Microsoft Surface Mobile Phone: NEWS,SPECS and RELEASE

MICROSOFT SURFACE PHONE RUMORS AND NEWS LEAKS

Most secure and best for productivity, is Microsoft's rumored goal for the Surface Phone

            

It seemed inevitable that Microsoft would create a Surface Phone — not an official name — after it acquired Nokia. In fact, there was talk long before that too, but Microsoft has often denied those rumors and stuck with producing new Lumia phones. However, rumors and leaks regarding such a device have continued, suggesting it’s something the company may still be considering. Here’s everything we think we know about Microsoft’s Surface Phone project.

Microsoft may wait until April 2017 to release Surface Phone

After the Surface Phone failed to make an appearance at Microsoft’s 2016 BUILD conference, two reports from Windows Central quoting sources close to the matter, say Microsoft may actually wait until early 2017 to release the new device. The site’s late April report states April 2017 is the current target for the new smartphone.

While that news is certainly disappointing, there is some good to come of it. The first report said that instead of one Surface Phone, Microsoft might release three models. Early plans for the Surface Phone release allegedly suggest that there will be a consumer model, a business model, and an “enthusiast” model, or a high-spec version for tech geeks. Details about possible specs for the devices or what the difference will be between the three models have yet to be released.

Redstone 2 and 3 to improve Windows 10 Mobile

The Windows 10 ‘Redstone’ update, also known as the Windows 10 Anniversary update, was originally linked to the Surface Phone’s release, but this appears to have changed. While the new software is expected to bring new features to mobile, the next two versions of the operating system will focus on, “innovation around mobile phones,” according to multiple sources speaking to Windows Central.

Redstone 2 and Redstone 3 aren’t expected until 2017, fitting in with the prospective Surface Phone launch date being rumored. When the new versions do arrive, the resulting Surface Phone will apparently be promoted as the most secure phone in the world, and the best for productivity. Part of this may include native support for Win32 apps, which has been previously rumored by the same publication.

Intel is apparently heavily involved in the development of the new Surface Phone, and is supposedly working with Microsoft to make x86 apps (Windows desktop apps) compatible with the Surface Phone. That would be a huge leap in app availability, something that has plagued Windows Phone for years, by bringing over thousands of compatible desktop apps to the Surface Phone.

The Lumia 950 and 950 XL offers some compatibility with x86 apps through Continuum, but no way to use them natively. Making them run on the phone without the help of a more powerful and expensive machine, might be a killer feature for power users. However, it’s warned the feature may be dropped before launch, if the experience isn’t polished enough.

Microsoft’s intention, say the sources, is to make the future Surface phone a true alternative to a PC, using both this feature and Continuum.

Microsoft purchased surfacephone.com

If you’re looking for a hint that Microsoft will introduce a Surface Phone sometime in the future, then look no further than one Reddit user’s discovery in late January 2016. It appears that Microsoft owns surfacephone.com, and the company even went as far as redirecting it to the main Surface website.

Before you go jumping for joy, this is far from a confirmation that Microsoft is readying a Surface Phone. Often, companies like to stay out of legal trouble by registering domain names that correlate with a current product.

We also need to point out that surfacephone.com was actually registered in May 2007, so it’s not like Microsoft recently purchased it to get ready for a new Surface Phone launch.

Furthermore, Microsoft’s Surface page is within microsoft.com as in https://www.microsoft.com/surface/. Microsoft isn’t even using surface.com for its current crop of Surface devices, so why would the company use surfacephone.com for a Surface Phone if it gets released? And by the way, Microsoft registered surface.com back in 1994 and is redirecting it to you know where … its main Surface Web page.

While this news doesn’t confirm a Surface Phone will exist some day, it does give hope that the Redmond company might be at least thinking about it. Hopefully it’s more than that.

Microsoft executive hints about a better phone

Those looking for a sliver of information about the rumored Surface Mobile device may want to take note of what Microsoft’s Chief Marketing Officer Chris Capossela said on This Week in Tech’s Windows Weekly podcast.

