New HTC One Will Get A Google Play Edition, HTC Itself Confirms Via Play Store App Description

The all new HTC One, which is often referred to as the M8, will have a Google Play Edition as expected, according to new information from an unlikely source ahead of its official unveiling. The Play Edition M8 is referred to by name in an official app description of HTC software released to Google Play. Google is making a number of its apps available to the Play Store ahead of its new flagship phone’s official reveal, which happens at 11 AM ET today in NYC.

The app where the Play Edition phone is mentioned is HTC Gallery, for organizing and locating photos, and the description features a line that states “Support for HTC One(M8) Google Play Edition is limited to Photo Edit.” A Play Edition of the original HTC One was also released last year, so it’s not a huge surprise HTC is doing it again.

Play Edition smartphones run essentially stock Android, like the Nexus reference phone that Google releases with an OEM partner every year. They provide a common platform for developers to build and test software, and also offer an unlocked device at a full price for consumers who’d rather not be tied to any one carrier or to a version of Android that’s been modified with OEM software.

We’ll be covering the event and all resulting news, so stay tuned for more right here at TechCrunch as the festivities kick off in just a few hours at 11 AM ET.