Following the lukewarm success of HTC One, the handset manufacturer is now placing all its chips on the upcoming smartphone, codenamed HTC M8. Rumored to be called HTC One+ or the HTC One Two, there is a loud buzz that the handset due to hit the market in March will have a bigger screen, sport a faster processor, and have a better camera than its predecessor.
There are now speculations that HTC will unveil the M8 at the Mobile World Congress 2014 scheduled this February in Barcelona.
The new member of the smartphone lineup will be positioned between the flagship device HTC One that has a 4.7 inch screen and the bigger sibling HTC One Max, which boasts of a 5.9-inch display. According to an insider that tipped Bloomberg, the M8 will have a minimum screen real estate of five inches. The source spoke on condition of anonymity that the design of the new device will only have a few changes compared to the build of the HTC One.
The report also mentions that the HTC M8 will have the "later" version of Qualcomm's Snapdragon processor. With no specifics in hand, one can only speculate that it can be the Snapdragon 800 or the newer Snapdragon 805. The latter is an Ultra HD quad-core Krait 450 CPU that can clock 2.5GHz per core. If the HTC M8 will sport a Snapdragon 805, it will be capable of capturing and playing 4K video aside from promising superior performance, power efficiency, and excellent multitasking capability.
The source of Bloomberg also claimed that HTC will give the M8 an upgraded version of the One's Ultrapixel Camera plus twin sensors that will enable it to have better focus, image quality, and depth of field.
Although HTC One had a decent 4 MP ultrapixel camera that performs well even on low-light environment, the new improvements are welcome. With the twin sensors, HTC will provide Lytro-like photography for end-users. Lytro is an oddly-shaped light field camera that allows one to add filters, change focus or perspective even long after the shot was taken.
If the information about what will end up behind the second hole on the rear case of the HTC M8 is inaccurate, then speculations that a fingerprint sensor might be integrated at the back is something worth mulling over.
HTC, as expected, remains mum and careful in revealing any detail about its upcoming handset. If the HTC M8 will be the savior of the brand, the market has to wait and see.
