HTC is reportedly contemplating to incorporate mobile VR technology to make its future smartphones relevant and futuristic.
Even though HTC did not unveil any new top-end smartphone at the MWC 2016, the company — which is facing sales challenges — revealed to TechCrunch that it has a new flagship device in the pipeline.
The smartphone maker also dropped hints that it could potentially get into mobile VR in the future, likely in a bid to recreate interest in its premium-segment handsets.
While HTC is rumored to be working on the One M10, Drew Bamford, corporate VP of HTC's Creative Labs, let on that it is presently in conversation with network operators for its next-gen products. Bamford revealed that HTC "will have some really cool stuff on the market," suggesting that the company had something exciting up its sleeve.
Possibly, the "cool stuff" Bamford referred to was a veiled hint at the alleged mobile VR technology which HTC is supposedly working on.
However, when asked directly about the company's plans of developing a mobile phone powered VR headset, Bamford has remained ambiguous.
"I can't comment on our future roadmap but you can imagine HTC is as design led and innovation led business and of course it would make sense for us to work on more kinds of VR products, and products that unite our phone business and our VR business in ways that make sense," noted Bamford when quizzed on the matter.
In January, Cher Wang, HTC's co-founder and CEO, had admitted that the VR had gained more importance in the eyes of the company when compared to smartphones. On that note, HTC's Vive VR headset is set to go up for preorder next week.
In the past, HTC has also denied rumors that it is looking to make its VR business a standalone company. However, with the possibility of a mobile VR solution in the pipeline, a probability exists that the Taiwan-based company could take this route.
HTC has confirmed that it will be launching a new flagship smartphone in the near term and for all we know, the device may be the one imbibing mobile VR solutions.
In the event that the company adds mobile VR capabilities to the future HTC flagship, it will be interesting to see how the smartphone will fare in the competitive market. Whether it will usher in a new era and make HTC a force to reckon with, as the company hopes, is all merely a hypothesis as of now.
Photo: Kārlis Dambrāns | Flickr
