HTC is reportedly launching its next flagship smartphone codenamed Ocean sometime in April. The handset is now expected to launch as HTC U and not HTC 11 and will hit retail shelves sometime in May. The smarthone will feature a 5.5-inch Quad HD display, Snapdragon 835 processor but its standout feature is expected to be a new gesture-based UI known as Edge Sense.
According to VentureBeat, the handset will be the third device in company's U series and will have multiple sensors embedded within the metal frame. The frame-embedded sensors will allow the user to navigate the device with gestures such as squeeze or left/right swipe from the sides. The HTC U will run Android 7.1 Nougat with company's own Sense 9 skin on top with contextual UI support.
The smartphone is expected to feature a 12MP Sony IMX362 image sensor on the back and a 16MP Sony IMX351 on the front. The camera results are likely to be similar to that of HTC U Ultra. The device will come in 64 or 128GB storage options and support microSD card slot. HTC has been struggling to compete against rival Samsung and Apple in the flagship smartphone space. With HTC U, the company could finally deliver on one of the most innovative smartphone in the recent time.