HTC launches Advantage program in the US

HTC is trying to get back on the good graces of its US consumers with speedy KitKat updates for the HTC One (One mini and One Max too) but now the company is ready to put that commitment in writing.

Starting today, HTC will run the HTC Advantage program, which promises to deliver major Android updates for the One family (One, mini and Max) for two years after the device launched.

Better yet, if the screen on one of those phones is cracked in the first six months after you bought the device, HTC will offer a free one-time replacement.

There's more – HTC will protect your digital property as well as the physical one. HTC One users will get 25-50GB of online storage for two years (provided by Google Drive) where the HTC Backup app will store valuable info (but not paid apps, music or, surprisingly, photos).

The HTC Advantage program goes into effect as of today and it's a US-only deal. HTC hasn’t mentioned anything about a potential expansion of the program.

And now for the fine print – the free one-time screen replacement is only for users who bought the phone today or after, not existing customers. That paragraph also contains the worrying sentence "Some benefits may be limited time offers and may not be available for your carrier or device."

Also, two years of updates after the initial launch only means about a year for the HTC One, which went on sale March 2013.

Still, between this and the potential KitKat update for the US HTC One X, HTC is earning some brownie points. Now if it could only extend that to the rest of the world.

You can learn more about HTC Advantage here.