Google Play edition (GPs) devices are an interesting proposition to many, as they bridge the gap between having a stock android device like a Nexus, but from their favorite manufacturer. In fact, the proposition of such a device, seemed to be quite widely received by the tech public and as such, over the course of 2013 and start of 2014, we started to see a number of GPe devices hitting the market. Some of those on offer included flagship devices from Samsung, LG and HTC, three of the biggest hitters in the android town. An example of the benefit of having such a device, was like the Nexus range, you were ‘entitled’ to super fast updating due to its stock nature. As such and as we stand here today, all the GPe devices are currently running Android 5.0 (Lollipop). The non-Play edition of the same devices (most of them at least) are not. Plain and simple, a GPe device was technically a Nexus device, but made from someone else and without the Nexus hoopla that comes with it.
Well folks. If you were a GPe fan then today will be a sad day for you. As we gather here today, the HTC One M8 has officially been retired from the Google Play Store. In short, you can no longer buy it. The Play listing simply says ‘no longer available’. Some of you might be thinking “so” and that would be fair enough. However, the passing of the HTC One M8 GPe, is not just the passing of this device but also marks the passing of the last GPe device from Google Play. It was only about two weeks ago that we saw the Motorola Moto G GPe being pulled from the Play Store and now here goes the HTC One M8 too.
Of course, this does not necessarily mean the GPe program has definitely finished. There has always been speculation that a GPe edition of one device or another is just around the corner. However, the fact that we have not actually seen any since the HTC One M8, does seem to suggest that the program has run its course. At least for now. Were you a fan of the GPe program? Are you a GPe owner? Let us know