HTC's precision craftsmanship meets Google's purest vision for Android in the HTC One (M8) Google Play Edition (GPE)—the latest in the company's growing stable of Experience-branded devices. Unlocked and unburdened by carrier or manufacturer customization, the One (M8) GPE liberates owners to pick their service and apps as they see fit. And like all Google Experience devices, the One (M8) is guaranteed timely updates to the latest versions of Android. For the purists and the particular, the One (M8) GPE represents the pinnacle of design and performance without compromise. At the same time, the $699 price tag makes it a niche play in the U.S., and keeps it from overtaking the Google Nexus 5 as our Editors' Choice for unlocked smartphones.

We've already tested the HTC One (M8) on AT&T, so head on over to that review for a full rundown on the design and features. The Google Play Edition is physically indistinguishable from the carrier models, so we'll focus on the software differences here.

Network and Call Quality

The unlocked Google Play Edition supports quad-band GSM/GPSRS/EDGE (850/900/1800/1900MHz), quad-band HSPA/UMTS (50/1700/1900/2100MHz), and LTE (700/1700MHz). That means it'll work fine for AT&T and T-Mobile customers, but Sprint and Verizon subscribers are left out. I popped in an AT&T nano SIM card, which worked perfectly, connecting the M8 GPE quickly and painlessly to AT&T's network in midtown Manhattan. With a strong LTE connection, I saw speeds of around 10Mbps down and 5Mbps up, which is about average for the AT&T phones we've seen lately.