The HTC One M9 successor, presumably called the One M10, will reportedly hit commercial availability in the United States in the week starting May 9.
If this turns out to be accurate, it would mean that the HTC One M10 would come significantly later than rival flagships from LG and Samsung. Recent speculation hinted that HTC may prefer this strategy to avoid being overshadowed by rivals at the MWC, but a May launch for the One M10 may be too late.
The May release time frame for the HTC One M10 in the United States comes from trusted tipster Evan Blass, @evleaks on Twitter.
HTC M10: Hitting US retail the week of May 9th
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) February 11, 2016
The leaker further adds that while the smartphone will see a later launch, HTC's upcoming smartwatch will arrive by the end of April.
Following news of a May release for the One M10, HTC fans started expressing concerns that HTC would virtually be committing suicide with such a late launch. Considering that the LG G5 and Samsung Galaxy S7 will make their debuts at the MWC this month and likely go on sale shortly afterward, many smartphone shoppers looking for a new flagship will likely make their purchase long before the One M10 even hits the scene.
@evleaks really may??? When everyone will already buy the g5/s7... What is Htc doing — David Reid (@davidfreid84) February 11, 2016
@evleaks that's suicide.. Samsung is going to have a field day. Just another opinion.. Lol
— Ed Modlin (@AndroidFile13) February 11, 2016
HTC has already fallen well behind rivals, seeing sluggish sales for its latest devices. The HTC One M7 was a massive hit and its successor, the One M8, improved the recipe and stirred plenty of waves of its own. The One M9, however, failed to impress as much and critics argued that it didn't really sport big enough improvements over the One M8.
The sleek One A9 managed to get some attention, but went under fire for looking like an iPhone clone.
At this point, HTC has to come up with something truly impressive if it wants to regain some of that lost market share, but fans are already starting to lose hope. Waiting until May for a new flagship could well be another nail in HTC's coffin, which would truly be a shame.
Previous rumbles also indicated that HTC could unveil a new flagship smartphone on April 11 in London and opt for a brand name other than the One M10, but it remains to be seen if that rumor turns out to be true.
Until HTC makes an official announcement, it's highly advisable to take all leaks, rumors and speculation with a dose of skepticism.
