The wait is finally over: starting now, you can purchase two leading Android smartphones, the HTC One and Samsung's Galaxy S4, each loaded with a stock version of Google's mobile operating system. Both "Google Play edition" unlocked GSM devices go on sale today, priced at $599 and $649 respectively. Initial orders will ship by July 9th according to Google. The Galaxy S4 and One Google Play editions are being sold alongside Google's existing line of Nexus products - flagship hardware meant to showcase Android the way its creators intended.

Today marks the first time these smartphones have been available stripped of their respective manufactu …

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HTC may follow Samsung's lead and produce a "Google Edition" of its latest flagship smartphone running stock Android. According to sources that spoke to Russell Holly at Geek, work on a version of the HTC One without its Sense software customizations is underway, with a US launch said to be "imminent." Holly previously leaked accurate information on the Galaxy S4 Google Edition ahead of its announcement at the I/O conference.

HTC's chief product officer Kouji Kodera told The Verge last year that the company is "very proud of HTC Sense," and would "like to continue shipping it on every device." However, Kodera was one of many employees to re …

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HTC is working to improve the camera on its flagship Android phone, the One. The company has developed and released an update that is said to improve both color reproduction and dynamic range in "certain conditions," according to a statement released to SlashGear. Specifically, the update is meant to help combat over-exposure in images that are taken without the phone's high dynamic range (HDR) feature. The changelog also says that the update makes unspecified sound quality improvements to the Zoe still / video hybrid mode. As is par for the course, the update also introduces a range of stability and performance tweaks.

The HTC One faces stiff …

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The HTC One, the company's new flagship phone and would-be savior, will be available on AT&T starting on April 19th for $199.99. That's a good $50 less than was rumored yesterday, and it undercuts the Samsung Galaxy S4 which will launch on AT&T for $249.99. Despite some delays, it appears that HTC will beat the Galaxy S4 to market - AT&T pre-orders for Samsung's flagship start on April 16th. The phone will come in silver or black and in 32GB and 64GB capacities, the latter of which will cost $299.99. Of course, these prices all come with the requisite two-year contract attached. While we took some issue with the One's "ultrapixel" camera and …

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The HTC One will finally begin rolling out next week, at least in the UK, Germany and Taiwan. Buyers in Europe, North America and "most of" the Asia-Pacific can expect to see the device launch before the end of April, according to an update HTC provided today. HTC's new shipping timeframe comes just days after reports suggested component constraints were to blame for the handset's delay in getting to market. "HTC has had difficulty in securing adequate camera components as it is no longer a tier-one customer," is what one (anonymous) HTC executive told The Wall Street Journal. The company isn't acknowledging those rumors, but it would appear …

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HTC One fans were disappointed to learn last week that the phone had been delayed to late March or early April. Now,The Wall Street Journal reports that the flagship meant to turn around HTC's performance is being hampered by its past defeats. "The company has a problem managing its component suppliers as it has changed its order forecasts drastically and frequently following last year's unexpected slump in shipments," says an unnamed executive. He and others blamed the One's delay on shortages, particularly of the metal casing and camera parts. "HTC has had difficulty in securing adequate camera components as it is no longer a tier-one cust …

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HTC has confirmed that its flagship One phone will be shipping in late March and early April after reports of delays. Earlier today, UK retailer Clove reported that it would start selling the One two weeks later than expected: while the phone was initially set to arrive on March 15th, "We have today been advised officially by HTC that the UK launch date has been put back to the 29th March." Official launch dates have been hard to come by, but HTC said at the phone's announcement that a global rollout was planned in the latter half of March.

When asked about the delay, HTC admitted that the One wouldn't be shipping as expected in all regions …

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