The 32GB HTC One can now be picked up unlocked (usable on multiple wireless carriers). Previously available unlocked in a far more expensive, 64GB Developer Edition, which featured an unlocked bootloader for ROMs (installing alternate operating system), they’ve ditched the bootloader and cut the cost to $575.
For those of you out there not so interested in tweaking your phone’s operating system, the bootloader is easy to strike off your list of necessities. The 32GB unlocked HTC One is almost $200 less than the iPhone 5. It’s contract free, and it’s got equivalent storage capacity. Reviews have been great so far for the HTC One, so the cheaper cost and unlocked network settings make it a strong contender for being the current jewel in the Android crown.
HTC’s in a good spot right now. Among top dogs like Apple and Samsung, they’re alone in offering both contracted and unlocked hardware sales for their flagship product. If you’ve been on the fence about your next update, and are worried about settling into a contract, the company’s seemingly doing its best to speak to your needs.
HTC may be offering an unlocked phone out of economic necessity – How many of you out there swear by HTC, singularly, over the industry’s titans? Apple’s got a seemingly endless bag of tricks to entice new iPhone adopters, and typically save any plans for unlocked devices for way in the future, or do their best to skip it for a generation altogether. Samsung doesn’t need to offer unlocked phones at launch either, and could probably get away with keeping it that way for a long while to come.