“We need more breakthrough work … with Surface we had a bunch of early misfires, but that notion of a tablet that could replace your laptop — that notion of saying, ‘Hey, Apple wants to sell you an iPad and they want to sell you a Mac, we think there’s one device that exploits the seam between those two devices’ — we need some sort of spiritual equivalent on the phone side that doesn’t just feel like a phone for people who love Windows,” Capossela said on the podcast.

“It has got to be a phone that’s sort of like ‘wow, that’s a real shocker,’ or ‘that’s a real breakthrough,’ and has got to make me pause before I buy my 17th iPhone, and we need time to actually go built that.”

The question arises around the 36-minute mark, after tech writer Mary Jo Foley expresses her dismay at the current Windows Phone environment. Capossela made no mention of whether this “breakthrough” phone will be a part of the Surface line, and this new information only reaffirms that the device is indeed being developed by the company.

Rumored change in mobile strategy as Panos Panay takes charge

A report from Windows Central suggests that the Surface phone rumored earlier in the year has been cancelled, in favor of a new Surface phone being built by the Surface team, led by Panos Panay. The old Surface Phone was apparently part of Nokia’s plans, which may have been scrapped when Panay took charge of the Devices division at Microsoft earlier this year.

The phone was previously referred to as the ‘Panos Phone’ according to Windows Central’s sources, though it has recently changed to becoming the Surface Phone, hinting it may have shifted from a pet project to something more official. Panos Panay is in charge of the team that designed the Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book, meaning we may see a smartphone with a similar design.

Rumors have spread about a Surface phone for years. In a WIRED profile on Microsoft’s Head of Devices Panos Panay recently, it’s mentioned that work was going ahead on, “a prototype of a new phone” at Microsoft’s HQ, indicating the firm is testing its own phones built internally. For now though, none of this is official, and everything could change again between now and the possible early 2017 release.

Benchmarks and high-end specs

Before this, a phone running Windows 10 and the Edge browser was spotted on the HTML5test benchmarking website in late November. According to PocketNow, the version of Windows 10 was old, and one which was never released outside of the company, while the Edge browser was also older than the existing versions. It suggests the phone has been in testing for sometime, and is likely the abandoned Nokia-derived device.

Rumors spread in November 2015 suggested all we’d heard about the old Surface phone has been consigned to the history books. For example, according to a report from Windows Mobile Power User, Microsoft may have wanted to launch a Surface phone in late 2015 or in early 2016. The publication’s sources say it would have been marketed under the name of Microsoft Surface Mobile, and being developed under the codename Project Juggernaut Alpha. The device reportedly sported an aluminum and magnesium unibody with powerhouse specs. The latest rumors say a ‘metal’ Surface phone project has been abandoned.

It was stated the screen would be a 5.5-inch AMOLED with a Quad HD (2560 x 1440 pixel) resolution and have a ClearBlack Gorilla Glass 4 cover for protection. Moving to the inside, the phone may have had an Intel Atom x3 (SoFIA) 64-bit processor, along with 4GB of RAM. Other features mentioned included 64GB or 128GB of internal storage, and a MicroSD slot. A 21-megapixel PureView Zeiss 6-lens camera was supposedly going to be fitted on the back and an 8-megapixel Zeiss wide-angle lens on the front.

There’s every chance the phone described will never be released, if the metal, Nokia-designed phone has really been cancelled.

Only concepts give us a clue about design

Unfortunately we have no idea what any Surface Mobile phone will look like, but concept renders were created by Nadir Aslam earlier this year. While the final Surface Mobile phone might not look like these renders, they give as a good idea of its possible productivity attributes.

Read more: Soft Tech
Follow us: On Twitter | On Instagram

Continue Reading

Everything you need to know about the Galaxy Note 6

Everything you need to know about the Galaxy Note 6

More big numbers for the Galaxy Note 6, as rumors of 8GB of RAM gather

The Note 5 landed as Samsung’s latest phablet flagship back in mid-2015, and over the last few months the rumor mill has starting to spin up new ideas about what we may see in the Note 6. Here’s what we’ve heard so far about what the next-generation Samsung phablet will offer.

