HTC revealed today that it will be releasing its new One M9 Android smartphone on April 10, and people who buy one in the U.S. will get a single free replacement of their phone in the event something unfortunate happens to it.
The details came out today in a discussion of HTC’s new “Uh Oh” protection plan, which is an added benefit of the company’s Advantage program for purchasers of its flagship One smartphone line in the U.S. In the event a user cracks their HTC One’s screen, suffers water damage or wants to switch carriers in their first 12 months of owning the handset, they’ll get one free replacement from the Taiwanese company.
If someone manages to make it through the first year with their phone intact, they’ll get a $100 credit to spend on a new HTC One further down the line. This benefit is tailor-made to keeping people locked into HTC’s ecosystem, something the smartphone maker could desperately use as of late. While it was one of the early dominant Android OEMs, HTC has lost market share to Samsung and other players in the smartphone market as of late.
April 10 is shaping up to be a big day for tech purchases. It will be the first day users can pre-order the Apple Watch, the day Apple’s new MacBook goes on sale, and now the launch day for the One M9.
