A new HTC One M8 variant with a plastic body is reportedly in the works and will debut sometime next month, according to a new report.
The original HTC One flagship from last year has received high praise for its elegant, metallic unibody design, and HTC followed the same design cues with its latest flagship, the new HTC One M8.
HTC has mocked Samsung on several occasions for its love of plastic even in high-end flagships, while the premium design and build of the HTC One was obviously superior. As it turns out, HTC may be considering plastic as well, as it is reportedly working on a more affordable version of its HTC One M8.
According to a new report from Tmtpost, HTC will launch a considerably cheaper, plastic version of the M8 as soon as next month. The publication claims that the plastic variant of the HTC One M8 will launch as "the same set of different quality," packing all of the high-end specs and features of the original flagship but in a cheaper plastic build. Otherwise, the more affordable model will feature no changes in configuration and design.
The report further speculates on pricing of this purported plastic version of the HTC One M8, noting that it will likely cost CNY 3,000 (about $482). If this proves to be accurate, the plastic model will be significantly cheaper than its metal counterpart, which costs CNY 5,299 (about $852) in China.
If it does retain all of the high-end specifications and features of the recently-launched HTC One M8, but comes at a dramatically lower price point due to the cheaper build material, this purported plastic version of the flagship will likely draw plenty of interest. Moreover, it would also help HTC fulfill its goals of boosting its global market share.
Keep in mind, however, that this is still in the rumor state for now, as HTC has not confirmed nor announced plans to launch a cheaper plastic version of its new HTC One M8 flagship smartphone. We'll keep you posted as soon as we hear more, but take everything with a grain of salt for now.
