We didn't know it at the time, but a few weeks ago with its new Nexus devices Google started a trend. And not a good one if you happen to live in Europe. See, the new Nexus 5X, for example, happens to be way more expensive in Europe than it is in the US.

And now we can say the exact same thing about the newly unveiled HTC One A9. While in the US the launch price is a very reasonable $399.99 for a SIM-free and unlocked unit, things are very different on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.

In the UK, the phone is going to cost a whopping £429.99, which right now translates into roughly $664. But wait, that's not all! To add insult to injury, the model that will be sold in the UK will only have 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage, whereas the US-bound iteration has 3GB of RAM and 32GB of built-in storage.

As for operators, so far only O2 has confirmed that it will be offering the One A9, including the gold variation, which will be exclusive to it. So if you're in the UK and really want a One A9, you'll probably end up getting it from an operator, paying almost nothing upfront and having the actual cost of the phone hidden inside a Pay Monthly contract.

Although HTC hasn't yet announced official pricing for the Eurozone, media outlets in Germany are expecting the One A9 to go for €599. That's currently about $679, so even more than in the UK, amazingly. What's unclear is which hardware version of the handset will make it to continental Europe, the one with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage or the one with double those amounts.

Either way, while in the US this is a pretty affordable mid-ranger, over in Europe the One A9 reaches flagship-level pricing, without having the specs to back that up. HTC's newest does, however, make the LG Nexus 5X seem like a good buy in Europe by comparison - the 32GB version of that device will only cost €530, and it has a higher-end SoC on board and a bigger battery.

We sincerely hope no other smartphone makers will follow Google's and HTC's lead on this newfound trend, but you probably shouldn't be holding your breath.

Source 1 • Source 2 (in German) • Source 3