2015 hasn’t been particularly kind to HTC, which saw its flagship One M9 underwhelm in sales and the company itself go through several disappointing financial quarters. At this point, HTC seems willing to try anything to get back on track, hence the announcement of its Preview program.
Initially unveiled during an Ask Me Anything session on Reddit, HTC Preview lets you try out software, and even hardware, before they’re released to the general public. In return, HTC asks for daily use and feedback for the software and hardware you could end up using. If you have an HTC device, the company will ask for the device’s IMEI and carrier, since you could potentially test software updates.
As for how you can participate, you’ll first need to head to the HTC Preview page and, if you don’t have one, log into your HTC account. Registering for the program doesn’t take very long, and questions include what phone you currently use and what things you use your phone for.
There are a few things to take note of, however, the biggest being the requirement to be on one of the big four carriers here in the U.S. to participate. In other words, HTC Preview currently isn’t taking sign-ups for those not on AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, or Sprint, though HTC is “working to expand as soon as possible.” Second, you’ll need to sign a nondisclosure agreement, one that HTC will take seriously, so it wouldn’t be a good idea to take screencaps and images of whatever HTC sends your way.
In addition, if you have an HTC device that is rooted or has an unlocked bootloader, HTC won’t send you software to test out. Finally, signing up for HTC Preview doesn’t guarantee you a spot in the program, so make sure to have your fingers crossed and hope you’re one of the ones selected.
If any of that failed to deter you, HTC Preview is available for Europe, Asia, and the U.S.
