[miggdmac]

I am trying to make a decision on what to buy. Reading online everyone says to buy the Developer Edition or Unlocked version vs the Carrier version. Can you please help me out and let me know what the benefits vs. the potential downsides are? I know that you get updates quicker, but how frequently do you get these updates/improvements over the Carrier updates? Also, are there any network issues to worry about (I am on AT&T). Is the Carrier version optimized for the network vs. the Developer edition. Thanks for your help!

[Skyway]

The developer edition has an unlocked bootloader, so you can flash custom roms.

The carrier version doesn't, although you can unlock your bootloader very easily

As far as updates go, I think HTC has done extremely well with them, even with the carrier delay. I'm on AT&T as well and with my m7, they were surprisingly fast. Not as quick as the developer version, but we're talking a month, maybe two later for the carrier version
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[jneusch]

I have the unlocked version on AT&T. It works perfectly. I have a secure email app that prevented me from buying the developer edition.

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[miggdmac]

Are there a lot of apps that won't work on the developer edition? Also, do you get visual voice mail on the unlocked version?

[jd914]

I have a developer edition and I'm an att customer and I no longer get carrier subsidized devices. The reason why I got a developer edition M8 was because I don't want carrier bloatware and be at the mercy of the carrier as to when they see fit to upgrade my device. I haven't purchased a carrier subsidized device for quite some time now and don't see myself ever going that route.

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

[Skyway]

I have a developer edition and I'm an att customer and I no longer get carrier subsidized devices. The reason why I got a developer edition M8 was because I don't want carrier bloatware and be at the mercy of the carrier as to when they see fit to upgrade my device. I haven't purchased a carrier subsidized device for quite some time now and don't see myself ever going that route.

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

I'd love to do this, but buying outright is just too expensive. Plus with the AT&T next, it's not that bad

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[luckydwg]

As of now you will not get the visual voice mail with att but you can sign up for and use google voice and have your messages transcribed as well for free. I feel its a better solution. You also cannot use the isis app for whatever reason and I have not found the apk to sideload it. If you can swing the unlocked or dev price point I would say do it. If you need to get a phone subsidized buy and iphone and sell it on swappa then use that money to buy your unlocked M8

[ukdavid1]

When it comes to a choice of the unlocked or developer, is there any downside to the developer. I just need this question answered before I buy. This will be my first smartphone and there are guys at the pub who can show me all the things I could do with a rooted phone. I'm more concerned about inadvertently doing something stupid that might be irreversible. Thanks!

[blackdogAC]

I have a developer edition and I'm an att customer and I no longer get carrier subsidized devices. The reason why I got a developer edition M8 was because I don't want carrier bloatware and be at the mercy of the carrier as to when they see fit to upgrade my device. I haven't purchased a carrier subsidized device for quite some time now and don't see myself ever going that route.

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

Yup. Same here. Got the Developer Edition. The major carriers are putting software on the phones for tracking consumer spending and patterns and selling that data. Personally I don't want that crap lagging my phone and I don't want a sneaky carrier, who I'm already paying quite handsomely for service, monitoring me and selling my info. Google is bad enough.

Although the bootloader is unlocked on the DE, you still need to root to flash custom ROMs or to apply the app SDfix.