HTC One Released in Taiwan, 64 GB Version Sells for $840 USD

Focusing on its home market, HTC unveiled the flagship One in Taiwan this week, and confirmed that it will be releasing the device towards the end of the month, much like it plans to do so in other markets.  Though an exact date of availability has yet to be announced, HTC did, at least, reveal pricing information for all three variants based on internal storage, including the top-of-the-line 64 GB version.

According to HTC, the One’s 16 GB version will cost 19,900 TWD, which would be approximately $670 USD.  The 32 GB version will carry a price tag of 21,900 TWD, or about $735 USD, while the HTC One’s 64 GB flavor will be selling at 24,900 TWD, which is convertible to about $840 in American currency.  All prices above are for unlocked, or non-contract versions of the device.  Unlocked pricing shouldn’t be too different in other parts of the world; in the U.S., it has been reported that the One will sell for $199.99 on a standard two-year carrier contract.

If $840 may sound like an arm and a leg for a high-end smartphone, bear in mind that Apple’s 64 GB unlocked iPhone 5 costs 28,900 TWD, or $975.  That’s $126 more expensive than the U.S. price tag of $849.  Moreover, the iPhone 5 is now approaching its sixth month on the market, and doesn’t boast of the same revolutionary specifications and unique features found on the HTC One.

To give an overview of the HTC One, the upcoming flagship features a 4.7-inch Full HD display with 1920 x 1080 resolution, or 469 pixels per inch, a quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor that runs at 1.7 GHz, 2 GB RAM, Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean and a sturdy, light aluminum unibody design.  The primary camera is advertised at 4 megapixels, but HTC claims its Ultrapixels technology will make this 4-megapixel rear shooter compete favorably, at the very least, with the 13-megapixel rear cameras on Sony’s high-end handsets, for instance.