The new-generation HTC One M9 is now officially available for pre-order from Verizon Wireless, ahead of its retail debut later this month.

Last year, HTC fans were in for a neat surprise when the then-flagship One M8 went on sale immediately after its unveiling. This year, however, the new HTC One M9 flagship made its official debut back at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2015 on March 1, but the retail release was left for a later date.

Carrier versions of the HTC One M9 will officially become available for purchase in the U.S. later this month, on April 10, and Verizon Wireless has now started taking pre-orders for the handset. The carrier is offering the smartphone on contract, with Verizon EDGE monthly installments, or at full retail price without a contract.

The Verizon HTC One M9 costs $199.99 when agreeing to sign a two-year contract with the carrier, $24.99 per month with a Verizon EDGE monthly installment plan, or $599.99 contract-free.

As a reminder, the HTC One M9 comes with a 5-inch full HD display (1920 x 1080 pixels), a 64-bit octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor under the hood, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage capacity, microSD card support for additional memory of up to 128GB, and a large 2,840 mAh battery. Other specs include a 20-megapixel rear camera and an UltraPixel front shooter for quality selfies even in low-light conditions. On the software side, the handset ships with Android Lollipop out of the box, as well as HTC's latest Sense 7.0 on top.

In terms of appearance and build, the HTC One M9 retains the highly-praised design language of the HTC One series, rocking a sleek and premium aluminum unibody design.

To further sweeten the deal, HTC is also offering a special "Uh-Oh" protection for the HTC One M9, promising to send you a new smartphone for free in case you break the one you got. This "Uh-Oh" protection covers the device for one year, but if you don't use it during that time, HTC will give you $100 credit toward the purchase of a new smartphone once the year has passed.

Verizon, meanwhile, will give you $200 or more if you trade in an old smartphone toward the purchase on an HTC One M9 with Verizon Edge. For more details or to pre-order the new HTC flagship from Verizon Wireless, head over to the carrier's website at this link. Pre-order customers should receive the device on or around April 10.