HTC has launched the much-awaited U Ultra and the U Play smartphones but it seems that the OEM has more in store for consumers.
In 2016, HTC released several handsets — including the HTC 10 — but it seems that this marketing ploy backfired and now rumors suggest that the company is revisiting its strategies and could unwrap fewer handsets this year.
HTC is rumored to be working on some new handsets and could possibly have four to five more smartphones in the pipeline. This news comes courtesy of publication Engadget which shares that the company's President Chialin Chang has confirmed that HTC plans to release only six to seven devices in 2017 and this number includes the U Play and U Ultra.
The confirmation that HTC intends to come up with only six to seven devices this year came shortly after the OEM unveiled its U Ultra and U Play smartphones.
U Ultra And U Play
For the two new handsets, Chang shared that machine learning would be its unique selling point. The HTC executive believes that the Sense Companion effectively rolls in Google's Awareness API, third-party data and device information.
What About The HTC 11?
When quizzed about the rumored HTC 11 which is anticipated to be the successor of the HTC 10, Chang stated that handset would not be named HTC 11. While he did not share any additional details, Chang indirectly confirmed the presence of the HTC 10's successor.
Chang also shared in the interview that the company was eyeing the launch of new Desired-branded handsets for users who were on the lookout for "fun and affordable" devices.
With very little information available about the rumored HTC 11, fans would be hoping that the supposed HTC 11, or whatever the handset's name will be, will not disappoint. HTC will hopefully stick to the making robust handsets that boast top-end specs and software.
The HTC 10's successor will likely sport a metal body and house the latest Snapdragon 835 processor and come with Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box.
HTC has also been promoting the camera and audio performances of its latest flagships. So it would not be wrong to assume that the company may take the same route when its latest handset is unwrapped.
After the launch event in Taipei, Chang's assertions of "there will be no HTC" has taken everyone aback.
Whether HTC plans to launch a mainstream U branded flagship and discontinue the original series is circumspect. Chang's admission of a name change for the HTC 10's successor, suggests that the company may be looking to rebrand the series.
