HTC One with Nexus User Experience coming to Play Store on June 26

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
Summary: The HTC One with Sense is excellent, but many have been asking for a Google Edition. Like the Galaxy S4, a Google Edition HTC One will be launching soon.

(Image: HTC)

Last week I wrote that an HTC One without Sense is not an HTC One. I still feel that way. HTC confirmed today that they are indeed launching an HTC One with Nexus Experience and I think that is fine since it gives people the choice that they have been asking for.

This HTC One with Nexus Experience may help people see the strength of HTC Sense on a device like the One. At $599, it is priced less than the Google Edition Galaxy S4 and may be a big advantage for HTC.

Last week I wrote a list of several things that may be lost in a Nexus User Experience device and am very curious to see what the Google Edition provides. One thing it will provide is updates through Google, which alone may be worth the cost of entry.

The official HTC statement about the HTC One with Nexus User Experience is:

A special edition of the new HTC One running stock Android will be exclusively available through the Google Play store in the United States starting on June 26th. This edition pairs the all-metal unibody design, low-light capabilities of the UltraPixel camera and dual front-facing stereo speakers of the new HTC One with the stock version of the latest Android software, Jelly Bean 4.2.2.

While having a Google Edition will satisfy people who don't like Sense, I would also like to hear HTC state that an update for loyal HTC One owners is coming that provides Jelly Bean 4.2.2, accessibility access fixes, Zoe capture/upload directory fixes, and other minor updates to refine the current HTC One with Sense.

This Google Edition HTC One will be a GSM device and will not support the HSPA+ network on T-Mobile. It will have the same radios as the current Developer Edition, which does have AT&T and T-Mobile LTE support with AT&T HSPA+ support.

Matthew Miller started using a Pilot 1000 in 1997 and has been writing news, reviews, and opinion pieces ever since.

Moto X confirmed: Made in the USA and coming by October

Summary: Motorola's CEO confirmed the rumors that the Moto X is indeed real and will launch by October. It's being made in a Texas plant previously used by Nokia.

Motorola, now owned by Google, has been rolling out solid Droid RAZR products for Verizon over the last year, but there have been rumors of an "X" phone for several months. As reported by The Verge, Motorola's CEO Dennis Woodside confirmed that the Moto X is indeed a real project and he actually had one in his pocket on the stage at the D11 event in California.

Mr. Woodside didn't reveal any details of the Moto X except to say it will have an OLED display, be made in the USA, and have some advanced intelligence to help you manage your life more efficiently. They are planning to build the Moto X in a large facility in Texas previously used by Nokia to make smarphones. Some components will come from Asian facilities, but the intent is to have a made-in-the-USA phone.

As a veteran of the US Coast Guard, the fact that it is going to be made in the US is important to me and as long as the quality is there, I will seriously consider the Moto X. They are working with multiple carriers so I am sure at least one of the three I have plans with will get the device. I haven't used a Motorola smartphone for a couple of years, primarily because most of them are on Verizon, so I look forward to trying out a new model.

Woodside also mentioned a "handful" of other devices and as an avid MOTOACTV user I sure hope that an updated model of that device is in the lineup.

Matthew Miller started using a Pilot 1000 in 1997 and has been writing news, reviews, and opinion pieces ever since.