HTC One finally gets an ‘official’ launch in India

The much-delayed HTC One has started showing up in stores sporadically, but the phone has only now got an official launch in India. Reliance Communication and HTC came together to launch the new flagship and it will be available from today. In addition, Reliance 3G users will get 1GB of data free for three months, along with free access to WhatsApp, Facebook and a 3-month subscription to BIGFlix.

As reported yesterday, the HTC One is hitting stores gradually and availability has still not reached its peak. The current price of the smartphone is Rs 42,900 and it's available in the grey market for around Rs 42,000. Online retailer Flipkart, which began selling the HTC One over the weekend has already sold out the initial stock. Same is the case at many brick-and-mortar stores, where the weekend rush ensured the first batch of shipments has sold like hot cakes. There is a sense that the delay in availability has helped HTC create fevered anticipation for the phone, which has resulted in the quick sell out.

Officially launched

There’s no doubt in our minds that the HTC One is currently one of the two best smartphones in the market along with the Samsung Galaxy S4. Thanks to the unibody design and meticulous attention to detail, the One stands apart from the competition. And this is one of the biggest selling points for the phone. Of course, having a full HD display on a 4.7-inch diagonal and front-facing stereo speakers help the One a great deal as well. The HTC Ultrapixel camera is another big attraction. Take a look at our camera comparison of the various flagships to get a better idea of its performance.

Now that the HTC One is finally out in the market, the S4 will get some stiff competition. Which side of the fence do you sit on? Will you buy the HTC One or the Galaxy S4?