HTC already confirmed that the HTC 11 won't see the market this year, but that's not to say that the HTC U, codenamed "Ocean," won't. In fact, the enigmatic smartphone has been circulating around for a while now, having been purportedly leaked in the past, in addition to headlining a leaked promo trailer.
But only now has it been showcased with this much clarity, with the front and back panels conspicuously clear. This is thanks to trusted smartphone leaker Evan Blass, who turned to Twitter on Saturday, April 15, to post the alleged U flagship.
In terms of aesthetics, the phone doesn't seem to sport anything drastically new. As some others have noted, if Blass's leaks indeed turn out to be real, then the U more or less parallels the design of the recently unveiled U Ultra. Some differences, however, are noteworthy, including the U's circular camera module as opposed to the U Ultra's square one.
HTC U 'Ocean': No Ticker Display?
Further on the back, there's the usual dual LED flash sitting on the left of the camera, embedded along what looks to be a similar liquid metal design. Going to the front, there's a fingerprint scanner below the display. There's no evidence of a secondary display a la LG V20, though, a rumor which has long been associated with Ocean.
HTC U 'Ocean' Specs
Blass's sources tell him that U will pack in a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset, and that it'll feature a touch-sensitive frame. This technology, called Edge Sense, enables users to control customizable actions via gestures such as squeezing or swiping along either sides. Embedded sensors in the U's frame are reportedly responsible for this schtick.
Other specs, such as RAM, internal storage, cameras, battery capacity, and more, have been discussed previously, although nothing has been confirmed outright. However, the presence of the latest Snapdragon chip, if indeed true, should bode well for key features that remain to be determined. Having that much power with mediocre specs is not logical, anyway, so expect big things for the U.
But if you like to indulge in the rumors, some suggest that the U will come in 64 and 128 GB variants, have 4 GB of RAM, sport a 5.5-inch Quad HD display, feature a 12-megapixel IMX362 Sony sensor on the back, and a higher-resolution 16-megapixel IMX351 selfie camera. Finally, rumors suggest the phone will ship with Android Nougat out of the box, on top of HTC's Sense 9 users interface.
Details about the phone's release date, let alone unveiling, are still pretty nebulous, although reports say that between now and the end of April is a good window to look at. Blass also says the phone will be released globally sometime in May.
As with any rumors, take this batch with a healthy amount of salt, lest you end up being disappointed. But if Blass's track record is anything to go by, then what you looked at, and the specs you just read, indeed make up the details of the HTC U.
Thoughts about the enigmatic Ocean phone from HTC? What features do you expect to see on the forthcoming flagship? Feel free to sound off in the comments section below!