Skip ►

Galaxy Note 6 specs

Samsung always makes its Note hardware special, and ensures there’s plenty of power inside too. While the Snapdragon 820 is used in the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, there are rumors the Note 6 may use a revised version of the chip known as the Snapdragon 823. Apparently it will run at speeds up to 3GHz, and be accompanied by a massive 8GB of RAM. That’s beyond earlier rumors saying the Note 6 may have an also unsurpassed 6GB of RAM.

However, while the new chip and masses of RAM sounds exciting, there’s no evidence Qualcomm is working on such a processor, and there has been no official announcements yet.

Before this, the hints regarding the Note 6 would use 6GB of RAM came from a Chinese blog. It’s more credible than the possibility of 8GB of RAM, given it came a few months after Samsung announced being able to produce smartphones that feature 6GB of RAM on a single chip.

Waterproofing  likely for Note 6

Rumors continue about the next Samsung phablet, and these latest reports suggest a new set of  interesting features for the Note 6. We may very well see water resistance come to the Note 6, reports SamMobile.

Since IP68 water resistance come to the Galaxy S7 this past fall, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Samsung bring the same protection to its larger phablet. It was already surprising that the Note 5 didn’t offer any water resistance, after Samsung opted for a sealed battery and removed the MicroSD card slot from the phablet last September.  If the Note 6 gets IP68 water resistance, the device would be able to withstand 30 minutes under up to 3 feet of water — just like the Galaxy S7.

It may have an iris scanner

SamMobile also reported rumors that an iris scanner may add more security to the Note 6. An iris scanner recently appeared on a list of materials purchased for research and development, the publication reports. Of course, even if Samsung is researching iris scanners, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the Note 6 will feature an iris scanner. However, the addition of the eye-scanning tech wouldn’t be surprising, either. Samsung likes to differentiate itself from the crowd with new tech, as we’ve seen with Samsung Pay and other novel features on its flagship phones. It’s still speculation at best, though, so don’t hold your breath for a Windows Hello-like unlocking experience just yet.

Another early launch possible

Last year, we saw the Note 5 launch in August, several weeks earlier than the typical September Unpacked event that coincides with the annual IFA tech convention in Berlin. This year, we may see an even earlier unveil date, if the latest rumors prove true.

The reason Samsung may opt for an earlier Note 6 launch may lie in the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge’s apparent success, with Samsung revising its earnings forecasts due to “better than expected operating profit” from the Galaxy S7, according to an analyst speaking to Bloomberg in April. In the same piece, Strategy Analytics Neil Mawston said, “We expect Samsung to release the Note 6 a month or two before the Apple iPhone 7.”

Traditionally, new iPhone models arrive between September and November each year, which puts the potential Note 6 launch between July and October, depending on Samsung’s level or preparation. Previously, unnamed sources familiar with the matter told The Bell, a Korean website, that Samsung could launch the Galaxy Note 6 in the middle of July.

Again, this is a rumor that we can’t verify, so take it with a grain of salt. What’s especially interesting is that the Note 6, codenamed Grace, may run Android N out of the box, according to The Bell. It’s quite possible, considering Google surprised everyone when it released the Developer Preview for the upcoming Android version early. Google said it hopes to finish and hand off Android N to manufacturers in the summer — which means it’s easily in the realm of possibility that the Galaxy Note 6 could be one of the first phones to come equipped with Android’s latest operating system.

Read more: Soft Tech
Follow us: On Twitter | On Instagram

Continue Reading

Apple patent shows headphones that seamlessly switch between wired and wireless

Apple patent shows headphones that seamlessly switch between wired and wireless 

Rumors of a new iPhone that eschews the standard 3.5mm headphone jack in favor of a single Lightning connector have existed for quite some time, but in recent months they’re starting to seem more and more credible. Now a new patent from Apple shows an interesting take on how the company could intend for this to work.

