What's that coming over the hill? Another monster smartphone, you say? Well, you may just be right as word continues to spread about the HTC M7 - although the volume of reports from various sources make it likely it will be called the HTC One.
The HTC One X and One X+ look to be on their way out at the top of the Taiwanese firm's tree, with the HTC One the hotly-tipped successor.
HTC is looking to break the dominance enjoyed by Samsung and Apple over the past year and recapture the success it had with the original Desire.
HTC M7 name
In case you're confused: the HTC M7 and the HTC are one and the same thing; at least, according to the rumour mill. Here's why:
Although not officially announced, HTC boss Peter Chou has already flashed us the M7 briefly during an appearance at the firm's end of year party in Taipei.
You can also hear Chou and co chanting "HTC One", which at first we thought was just overexcitement from the firm about its One range of handsets, however as mentioned new reports suggest this will be the name of the M7 when it is launched. Other sources online have since 'confirmed' the same thing, although we won't know the exact name of the phone until the
If the handset does turn out to be the HTC One then things may get a little confusing considering we already have the HTC One X, One X+, One S, One V and co.
HTC One release date
Originally the HTC One was rumoured to make an appearance at CES 2013 in Las Vegas, but alas those reports didn't come to fruition.
It now looks like the HTC One launch has been set in stone with the Taiwanese firm sending out invitations to events in both London and New York scheduled for February 19.
Although the invite itself gives nothing away, TechRadar sources have said that this is indeed the HTC One launch event and the handset will be the firm's next flagship smartphone.
It's interesting that HTC has decided to announce the M7 before MWC 2013 begins in Barcelona later in the month… clearly the Taiwanese firm is worried about being lost in the noise by revealing the handset amid the fervour in Spain.
As far as the HTC One release date is concerned it looks like we'll only have to wait a couple of weeks for the handset to land in stores, with the latest rumours suggesting it will touch down on March 8.
However, in the US the release date is expected to be something a little later, with March 22 the latest time being given to rush down to your local emporium to get your hands on something a little bit fancy.
HTC One design
We've seen a few images pop up online claiming to be the HTC M7 and while none of them can be taken as gospel, it looks like the new flagship will follow in the design footsteps of the HTC 8X.
The first snap of the M7 came from Unwired and claims to be a render taken from a short instructional video.
Next up was a more official looking press shot claiming to be for the HTC M7, with the design of its Windows Phone 8 touting brother the 8X apparent.
The smooth curved back, less flamboyant camera and squarer finish is one we're fond of, and if this shot turns out to be legit the M7 could be one fine looking smartphone.
However, things have turned a little more interesting as a new design has emerged, with a sleeker metal body and dual front-facing speakers, compared to the 8X-alike square design we've seen previously.
The Twitter account which leaked the first image on display here has dropped the new design, but this time @evleaks uses the HTC One name instead of M7.
Design wise the handset looks very similar to the one displayed in the initial leak, but this time we see it with the screen turned on which potentially shows the new HTC Sense 5 homescreen, as well as just two navigation buttons below - a departure from the usual three.
A countdown has also appeared online, ending unsurprisingly on the date when the new phone will be announced. What is interesting is the HTC One / HTC M7 is shown off in a lens flare-heavy video too, showing a metallic body and concentrating quite strongly on the camera too.
This means the newer pics do seem the most likely, which is a shame given the above design did look pretty tasty; that said, metal always does feel more premium, so let's wait and take a look to see what HTC can bring to the table.
A new picture of the phone has emerged in black, and boy, does it look like the BlackBerry Z10 - again, this one comes from @evleaks:
A fan has even put together a video showing the hints dropped by HTC countdown; take a look and decide for yourself how the final phone will look:
HTC M7 price
The HTC M7 is going to be a flagship smartphone and therefore will carry a flagship (read: expensive) price tag.
Expect the M7 / HTC One to set you back a similar amount to the Sony Xperia Z, Samsung Galaxy S3, iPhone 5 and co, so you may want to start saving now.
According to French site FrAndroid, the HTC M7 will probably set you back around €649.99 (£560/$880/AU$855).
HTC One screen
Early rumours suggested that the HTC One would roll up with a 5-inch display, which would have put it firmly in competition with the Xperia Z, Huawei Ascend D2 and ZTE Grand S.
This no longer seems to be the case with a number of subsequent reports all pointing towards a 4.7-inch display - which is the same size as the screen on the One X and One X+.
The key difference is that the HTC M7 display will have a full HD 1080p resolution, which still makes as, if not more, attractive compared with the three 5-inch handsets mentioned above.
HTC M7 operating system
Leaked images of the HTC M7 along with various rumours all point towards the handset running Android Jelly Bean, which certainly is no great surprise - although we're not sure if it will be version 4.1 or 4.2.
More interestingly some reports suggest that the arrival of the HTC One will also see the launch of a new version of HTC's famed Android overlay - Sense 5.0.
The current iteration of Sense is version 4+ which arrived alongside One X+ (see what they did there), so we wouldn't be surprised if a more major overhaul was on the cards.
This thinking was then backed up a few days later when screenshots appeared online claiming to show off Sense 5.0, sporting a more streamlined homescreen and cleaner approach.
On top of that, more screenshots of HTC's Sense 5.0 have leaked on a different device: the HTC G2, so it seems very likely we'll get a new version of the brand's overlay at the forthcoming launch.
HTC One processor
No surprise in the power department as we hear the HTC One processor will be a Qualcomm 1.7GHz quad-core offering, which will provide more than enough get up and go for Android Jelly Bean.
It looks set to be a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro offering with 2GB of RAM behind it to ensure everything keeps ticking over nicely.
Specifications
As well as the hotly tipped full HD display, quad-core processor and Jelly Bean platform the HTC M7 is also expected to pack some other treats.
UnwiredView goes on to claim the HTC M7 will feature 4G connectivity, next-gen Wi-Fi technology and Beats Audio from Dr. Dre.
In terms of storage the HTC One is looking set to pack 32GB and follow in the footsteps of the flagship One X, One X+ and 8X with no expandable storage option.
Battery life in HTC's flagship smartphones has come under scrutiny recently and we hope the rumoured 2,300mAh power pack, which would be the biggest battery the firm has put in a smartphone to date, will be able to cut the mustard.
The high resolution display and powerful processor of the HTC One does leave us a little worried, so fingers crossed the Taiwanese firm has done it power consumption sums if this is true.
HTC One camera
According to HTCSource and UnviewedView round the back you'll probably find a 13MP with modes such as HDR and slow-motion, while the front of the M7 will play home to a 2MP snapper.
And there's a strong rumour that HTC will be breaking new ground on the camera phone with the introduction of Ultrapixels bringing more colourful and sharper images than ever before, thanks to packing three sensors under the hood - possibly with a 4MP sensor only, but we've yet to see how HTC's going to explain THAT one to the masses.
The beefed up M7 camera with ultrapixel technology has been given more credibility after HTC produced an info graphic hinting at a 'new sound and camera experience' for this year.
And now we have word that a 'Zoe camera' will be making its debut - whether this will be the actual name for Ultrapixels or not isn't clear at the moment, but it is another confirmation that only a 4MP sensor will be used - we're excited to see how this plays out at the official launch event.
Source : techradar[dot]com
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