch.

Thus far, we only have two clues, both from T-Mobile. T-Mobile yesterday exclaimed that the HTC One would be coming soon. However, unlike the Samsung Galaxy S4, it didn’t give a specific date which means that it’s likely up in the air at this point. T-Mobile’s sign up page lists April 26th as a sell by date for owners looking to trade in, so it’s possible that it may arrive before then.

AT&T and Sprint have offered zero details about their versions of the HTC One, leaving those who may have originally been looking at the HTC One, examining their options more closely.

HTC One Price: AT&T and Sprint

Another mystery that has partially be solved is the HTC One’s price in the United States. T-Mobile yesterday announced that it would be offering the device starting at $99, a testament to its new UnCarrier data plans. Of course, the phone isn’t going to be that cheap for consumers who will need to pay it off over time.

And while it’s nice that T-Mobile revealed that information, for many, T-Mobile won’t be the destination of choice. Those looking for large 4G LTE networks are going to want to take a closer look at AT&T and Sprint which have more LTE traction than T-Mobile. However, at this point, consumers looking at those carriers have no idea what to expect.

That’s because HTC failed to announce pricing at its launch event, something typical of Apple’s iPhone events, and AT&T and Sprint have remained mum as well.

We imagine that they will offer it for $199.99 on-contract but the pricing remains a mystery, more than a month after HTC announced the phone.

HTC One Storage Options: Sprint and T-Mobile

The HTC One will be coming in two storage options, 32GB and 64GB, but prospective owners in the United States still have no idea if all three major carriers will have both variants or if they will only carry one of them.

Since the HTC One X only came in one storage option and the HTC One X+ did as well, it’s impossible to say whether or not they will carry both variants at launch. Only AT&T has revealed that it will be carrying both.

As we saw with the Galaxy S3, only some carriers opted to carry the 32GB model. We also saw all five U.S. carriers who host the Galaxy Note 2 opt to only carry the 16GB model despite Samsung offering both a 32GB and a 64GB option.

Because the HTC One lacks a microSD card slot, it’s probable that all three will offer both the storage options but at this point, consumers simply have no idea about whether or not Sprint or T-Mobile will have both as we head into April.

The HTC One could come to Verizon. Or perhaps, as something else. It's a mystery.

The HTC One could come to Verizon. Or perhaps, as something else. It’s a mystery.

Verizon HTC One

If that wasn’t enough, HTC also decided to confuse prospective buyers by claiming that Verizon, which had been rumored to be getting an HTC One several months after the other carriers, would not be getting a device.

Read: HTC Butterfly 2 Could Be Verizon HTC One.

After another report emerged claiming that Verizon would get the phone, the company subsequently pulled that information and instead, took a difference stance and stopped commenting on rumors and speculation.

Thus far, neither HTC nor Verizon has confirmed anything in regards to an HTC One for America’s largest 4G LTE network, so despite rumors, it remains a complete and utter mystery.

It’s a Mess

Let’s call a spade a spade: The HTC One U.S. release is a complete mess. While many have campaigned for Android manufacturers to take an Apple-like approach at their launch events and announce information like release dates and pricing, it appears that HTC’s strides toward doing this (it typically does not give specific release information) have completely backfired as it miss the month of March for many of the regions that it promised.

Not only that but it will now be going head to head against Samsung’s Galaxy S4 and its eventual marketing campaign. That’s not to say that the Samsung Galaxy S4 launch was perfect, it has plenty of mysteries of its own, but it looks like Samsung will deliver on the promises that it made to consumers at its launch event earlier this month.

That, unfortunately, was something that HTC couldn’t do.

19 Comments

19 Comments

  1. The Dark Lord

    03/27/2013 at 2:28 pm

    I am not sure why the S4 date is a thread to this phone … I can only tell you that I am tired of Samsung Plastic shit and won’t even look at the S4. Also they have so many silly features that nobody needs in there. This is a real class phone and it will feel great in your hand and not like a smeary piece of plastic that may drop any second …

    People will wait for this whether the S4 S5 or S6 is out … I know I will …

  2. Bailey

    03/27/2013 at 3:48 pm

    It will be funny when you drop your HTC one and have a big ding and and maybe a chip in it. That’s if the screen don’t crack first. As beautiful as the one is I know that one drop and it will be ruined. The reviews that I have read say the camera does not live up to the hype and the battery is OK. So after I get beyond the look of the phone what really does have to offer Zoe or blink feed just are not really anything to write home about. I am not saying that the S4 is better but no matter how pretty something is I will get over it. And having a battery life where I am worried that it will run out or a camera that is average but not brilliant is not worth the beautiful body. I have had 4 HTC products and battery life and the camera has always been there down fall

    • jillxz

      03/27/2013 at 8:12 pm

      Any phone I have will always have the Otter Box Defender series.

  3. Nick

    03/27/2013 at 4:45 pm

    If you are concerned about dropping it, get a cover.
    If you reckon htc are crap why have you bought 4 off them?

