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HTC One M8 to arrive in Google Play edition

Those who want HTC's new flagship phone with an more traditional Android look instead of HTC's Sense 6 variation will be able to buy a version through Google Play.

Stephen Shankland Former Principal Writer
Stephen Shankland worked at CNET from 1998 to 2024 and wrote about processors, digital photography, AI, quantum computing, computer science, materials science, supercomputers, drones, browsers, 3D printing, USB, and new computing technology in general. He has a soft spot in his heart for standards groups and I/O interfaces. His first big scoop was about radioactive cat poop.
Expertise Processors, semiconductors, web browsers, quantum computing, supercomputers, AI, 3D printing, drones, computer science, physics, programming, materials science, USB, UWB, Android, digital photography, science. Credentials
  • Shankland covered the tech industry for more than 25 years and was a science writer for five years before that. He has deep expertise in microprocessors, digital photography, computer hardware and software, internet standards, web technology, and more.
Stephen Shankland

The HTC One M8 has a 5-inch screen, an updated metal chassis, a quad-core 2.3GHz processor, Android 4.4.2 KitKat and a host of cool camera tricks.
The HTC One M8 has a 5-inch screen, an updated metal chassis, a quad-core 2.3GHz processor, Android 4.4.2 KitKat and a host of cool camera tricks. Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Most customers of the new HTC One M8 likely will get the flagship Android phone with HTC's new Sense 6 interface. But for those who prefer the Android look without the extras, the company plans to sell a Google Play version, too.

Google Play -- the Internet giant's store for apps, videos, music, and hardware -- sells a handful of Android devices with the stock version of Android. It sells last year's HTC One that way, and HTC said the new HTC One M8 will follow suit.

The Google Play version is scheduled to launch near the same time as the general launch of the One M8, HTC said. Don't expect a bargain: the HTC One today sells for $600 in the US for an unlocked model.

Google Play phones can lack some useful features present in the tweaked versions of Android from companies like Motorola, HTC, and Samsung, but some customers prefer the cleaner operating system and its smaller storage footprint.