In a post to its official blog today, HTC asked developers "what could better than the HTC One," quickly following up with the answer: the same phone. Okay, not quite the same phone – this one is shipped with SIM and bootloader unlocked.
Positioning the device as "a modern platform to build and test your apps," HTC reminds potential buyers of the One's Snapdragon 600 processor, 2GB RAM, 64GB on-board storage, HTC's open APIs for low-energy Bluetooth, Infrared, and "more," along with its dual speakers and microphones.
For those wondering, the developer edition will support the following frequencies:
- HSPA/WCDMA 850/1900/2100 MHz
- GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
- LTE 700/850/AWS/1900 MHz
Unfortunately, the real Developer Edition won't come with a see-through back
HTC says the Developer Edition of the new flagship will be available in limited quantities to US customers "when the HTC One is released in the United States," costing interested parties $649 a pop. The one clear benefit to this device of course being that the bootloader comes pre-unlocked, meaning those developers wishing to use the phone on a network that prohibits unlocking of the device – or those who just want to tinker – can do so without hassle.
Which carriers will or won't allow unlocking? you may be asking. Well, we can't be exactly sure just yet, but all will become clear when the One's release finally comes around.
Source: HTC Blog