HTC One (M8) release date, rumours and everything you need to know (updated)

 

 

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HTC One (M8) release date, rumours and everything you need to know (updated)
2/5/2014 11:52:00 AM

HTC M8 is the codename for the next-generation flagship device expected from the Taiwanese company, a follow-up to the award-winning HTC One. We first heard the M8 codename in July 2013 and it makes sense, as the 2013 HTC One was codenamed M7.

With the current batch of launches out of the way, it's time to look to the future. There are plenty of rumours circulating about what to expect from the next HTC handset. We're pulling it all together, giving you one-stop for all the news, cutting through the speculation to paint a picture of what we can expect come launch day.

HTC One name

At the launch of the HTC One, the company made it clear that the name was important and that HTC One was going to be the name of its flagship handset moving forward. So we're expecting to see the new M8 appear as the HTC One again.

The phone might be referred to as HTC One 2, but that sounds like a mic check at a concert: we suspect that it will become known as the HTC One (2014) among friends, but for now, keep an eye out for the M8 codename.

More recently there's been a round of rumours reporting the HTC One+ name. The reliable HTC modder LlabTooFeR has reported that there's no fixed name and it might be HTC One+, HTC One or new HTC One. We're sticking with HTC One, but it still appears to be a point of discussion.

HTC One (2014) release date

HTC's recent flagship handset launch announcements have all fallen around February. Often this was to coincide with Mobile World Congress, held annually in Barcelona, but in recent times HTC has been holding device-specific launch events. The HTC One was launched on 19 February 2013, a week before MWC 2013. We'd expect a similar timeframe for the HTC M8.

With MWC 2014 scheduled to start on 24 February 2014, we'd expect the new HTC One to be announced around that time. There were some delays in production for the first HTC One, so we wouldn't be surprised if it was late-March or early-April 2014 before it arrives on shelves.

This timeframe has been ratified by the Hon Mr Justice Arnold, the judge presiding in the patent case between Nokia and HTC, with the hearing report stating: "HTC is close to launching the successor flagship model to the HTC One. HTC has not revealed the launch date. Nokia has adduced evidence which suggests that the launch date is in the first quarter of 2014 and possibly as early as February 2014. HTC has not contradicted this."

However, more recently, it's been suggested that the new HTC One will have a New York launch event in March. At the moment, it's difficult to pinpoint exactly when it will appear, but we can to look forward to for a spring launch for the new HTC One.

New HTC One specifications

A number of rumours have pointed to the specs that the M8 may bring with it. The first run matched our own early predictions, with serial leaker @evleaks suggesting that the HTC M8 would have a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor and a 5-inch 1920 x 1080 pixel display (440ppi).

This has subsequently been followed up with the HTC M8 bagging an AnTuTu benchmarking score. Revealed in the process is a run down of the specs for the tested device. Those again include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB of RAM and mention of that 5-inch Full HD display.

We're pretty certain by this point that it will be a 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset with 2GB of RAM. The scheduled timeline for launch is probably too early for the Snapdragon 805, which Qualcomm says will appear in the first half 2014.

We've recently seen a new version of the 2013 HTC One released, offering dual SIM and microSD card support. The option to add additional external storage would be a great bonus for HTC's flagship handset in 2014, as it's been something that rivals, like those from Samsung, have offered for some time. 

A recent round-up of HTC One specs from LlabTooFeR claims that HTC will reduce the internal storage to 16GB, but add microSD card support to all models, potentially up to microSDXC 2TB levels. Higher capacity internal storage may follow after launch.

We'd fully expect BoomSound to be in place with twin front-facing speakers. This is where the HTC One is easily the best class and with Beats parting ways with HTC, we'd expect HTC to continue pushing its own audio innovations. 

Of course, HTC is almost certainly testing a number of device configurations, so we'd expect more to be revealed as we approach launch.

HTC One camera

Also revealed in the AnTuTu results is a 2.1-megapixel front-facing camera and 4-megapixel rear camera. The front sounds on par for the course of HTC's latest devices and that 4-megapixel camera matches those of the UltraPixel camera introduced on the HTC One (2013).

More recently, an informant told Bloomberg that the new HTC One would have twin camera sensors on the rear, with the aim of improving the focus, image quality and "depth of field". Exactly how these sensors will work in tandem remains to be seen, but Toshiba has recently announced such an array, so it is entirely possible.

The camera on the HTC One brought with it some clever features, but also attracted a fair amount of criticism when it came to straight performance, especially when set against some rivals. The current rumours suggest that the UltraPixel camera won't see a change in resolution, so it remains to be seen how it will step-up performance to compete with the likes of Nokia and Apple, who have been widely praised for camera performance on recent models.

READ: HTC One camera review

HTC M8 design

Of all the features of the existing HTC One, it's the design that has been widely lauded. The high-quality finish of the handset has won it a lot of admiring fans, picking up numerous awards in the process.

We'd expect the new HTC One to follow the same sort of design lines, with a premium aluminium finish. Recently, a hastily taken casing photo appeared online, claiming to be the next HTC One handset.

The quality of the images is poor and they need to be taken with a pinch of salt for the time being, but they suggest a more rounded finish, more reminscent of the HTC Sensation of 2011. The camera opening and adjacent flash hole match the placement of the original HTC One, although an extra hole at the top has drawn speculation that there will be a rear fingerprint scanner on the new HTC One as there is on the HTC One max, or that dual-sensor camera system we mention above.

A recent case, purporting to be for the new HTC One, again features this hole, but could simply be a speculative casting based on the leaked casings above, but interestingly flares to the side, which might be to accommodate a dual LED flash. Just such a flash is shown in the first decent quality image that claims to be the new HTC One.

Software: Sense 6.0

With Google announcing a new version of Android recently, it would be perfectly proper for the new HTC One 2 to launch with Android 4.4 KitKat. That's been the pattern for previous releases, with HTC's new release sometimes arriving before legacy devices have been updated. That said, HTC has already updated the unlocked version of its current HTC One device and others are said to be following suit and updating to KitKat sooner rather than later.

Of course fans of HTC will know that a new year will see a new version of Sense. With Sense 5.5 making its debut on the HTC One max, and subsequently rolling out to the HTC One (2013), it's easy to predict that the HTC One (2014) will launch with Sense 6.0. That's been suggested by @evleaks, as well as getting a mention in the AnTuTu breakdown.

Exactly what HTC will add in Sense 6.0 remains to be seen, but LlabTooFeR claims that HTC will be moving away from hardware buttons, to the sort of software buttons that Google prefers on its Nexus family.

This would potentially make for a better use of space, perhaps a shorter phone overall, because you can move those controls on to the display. However, it's noteworthy that in LabTooFeR's illustration, it's a conventional arrangement of back, home and recent apps buttons, rather than the 2013 HTC arrangement of back and home only.

We're sure that bits and pieces of Sense 6.0 will make an appearance over the next few months and if they do, we'll be sure to update.

Stay tuned

There's currently a lot to learn about HTC's next flagship Android handset. But we'll keep our ears to the ground and bring you all the details as and when they become known.

 

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