Forget HTC M7; HTC’s Next Flagship Android Smartphone Bears the Name ‘HTC One’
So we will not be seeing the HTC M7 after all, at least the branding, as new reports suggested that the Taiwan-based mobile phone maker is unleashing the powerful handset with a different label - the HTC One.
Sounds familiar, right? That's because HTC has an existing smartphone line bearing the same One pedigree and the firm thought it wise to use the name's familiar recall for its flagship device that will tussle it out with Apple's iPhone 5S and iPhone 6 and Samsung's Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 3.
According to @evleaks, HTC would like to sustain on the brand awareness it has already developed when it pushed out the One series in 2013, which for many Android fans point to the following gadgets: the HTC One X, HTC One S and the HTC One V.
Not that the phones proved as dollar-winners for HTC, which had earlier complained of marketing shortfalls as the prime reason for its tumbling revenues, the move appears more related to the company's efforts of drawing more attention to its products that are not lacking the muscle and look to compete with the better known Apple and Android handsets.
"Calling it the HTC One instead of M7 would capitalise on the awareness the company has already whipped up through those handsets ... (and) M7 sounds a bit too techy, and is likely to turn off your average punter," CNET said in a reaction to the report.
Despite the name-change, there was no indication that HTC will veer away from the M7 specs that were leaked earlier.
Come the expected HTC One or HTC M7 debut on Feb 19, followers can still expect these specs: Android 4.2, a 4.7-inch 1080p display, a 1.7GHz quad-core processor, a 4.3UltraPixel camera shooter, 4G-LTE capabilities and a body appeal that is similar to another Android monster phone built by HTC - the Droid DNA.
But why was HTC chief executive Peter Chou chanting 'M7' during a recent company gathering, in which he was seen showing off an unnamed HTC gadget that purportedly was the next big thing for the gadget maker on 2013?
According to TechCrunch, Mr Chou also shouted 'HTC One' on that same occasion but people only paid more attention to M7 because it was getting more media coverage.