HTC One Google handset will be a limited edition

Taiwanese phone-maker HTC is expected to limit its run of pure Android handsets to just 50,000 examples.

Taiwanese phone-maker HTC is expected to limit its run of pure Android handsets to just 50,000 examples.

Reports that HTC is going to launch a Google Edition of its flagship smartphone, the HTC One, have been getting the Android community very excited in recent weeks. What started out as a rumor several weeks ago, and one that was initially denied by the company, has since received off-the-record confirmation. However, Pocket Lint reports that there's a catch. The company plans to limit the run of phones to 'around one percent of total sales of the device so far.' Therefore, as 5 million HTC Ones have been sold since its official launch a month ago, that equates to a mere 50,000 phones that will drop the company's own interface, features and third-party apps in favor of an Android Jelly Bean-only interface.

And although such a handset already exists -- namely the LG-made Nexus 4 -- its specifications can't match those of the HTC One, especially when it comes to mobile connectivity. The Nexus 4 doesn't support 4GLTE, meaning that users have to connect to the internet via the much slower 3G network or via wi-fi when near a hot spot.

However, dropping HTC's own features would rob consumers of some excellent touches, such as its blink-feed news service and its Beats By Dr Dre music processing capabilities.

Still, despite the emphasis that Samsung (every Android phone-maker's biggest competitor) has put on its own in-house apps and innovations in marketing its latest flagship, the Galaxy SIV, it announced on May 15 that it is rolling out a pure Android version of the phone. Exclusive to the US market, it will be available via Google Play from June 26 and comes with a huge $650 price tag.

There is currently no word as to how much a vanilla Android version of the HTC One will cost but it is expected to make its official debut this summer.