The HTC One M9 hasn't been a hit for HTC, and its CEO recently told investors the company was planning to release a new "hero" smartphone in the fall. A reliable source has revealed the handset is codenamed "Aero" and will go on sale in Q4.
Smartphone manufacturers releasing new flagship devices have made the design of the handsets just as important as the high-end specs powering them. If you're a fan of Apple's iPhones, there's no denying that the company had a major impact on the smartphone arena with the release of the first-generation iPhone in 2007. Apple's smartphone had a design that was very different to market leaders like BlackBerry and Palm, who shipped all their smartphones with a similar design that placed a screen above a physical QWERTY keyboard.
Apple, on the other hand, chose to use its design chops to create something new and innovative, and it believed that physical QWERTY keyboards were a waste of space since they took up valuable real estate when not in use. The success of the iPhone made companies reconsider their designs, and in order to compete with Apple, they needed to adopt similar aesthetics and use premium materials.
HTC made this very apparent when it launched the HTC One in 2013, and it was unlike all Android smartphones at the time; the company took a page out of Apple's playbook by using a similar unibody metal case in the design of the smartphone and separated it from rival Android handset makers that built their devices out of plastic. The HTC One became a huge hit for the company, and when it released its next two flagship smartphones, the HTC One M8 in 2014 and HTC One M9 in April, it used an almost identical design that proved to underwhelm consumers, who could choose a Samsung Galaxy S6, S6 Edge or iPhone 6, all of which had brand new designs.
HTC confirmed sales of the HTC One M9 have been very disappointing and its new CEO, Cher Wang, recently told employees and shareholders that her company would be releasing a new "hero product" in October.
While we don't know any solid details about the smartphone, reliable tipster evleaks tweeted that the smartphone, which is codenamed "Aero," will be available in Q4, which lines up with HTC's statement.
Current rumors claim the HTC Aero will feature a 2560 by 1440 quad-HD display instead of the 1080p used in the One M9. The display will allow HTC to match Samsung and LG's current flagship smartphones, which all ship with the higher resolution displays. The handset is also expected to feature a more powerful processor and larger battery.
We'll be sure to keep you posted on any new HTC Aero details as they emerge.
