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The HTC 10, expected to arrive Tuesday, is an all-metal smartphone with top specifications and a few surprises, according to a promotional video.
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A leaked promotional video has given HTC phone fans something to salivate over ahead of the phone's official launch. HTC is holding events in multiple cities on Tuesday, April 12, to announce the 10, its flagship handset for the year. Thanks to the video and other leaks over the past few weeks, we have a good idea of what's in store.
The video, discovered by The Verge, focuses on the phone's design. Like HTC's previous flagships, the 10 will be made from a single block of aluminum. It features a rounded rear panel with heavily chamfered edges. A large camera module appears in the video with two-tone flash. A USB Type-C connector is clearly visible on the bottom edge. Two trays are visible in the side edges. The sight suggests the phone will support memory cards.
The video doesn't list any specs, but there are a few other physical attributes we can cull from the clip. For example, the 10 appears to include a fingerprint sensor on front similar to the one HTC used on the One A9 smartphone. Multiple holes are visible in the chassis, suggesting it can capture stereo sound (likely when recording video). We can also see that it will be available in at least three colors: gold, silver, and black or dark gray.
The design language is pure HTC.
As for the nitty-gritty details, we have to rely on previous leaks to form a more complete picture of this device. For example, it is expected to have a 5.2-inch screen with quad HD (2K) resolution. That's a step up for HTC, which has stuck with 5-inch, full HD screens for years. Like many of 2016's flagship smartphones, the 10 will rely on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor with 4 GB of RAM. So far, this chipset has proven to be a beast.
On the camera front -- where HTC has too-often stumbled -- the 10 is expected to have a 12-megapixel "Ultra Pixel" camera with optical image stabilization and laser-assisted autofocus. (The laser AF module is visible in the new video.) Interestingly, the user-facing camera include a 5-megapixel sensor, which is average for this class of device, but it will also feature optical image stabilization. That's a rare feature for the front camera and might help make for sharper selfies. The last spec revealed so far says the phone will carry a 3,000 mAh battery.
HTC is in a precarious position. Once the Android forerunner, its fortunes have dwindled in recent years as Samsung, LG, Huawei, ZTE, and others stepped in. The HTC 10 is an important handset for the company, which needs to boost sales and rake in cash at the same time.
HTC will reveal the 10 in New York, London, and Taipei. The New York event is scheduled to kick off at 8 a.m. ET on Tuesday.
Eric is a freelance writer for InformationWeek specializing in mobile technologies. View Full Bio
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