First non-Nexus smartphone running Android M up for pre-order in the US

Taiwan-based HTC's One A9, which is currently the only non-Nexus smartphone to offer Google's latest Android M aka Android 6.0 operating platform straight out of the box, can be pre-ordered in the US. The 32GB variant of the new smartphone has opened for pre-orders in the country.

In the US, customers can choose only the 32GB variant of HTC One A9, and not the 16GB edition that was showcased during the smartphone's launch. HTC's Senior Global Online Communications Manager has confirmed the development via an official tweet.

In the US, the 32GB HTC One A9 edition (with 3GB RAM) is priced at $400 (£259). Prospective customers can navigate to the official HTC web portal for pre-ordering the handset. The developments hint at the official unavailability of the 16GB (2GB RAM) variant of HTC One A9 whose pricing still remains unknown, but likely to get a comparatively lower price-tag. For customers pre-ordering the smartphone, shipping would only begin in November.

The HTC One A9, marketed before release as an iPhone alternative, falls in the mid-range as per its key technical aspects. These are:

• 5in AMOLED display enclosed within Gorilla Glass 4
• Android M; straight out of the box
• 1.5GHz Cortex-A53 octa-core CPU within a Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 SoC
• 13 MP rear camera
• 4 MP front camera
• 2/3 GB RAM
• 16/32 GB internal storage variants
• MicroSD card slot for expansion of internal storage up to 200 GTB
• LTE, HSPA, Bluetooth 4.1, Wi-Fi and microUSB connectivity
• Fixed 2,150 mAh Lithium-Ion battery.