The long-awaited Verizon version of the HTC One will soon hit the shelves and now a question arises - will consumers buy the handset?
The HTC One has been one of the most popular Android smartphones around. The Taiwanese company launched the handset at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) event earlier this year and it started selling it from April onwards.
The HTC flagship handset has attracted millions of customers worldwide and in the U.S. the HTC One is currently available from major carriers such as Sprint, AT&T and T-Mobile. Verizon confirmed that it will launch the handset, but it's been a long wait for customers.
Recently, the carrier announced a confirmed release date for the HTC One, putting an end to lots of rumors and speculations regarding potential launch dates.
"Verizon #4G LTE + HTC One = Aug. 22 online and in stores for $199.99 on contract," tweeted Verizon.
The HTC One packs in top-end features and is successfully competing with other handsets in its category. However, it's been a few months that the handset is available from other carriers in the U.S. and with more handsets ready to make its appearance soon, the Verizon version of the handset may find it difficult to attract many customers.
The HTC One comes pre-loaded with the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system. Some select international models of the handset have started receiving the Android 4.2 Jelly Bean software update, but individual carriers in the U.S. are still to roll out the newer version of the OS. With the launch of Android 4.3 Jelly Bean it may not be a long wait for HTC One customers in the U.S. to get Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.
Rumors suggest that the Verizon version of the HTC One may come running on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean instead on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, giving customers a reason to buy the carrier's version of the smartphone. However, Verizon has not confirmed which flavor of Jelly Bean its version of HTC One will come pre-loaded with.
Verizon has also confirmed that the HTC One will have a price tag of $199.99, just like on other rival carriers. Currently, Sprint is also selling the HTC One for $199.99, but the carrier is running a promotional buy one get one free deal on the HTC One starting from Aug. 16 through to Aug. 30. This offer will lure more customers and could possibly take some shine off rival Verizon's much-awaited release of the handset.
On the other hand, the Verizon variant of the HTC One is being offered for $149.99 on a two-year contract by retailer WireFly, which makes it the best current offer for the smartphone.