    • Bailey

      03/30/2013 at 1:14 pm

      Because each time I thought their products would improve and I like the design of them. I just don’t understand why HTC don’t understand good battery life. I loved the HTC hero but after awhile sense just bogged the phone down. I don’t think that the HTC one is the mist beautiful hardware ever for a phone though and would hate to see HTC go away as I still have a soft spot for them. I use a nexus 4 at the moment which is great you can’t beat pure Android. And even though the S3 that I had was plastic my personal experience of using it was brilliant app loading times were great and it had very good battery plus the ability to carry loads of music on my SD card

  4. Ninja Kiwi

    03/27/2013 at 5:10 pm

    S4 is garbage. so much bloatware….

    • Rex_D

      03/30/2013 at 5:42 am

      All phones have bloatware (except the iphone), you can disable any app you want in ICS/JB

  5. John

    03/27/2013 at 7:07 pm

    Bailey is a idiot!

  6. peso_xo

    03/27/2013 at 7:58 pm

    i have the evo 3g lte and i cant wait for the one the design is amazing and the software isnt has amazing but its better than touchwiz ..people who love the galaxy are people who dont really know phones and only want what everyone else has… i will keep my evo becuase it has premium design that wows every one when i pull it out but best beleive i will be getting that htc one and baily the htc one that has te camera subpar is def the test unite if you stay updated with everything “one” htc released a firmware update where the camera works 20xs better than the results from the test unite. lol the s4 only has air gestures which is quite good but nothing else … samsung lovers need to do their research and get a life.

    • Bailey

      03/30/2013 at 1:24 pm

      Please don’t imply I am a Samsung lover I love tech and I don’t care who makes it if it is good. The designs of HTC phones have never been in question they have always been great but every phone I have had from going back to the hero has had the major flaw of bad battery life and OK camera. Yes I have read about the update to the HTC one camera which offers improvements it still does not make it great. As someone that has had an S3 I understand why people like it. Its quick and downloads app very quickly reliable you can swap the battery and you can load a memory card full of music. And yes some of the features leave something to be desired but there were little touches that I loved. Marketing alone might get someone in the shop and they may even buy but they won’t keep it if they don’t like it.

  7. rdt

    03/27/2013 at 7:59 pm

    Had the iphone first, got rid of it (too restrictive in terms of customization), Then had the S4, got rid of it (TouchWiz UI is really not intuitive or logical), finally ended up with the Evo 4G LTE. HTC Sense UI was a lot better. From the aesthetics to the functionality and practicality it was so much better. As excited as I am for the One X, I’m not at all interested if it doesn’t have the kickstand which I use all the time and really is extremely practical and useful, or if it doesn’t have an microSD slot. I do a lot of heavy filming and I have a 64GB card in addition to the 16 on board and it really makes a great deal of sense. I really wish they’d stop taking a step forward and two back. It was bad enough when the LTE didn’t have a swappable battery.

  8. jillxz

    03/27/2013 at 8:07 pm

    The HTC One is coming to Verizon because I just talked with a Verizon Rep last night and asked him if it was coming. He said yes it was , but it won’t come until later on. I asked him if it would be under another name and he said no , it will be HTC One. So it will definitely come to Verizon but later than to the others

  9. CKA

    03/28/2013 at 12:00 am

    Not really a mess, perhaps a glitch or hiccup… It’s amusing to see articles create so much DRAMA and make things sound so TRAGIC… ‘N over a smartphone…!?! I have an AT&T HTC Inspire and LOVE IT!!! Waiting patiently for the HTC One!!!

  10. Hello Here I Am

    03/28/2013 at 1:52 am

    There’s ” NO ” such DRAMA and TRAGEDY. HTC has released a comprehensive statement about this issue. Here it is. > http://www.androidtimes1.blogspot.com/2013/03/htc-one-availability-details-are-here.html

  11. nd

    03/28/2013 at 9:31 am

    Tmobile store told me April 24

  12. andrew

    03/28/2013 at 10:41 pm

    I’ve been waiting for this phone for 2 months now. There’s no way I’m buying either the one or Samsung galaxy 4 one month before Google unveils the nexus 5 especially when you consider the wait you must suffer through until updates make Down through carriers. I wanted to buy the HTC one badly at the beginning of march, but not really at the end of April.

  13. Aaliyah

    03/29/2013 at 4:36 pm

    i have wanted this phone since the first time i heard about it. but i heard about it last month and it was suppose to drop at the end of march so i waited. but i dont think i can wait another month for this freakin phone !

  14. Leikela

    03/30/2013 at 12:44 pm

    I am a great fan of HTC phones, because everyone I’ve owned never got a cracked screen, broke or mechanical failed me. I only purchase to update tech. My friends that have iphones constantly whip out phones with cracked screens that have been replaced over and over again. I have never had to replace my screen, and I’m a mother who always drops her phone.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.