HTC will unveil its new Android Marshmallow-equipped One on 20 October
But if recent leaks are any indication, it looks like an iPhone
We’ve already had a barrage of news today pouring out of the Google event, including the new Nexus 5X and 6P phones, as well as the Pixel C tablet and new Chromecasts, but HTC couldn’t help but tag along with its own announcement.
Today, the company sent out media invitations – and put out social media teasers – for a streaming event to be held on 20 October. The subject in question? A new HTC One phone, it seems, and one that will come with Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box.
Great news, right? The HTC One M9 was a strong device, but it followed last year’s template a bit too closely, and was quickly surpassed by the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S6 and LG G4. And even its own variants, as the ranking of the HTC One M9+ on our best smartphones ranking suggests.
However, the alternative to another familiar HTC One this time around may ultimately be a phone that’s incredibly similar to Apple’s iPhone 6. In recent weeks, we’ve seen leaked renders and photos of the HTC One A9, also known as the Aero, which is said to be a mid-range device that’ll debut in November.
It’s an uncanny resemblance: if the above images are legitimate, the HTC One A9 is essentially the Android-powered, surely-cheaper take on Apple’s iconic device. And the silhouette on the invitation matches up well with what’s leaked out already. The renders leaked alongside some solidly mid-range claimed specs, including a 5in 1080p display and a Snapdragon 617 processor.
That said, we also recently heard rumours of a more powerful flagship in HTC’s upcoming arsenal: a benchmark test suggests that HTC has a 10-core MediaTek Helio X10 processor clocked at 1.96Ghz coming in some device, along with 4GB RAM. That sounds mighty impressive, even if MediaTek chips typically aren’t as powerful as Snapdragons.
In any case, HTC has something in the works, and we’re excited to hear what it is – and hopeful that it’s more than just an uninspired clone for a company that’s shown daring design chops in the past.
Andrew Hayward
Freelance Writer 
