HTC One variant in the UK touts dual SIM support but loses LTE

While users in the US are quite content with single SIM devices, other major markets seem to be steadily adding dual SIM options even on flagship smartphones. Following the footsteps of its Chinese sibling, a new model of the HTC One has arrived in the UK carrying dual SIM slots, a microSD slot, and the disappearance of LTE.

Those following the history of HTC‘s oft ignored flagship will not be surprised that such a variant exists. As early as April, there has been word of a dual SIM bearing HTC One in the works for the Chinese market but unavailable for the US. This is, of course, understandable as the US is still quite unfamiliar with such situations, while such devices thrive in markets such as China, India, and others. The UK, and Europe in general, is also one region that has been steadily increasing their supply of dual SIM supporting smartphones, so it almost seems a natural fit to bring this particular HTC One into the country as well.

There are a few other significant differences between this HTC One and its American counterpart. For one, the battery cover is removable. Make no mistake, however, as this purely for getting access to the two SIM card slots as well as the microSD slot that supports up to 64 GB of expanded memory. Unfortunately, the price that was paid was the removal of support for LTE networks, which might be a high cost for people in this highly connected world. The rest of the specs remain entirely the similar, so current HTC One owners won’t be losing out on anything if they don’t really need to have two SIM cards in a single phone.

The HTC One with dual SIM support is available for pre-order with a price tag of 494.99 euros, roughly equivalent to $675. While HTC UK officially states that the device won’t be launched in other European countries, it might be entirely possible to still order it directly from the HTC UK store.

VIA: the::unwired