The HTCOne (E8) is a hit in Asia, with 50,000 units sold in 15 minutes

HTC needed some good news on the sales front, after it reported a revenue drop for the month of May, and it looks that said good news could come from the plastic-clad E8.

The HTC One (E8) is essentially a redesigned M8 that ditches the luxurious aluminum body in favor of a more affordable plastic shell with a glossy finish. Changes are mostly skin deep, as the E8 is very similar to the M8 in terms of specs, with the notable exception of the camera, which features a 13MP conventional sensor, instead of the 4UP Duo Camera on the M8.

The One (E8) went on sale in China earlier this week, and the reception from the local public was enthusiastic. More than 2 million people “reserved” the device at a large online retailer, and, according to HTC’s official Weibo account, 50,000 units were sold in the first 15 minutes of the E8’s availability.

What makes the E8 so attractive? It’s largely the price. HTCmanaged to bring down the price to 2,800 yuan, which is the equivalent of $450 or about half the price of the One M8 and other devices in its class, including the Galaxy S5. Sure, devices from local companies like Oppo and Xiaomi may be a better bargain, but HTChas an established image that it’s putting to good use in China, the world’s largest smartphone market. The company markets the E8 as One “Vogue Edition” here, hoping to capture the attention of young hip buyers looking to make a fashion statement with their choice of phone.

We heard that the E8 could make it to Europe and Russia in the future, but we don’t know if HTCwill ever become available stateside. Perhaps the E8’s great reception in Asia will convince the company to give the E8 a proper global rollout?