Samsung may not be the only smartphone manufacturer opting to drop its UI skin in favor of stock Android if reports flowing around the internet prove true.
The original report came from Geek, and stated that HTC could be working on its own “Google Edition” One flagship device, dropping its HTC Sense skin like Samsung is doing with its Galaxy S 4. A US launch for a “pure Google” HTC device is said to be “imminent.”
It’s no secret that HTC has been suffering from financial woes lately, with many of its top executives jumping ship, a couple of which even leaving for greener pastures with Microsoft. One of these executives was former HTC chief product officer Kouji Kodera. HTC’s “Facebook phone” — officially called the First — has proven to be unsuccessful for the company.
It’s unclear if a stock Android HTC One would be sold in the Play Store, or how exactly it would get to consumers, but the report claims that such a device would first launch in the United States and could be sold by Google directly. The question is, would you buy a stock HTC One?