The patent, detailing headphones that support both wired and wireless connections, was published today by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and initially spotted by Apple Insider. Bluetooth headphones often include a 3.5mm jack and cable allowing them to be used in wired mode — and they’ve done this for some time — but the patent shows a much more streamlined approach.

Generally with Bluetooth, switching between wired and wireless means stopping playback. Apple’s patent shows that the headphones it is describing would automatically discover if a new wireless connection is from the same device that they are plugged in to, and automatically switch playback to the other mode. This would be done using a buffer inside the headphones, similar to anti-skip measures in CD players.

The patent doesn’t exactly specify a Lightning connector, but it does state that it requires a connector that is compatible with both analog and digital signals, which the Lightning connector is capable of. This would allow a single cable to transmit audio data and power to the headphones, allowing a connected iPhone to charge the onboard battery using “differential signaling” in order to eliminate ground loops.

While it’s easy to assume that wireless means Bluetooth when it comes to headphones, that may not be the case here. The patent states that wireless communication “can be performed according to any desired communication protocol or standard including, for example, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi (WLAN), NFC, or the like.”

As is generally the case with patents, most of the specifications are related to how the internal components would work, not how the actual product would be designed. That said, the patent does note that this would work with in-ear as well as on-ear and over-ear headphones.

Of course, just because a patent was filed doesn’t mean we’ll see the product come to market, and this may not be the only headphone option Apple is working on for a future iPhone. Earlier this year we reported that Apple may be working on fully wireless earbuds by the name of AirPods, similar to the Moto Hint.

By the time an iPhone without a headphone jack is available, we may see another wholly different option. That said, the idea of plugging and unplugging while music continues to play is one we’d like to see actually come to light.

Read more: Soft Tech
Follow us: On Twitter | On Instagram

Continue Reading

HTC 10 rumors and news leaks

HTC 10 rumors and news leaks

Is this the HTC 10? Newly leaked images show off black and silver models

HTC has a lot to prove in 2016, and the company needs a strong flagship Android phone to 

do it. Rumors are gathering around the HTC 10, the long-awaited successor to the One M9. 

Now that the official launch date has been set for April 12, we’re closer than ever to seeing 

the new flagship. In the meantime, you can catch up on all the rumors and news here in our 

roundup.

What will it look like?

The leaks keep coming as HTC’s upcoming device launch date gets nearer. The latest 

images come from a French tech site, Nowhereelse.fr, who received them from a Chinese 

sales platform called Taobao. The images are fairly high-quality, and offer a glimpse of what 

appears to be the HTC 10 from all angles.

The leaked photos match previous renders and images of the phone, and show us a black 

and silver variant of HTC’s latest device. Although we can’t verify that these particular 

images are real, the sheer number of identical leaks makes it seem as though the HTC 10 

will indeed look like the device in these shots.

We got another glimpse of the phone earlier from Twitter, courtesy of @stagueve, with two 

HTC phones alongside each other. Both appear to be identical, and the tweet uses the 

#HTC10 hashtag, just in case there’s any doubt that’s what’s being leaked. The design is in-

line with other leaks. There’s a metal body shell, dramatically chamfered edges, a large 

HTC logo, and a top-center camera lens.

Before this, Twitter user @tanalibera also posted images of a reported HTC 10. They show 

the rear and front of the handset, and would seem to confirm many of the specifications that 

have been so far rumored: thick chamfered edges, sloping rear casing, and a large camera 

with dual flash. Perhaps most notably, the photos show two capacitive buttons: a back 

button and multitasking button.

Earlier in March, famous leaker @OnLeaks revealed a few more live pictures of what could 

be the HTC 10. The image of the back clearly shows the same chamfer on the back edge 

we have seen before.

We also get our first look at the bottom of the device, which is quite interesting. The 

presence of a speaker calls into doubt whether the HTC 10 will be as sonically impressive 

as past HTC phones. It also appears that HTC will switch to USB Type-C for the phone’s 

charging port.

image slide show

OnLeaks did say these images are of a prototype so there could be differences in the final 

product.

