HTC, the company that once rivaled Samsung for the adulation of Android smartphone fans, has sunk to the role of a discount player. Its new flagship device, the U Ultra, launched only last month, but it’s already subject to a $150 discount this week, which takes it from its unreasonable $749 sticker price to a more palatable $599. Even at a fifth less, the U Ultra is hard to recommend, owing to its peculiar mix of bad ideas and poor execution.

Other phones in HTC’s range are getting even bigger cuts during this week-long Easter sale on HTC.com. The One A9, for example, is getting a full $300 off, while the HTC 10 gets $200 off, and the HTC Bolt is $150 cheaper than usual and is bundled with a free clear case. Evidently, HTC is doing a…

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