HTC One release date for T-Mobile said to be April 19

HTC One T-Mobile release date
HTC One from three different carriers

The HTC One release date for T-Mobile is said to be April 19, meaning it'll arrive in stores and to pre-ordering customers the same day as the AT&T and Sprint versions.

At least, that's what Best Buy indicates on the HTC One T-Mobile product page of its online store.

The U.S. retailer will match the HTC One price of T-Mobile's rival carriers and sell the highly anticipated Android smartphone for $249.99 with a two-year contract.

This was the same initial price as the Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphone, which begins pre-orders three days prior to the HTC One release date.

Wisely, AT&T recently announced that the entry-level 16GB model of the Galaxy S4 will cost just $199, meaning HTC One will be priced $50 higher.

Differs from the contract-free plan

T-Mobile will price the HTC One in a very different way than Best Buy in its own stores.

The self-described Un-carrier plans to sell a contract-free HTC One with a $99 down payment and $20 a month for 24 months.

T-Mobile is doing similar no-contract deals for the Galaxy S4, BlackBerry Z10, and iPhone 5.

That works out to be $579 at the end of two years for T-Mobile customers who want a smaller upfront payment.

They can also take advantage of the carrier's web-only special offer of a free HTC One carrier kit while supplies last.

More than HTC One option

The T-Mobile HTC One contract-free pricing and the Best Buy standard two-year agreement will give customers a choice.

Either way, they decide, the HTC One should help the Taiwanese phone manufacturer see some much-needed profits again.

Matt Swider