Also in early March, Evan Blass leaked new press images of the front, back, top, bottom, 

and left side of the device. These images seem to confirm what the above live photos show. 

However, it’s our first look at the microphone jack at the top and either a SIM tray or 

MicroSD card slot on the left side.

HTC gave us an official glimpse of its next flagship with a teaser image it sent to media 

outlets in late February. Teaser images usually leave a lot to the imagination, and this one 

is no exception. However, it does show a chamfer on the back side, which is very similar to 

an earlier leaked image (see below).

The only other information HTC provides is the tagline, “Power of 10,” which seems to 

indicate that it could be called the One M10. It’s also possible that the “Power of 10” could 

be referring to a Windows 10 phone, but that’s unlikely.

You’ll also notice the hashtag #powerof10, which probably means that HTC will used it a lot 

in social media posts leading up the event.

A leaked image from mid-February shows a closeup of the upper backside. The image first 

appeared on Chinese site Weibo, but was pulled shortly thereafter. Thankfully, we were 

able to capture it from Techtastic.

The phone in the picture appears to feature an all-metal body with HTC’s familiar antenna 

lines. Other than the obvious camera lens, we see what looks like a dual-LED flash to the 

right of it along with a laser autofocus just below. The microphone jack is at the top center.

The edges of the phone are what we find most interesting. They sport a unique chamfer on 

the back 

side — something we have not seen before on an HTC One phone.

Unfortunately we have no idea if this phone is an older prototype or something completely 

made up.

In early February, a tweet from @evleaks gave us what could be the first glimpse of the 

phone itself. 

There’s not much to go on regarding the design, because it’s viewed from the front rather 

than the 

rear. The curvy shoulders and what may be a gold-colored chassis are evident, along with 

plastic 

antenna lines in the body, and a large camera lens next to the speaker.

To illustrate the similarity between the phone which may be the One M10 and the existing One A9, we’ve put the two images beside each other above. The overall shape is certainly reminiscent. However, the leaked picture isn’t official, and the design may not be that of the final product.

Another hint came from @evleaks on Twitter in late January, who stated that, “If you like the A9, you’ll love the M10.” This suggests he has been provided with unofficial information on the phone’s design, and that it’s similar to the already announced — and very sleek — HTC One A9. That’s good news, if you like your HTC phones to look like an iPhone.

Next  Continue reading...

Page 2

However, HTC has dropped a hint Boomsound, or at least something like it, will be a feature on the new phone. Tweeting from the official account, HTC said, “Here comes the new boom. You’ll hear it.” This came with an image saying Audio 10 with outlines of HTC’s well-known speaker grill design, plus several unidentified cutouts that may match the speaker grill on the base of the phone, spotted in leaks of the phone’s chassis.

Does this mean Boomsound will be included? Maybe, or it may also be news of a redesigned audio feature. HTC seems to be reinventing various aspects of the new phone, and Boomsound may be one.

Next  Continue reading...

Page 3

3. RELEASE DATE AND PRICE

Release date and price

Last year, HTC revealed the One M9 at Mobile World Congress. However, HTC decided not to announce its successor at the 2016 show. Now, the company sent out a teaser on Twitter, saying that the next flagship smartphone will arrive on April 12. The teaser says to check HTC’s website on that date at 8 a.m. EST.

Earlier on, Evan Blass guessed in a tweet that April 19, a date that appears on an early image of the phone, will be the 10’s launch date. Of course, that doesn’t appear to be the case now.

In late March, Taiwanese website ePrice speculated the HTC 10 will go on sale April 15, just three days after the launch event, but perhaps only in Taiwan. The report doesn’t mention international availability.

Next Continue reading...

Page 4

4. TWO MODELS?

Two models?

