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A new version of the HTC One with stock Android rather than HTC’s Sense software will be announced in the next two weeks and available in the summer, according to “multiple sources” quoted by Geek’s Russell Holly, who correctly predicted the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S4 Google edition.
That tallies with reports earlier this week that influential HTC developer LlabTooFeR had the inside track on a Google edition of the metallic mobile coming soon.
Holly’s sources reckon the phone, running plain Android 4.2.2, will be available in the US only at first, probably via Google’s Play Store.
The HTC One and Galaxy S4 have more extra software slathered over standard Android than any phones around, which some fans find infuriating. HTC’s BlinkFeed social stream, for example, takes up one of the One’s five homescreens and can’t be turned off, depriving you of a fifth of your digital real estate.
The S4’s myriad of photo features and interface tweaks are so overwhelming, meanwhile, that they take up nearly half of the available storage on the 16GB version of the phone.
These features help explain what’s special about the phones to the average punter, but hardcore Android fans just want the hottest hardware so they can customise the interface with launchers and ROMs. If only the S4 is available in that format, that small but vocal audience will likely plump for Samsung’s device.
What do you think? Would you rather have a stock version of the HTC One? If it’s a similar price to the stock S4, which would you pick? Customise your comments below, or head to our unsullied Facebook page.
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Galaxy S4 Google Edition explained
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