April is an exciting month mainly for two reasons. The first is Samsung’s Galaxy S4, which is easily the most anticipated smartphone release this year; and the second is the HTC One, which, for numerous reasons, has already been touted as the best Android handset the market has ever seen, and we agree with the notion wholeheartedly. The latter of the two titans was announced some time ago, but yield issues on some of the hardware powering the device’s marquee features have beset numerous delays upon the Taiwanese company. Now though, it looks as though folks interested in the One won’t have to wait that much longer, with reports suggesting pre-orders on AT&T could begin as early as Thursday April 4th, with the HTC One release date touted in the April bracket officially.
Having been present at the original launch in London, I’ll admit I am rather excited about the HTC One. It’s as feature rich as both the One X and One X+ were when they made their respective appearances on the scene last year, but with a beautiful aluminum chassis, 4-megapixel UltraPixel rear camera and a display with more dots per inch than any other smartphone evar, it looks every bit the real deal.
It remains to be seen whether it can mount a respectable challenge against the juggernaut that is the Galaxy S4, but if it can reach consumers before its Korean rival, there’s every chance Android users may decide to snap it up. The Galaxy S4 is undoubtedly a powerhouse, but by the same token, it it is also strikingly similar to its predecessor, the Galaxy S III.
Engadget has received a tip-off that AT&T, the United States’ largest mobile carrier, will begin taking pre-orders for the One by the end of the week. Online pre-orders may begin on Thursday, while those looking to secure their handset in-store may have to wait a further day. Apparently, the 32GB variant will be available in the black or white color configurations for $250 on a two-year contract, and for those eagle-eyed among you, it is indeed exactly the same price as the corresponding Galaxy S4.
Notably, AT&T will be the only carrier offering the 64GB version, which will cost $300, although it doesn’t look like it will be on offer from the get-go.
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