The HTC 10 may come in different versions, according to various leaks. In late March, a rumor appeared on the MyDrivers website that a lower-spec HTC 10 phone may launch in certain regions around the world. We’re told to expect an HTC 10 with a Snapdragon 652 processor, 3GB of RAM, and 16GB of internal memory, a step down from the Snapdragon 820-powered flagship also expected.

While “Lite” versions of top-end phones are common, the rumor states the price may not reflect the lowered specs of this mystery model, putting an approximately $585 price tag on the mid-range phone.

Prior to this, in late January, a tweet from @LlabTooFeR — a recurring name in the HTC 2016 flagship leaks — also stated two versions of the next HTC flagship phone may be released. In Europe and the U.S., a model with a Snapdragon 820 processor is most likely, while in China and Asia, a version using an unnamed MediaTek chip is possible. The tweet doesn’t mention a source for the rumor, outside of the Twitter account itself, so this may be no more than personal speculation.

Next Continue reading...

Page 5

5. PROCESSOR AND SPECS

Processor and specs

The official launch date may be less than a few weeks away, but that isn’t stopping the leaks for HTC’s upcoming device. A new image posted online purportedly shows the front of the device, with AnTuTu Benchmark results.

The benchmarks put it higher than most of the other flagships available today — including the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and the iPhone 6S. Of course, benchmarks don’t always represent real-life usage, so we’ll have to wait and see if this data holds up. Still, the image is an unverified leak, so take it with a grain of salt.

The front of the phone seems to match up with previously leaked images and renders, with the same exact button on the bottom and rounded edges. It also looks as the the glass rounds out into the frame of the phone.

A previous leak in early March seems to confirm previous rumors. HTC 10 prototype that features a 5.15-inch Quad HD (2,560 x 1,440p) display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, Adreno 530 GPU, 4GB RAM, and a 12-megapixel rear camera. However, there is one more spec not mentioned in the past, and that is the presence of a USB Type-C port.

HTC’s One M10 is expected to be a high-spec flagship phone, and most rumors certainly point in that direction. In recent years, HTC has been one of the few phone makers that hasn’t increased the screen size on its flagship phone significantly. Earlier reports hinted at a 5.1-inch screen, but a tweet from an unknown leaker in early February suggests we may see a 5.2-inch screen on the M10.

According to an extensive VentureBeat report in late January, the Perfume’s specifications are of the high-end variety. It reportedly sports a 1,440 x 2,560 QHD AMOLED display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor paired with an Adreno 530 graphics chip, 4GB of RAM, and 32GB of storage expandable via MicroSD. The handset may pack impressive optics, too, opting for HTC’s proprietary, laser-assisted UltraPixel tech over the M9’s off-the-shelf sensor. Both the 12-megapixel rear shooter and front-facing camera apparently feature optical image stabilization.

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820 processor has been linked with all three different leaked HTC codenames, alongside 4GB of RAM, and the return of BoomSound speakers. It’s also possible that many of the other headlining specs from the O2, M10, and X9 rumors will be retained on the HTC Perfume.

These include from the X9 leak, talk of a 5-inch display with 2K resolution, while the O2 and M10 rumors mentioned a 6-inch, 2K display. Recent leaks have made the X9 seem less like a flagship however, with a TENAA filing showing a 5-inch 1080p display and 2GB of RAM.

Next Continue reading...

Page 6

6. DUAL CAMERAS

Dual cameras

HTC has dropped a new tweet to further tease us about its upcoming smartphone’s camera. The company posted a picture with the text “Cameras” and the number 10 written as an exponent. The image is of two cameras, though one of them is cut off, and accompanying the image is the tweet, which says, “World First, World Class, Front and Back. You’ll see. #powerof10.”

It’s unclear what “world first” means, but it looks like the phone will have quality sensors for the camera on the front and the back. The image shows two cameras next to each other, so perhaps the device could even have dual cameras on the front and back of the device. “World first” could mean the cameras on both sides may feature OIS, but again, this is speculation based on HTC’s tweet. We’ll have to wait until launch day for confirmation.

