When you look at the HTC One (M8), it’s hard not to think of the phone and its unibody aluminum body as a premium product. If the latest rumor is true, that may soon change. According to TMTPost, HTC is working on a variant of the HTC One (M8) which would trade in its aluminum shell for plastic in an effort to bring down the price of the phone in China. The HTC one (M8) is currently priced at 5299 Yuan ($853 USD), but a plastic HTC One (M8) is expected to be accompanied by a 3000 Yuan (about $483) price tag.
We can’t begin to understand the intricacies of the Chinese market, but we’re not convinced that a cheaper plastic HTC One (M8) is the solution. The suggested retail price of the 32GB HTC One (M8) in the US market is $700. We just can’t understand why the price of the HTC One (M8) is so high to begin with, especially since the Chinese model only has 16GB of internal storage. Simply cutting the price of the HTC One (M8) to match that of the US market would have a significant impact on demand of the phone without the added cost of retooling the production line to push out a plastic version of the phone.
Are you hoping the rumor of the HTC One (M8) is true? Would you rather have a cheaper flagship phone from HTC if it means sacrificing the aluminum finish of the One (M8)?
