Well, they certainly took their time on this one. HTC Malaysia has announced that its 2014 flagship, the One (M8), will be launched in Malaysia on the 8th of May. And, confirming rumours we’d been hearing for some time now, the retail price of the One (M8) will also be set at RM2399, with pre-orders already open at Storekini ahead of its expected arrival in the coming weeks.
The May 8 launch date will mark close to close to six weeks since the official global announcement of the Taiwanese company’s flagship smartphone. Interestingly, HTC Malaysia plans to do a similar stunt with what its compatriots in the US and UK did by releasing it for sale right after the event. HTC Malaysia expects to have units available in retail stores on launch day, and already some retailers have opened pre-orders for the One (M8) including our very own Storekini.
What’s more interesting is with the retail price of the One (M8): at RM2399, the smartphone will go head to head with its biggest rival, Samsung’s Galaxy S5. With a similar price point, HTC seems very confident that its smartphone is fully capable of besting the GS5 on merit, and earning better sales. Would the actual sales reflect this case? Samsung’s flagship will have been in stores for close to a month once the One (M8) arrives at retail outlets, and that could be all the difference.