HTC has also been known for its Ultrapixel cameras, even though they haven’t always produced the best photos. It’s not clear whether the next major HTC phone will continue with the Ultrapixel tradition, or if HTC will try something new. At the beginning of March, Techtastic.nl published a camera image sample that according to the EXIF data, was shot with the HTC 10. If it’s genuine and the data accurate, the 10’s camera will have an f/1.9 aperture, lower than previous HTC One phones, but still not quite up there with the Galaxy S7’s f/1.7 aperture or the LG G5’s f/1.8 aperture.

HTC 10 will feature a Sony IMX377 12-megapixel camera at the rear. It will sport 1.55um (micrometers pixels), laser autofocus, and phase detection autofocus (PDAF). The front-facer will be a Samsung s5k4e6 5-megapixel lens.

The one spec that was left out of the leak was optical image stabilization (OIS). HTC doesn’t have a good track record in utilizing OIS, so it’s very likely the HTC 10 won’t have it. However, one XDA user reports that OIS is confirmed in the ROM.If correct, the rear camera appears to be the same sensor found on the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P, so it’s not clear why it would be considered an Ultrapixel lens. Furthermore, previous HTC One phones with Ultrapixel tech sported much larger 2.0 micrometers pixels. However the key here will be the sensor size, which is likely to be 1/2.3-inches. If so, it would be much larger than the 1.3-inch sensors found on past HTC One phones. The larger the sensor, the more light it can absorb.

Regardless, HTC seems very confident about the camera the Perfume is set to come fitted with. At the recent Mobile World Congress show in Barcelona, HTC chief financial officer, Chialin Chang said (via Cnet): “We can confidently say that HTC will have a very, very compelling camera experience. We’re making this comment after we’ve seen what’s going on in the market.”

Mr Chang went on to say that he hoped the release of the HTC 10 saw a better response for its camera than its predecessor, the M9, which was noted for its poor camera — despite the smartphone’s overall strong design.

Next  Continue reading...

Page 7

7. WHAT WILL IT BE CALLED?

What will it be called?

In early March, famous leaker Evan Blass said the name of HTC’s next flagship will be called HTC 10. This is a completely different direction for the company since its most recent flagships had the “One” and “M” naming scheme.

Although this name hasn’t been confirmed by HTC, it’s doesn’t seem all that crazy. The company’s first teaser for the phone was titled, “Power of 10,” so it’s obvious there will be a big emphasis on the number “10.”

A report in early February from Portuguese website, 4gnews.pt, indicated HTC’s next flagship won’t be called the One M10. Unfortunately the source didn’t say what the expected name will be, but it did say that “One” will be part of it. The codename of “Perfume” remains a possibility as well.

Closing in on the end of January, a tweet from @evleaks showed a partially redacted document with the codename Perfume listed alongside the model number HTC2PS650. The document also mentioned ‘ATT,’ indicating the phone may be destined for the AT&T network following its release. The accompanying tweet said, simply, “It’s ALIVE.”

It’s ALIVE pic.twitter.com/J8zLLKh6zo

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) January 25, 2016

A previous tweet from @evleaks, which mentioned the phone’s design, referred to the device as the M10. While not official, this could mean HTC will continue its unusual, but now familiar, naming strategy for its first 2016 flagship phone. The most recent camera leaks, and data found hidden on the HTC website, reference a phone named the M10.

There is quite a collection of possible names for HTC’s next flagship. The Perfume code name was late to the party, but has seemingly stuck. Before that, the phone was referred to as the O2, the M10, and the X9. All these names were attached to rumored devices apparently running high-end specs. It was the often reliable leaker@LlabTooFeR who posted a tweet in early December 2015 claiming the O2 flagship was dead, and HTC Perfume is the new 2016 flagship. HTC Perfume is an internal code name, and according to the leaker’s report in December 2015, the commercial name will be different.

We’ll keep you updated on the HTC 10 rumors right here, so check back often.

Read more: Soft Tech
Follow us: On Instagram | On Twitter

Continue Reading