14 DAY TRIAL // We're less than two weeks away from the end of the year and about three until CES 2017 kicks off, and HTC is among the first smartphone companies to tease a new announcement.
However, the announcement is scheduled for January 12, which puts it outside the Consumer Electronics Show window. The trade fair takes place in Las Vegas, United States, between January 5-8, so HTC will unveil its new product four days later.
Unfortunately, aside from a picture with the “U” letter on it, there aren't any additional details that could point out to what kind of device HTC is going to launch next month.
HTC is betting big on VR these days, as the Vive headset is among the most powerful and appealing devices in its category that can be purchased on the market.
The smartphone business is not doing so well, but this isn't a recent issue. The Taiwanese company's mobile division has been bleeding money for a couple of yeas now, but HTC hopes to turn things around.
A smartwatch would be a bad idea
Despite rumors that HTC is looking to sell its mobile business to the highest bidder, the company reiterated its commitment to the smartphone market and confirmed the launch of new devices in the coming months.
But if it's not a smartphone that HTC will announce in January, then what about a smartwatch? Well, the smartwatch market is shrinking and it would be a mistake for a company that has deep financial issues to enter the market at this moment.
We also doubt that HTC will unveil another VR device, though we don't rule out a headset aimed at smartphone users, which will compete with Samsung's Gear VR.
Bottom line is that HTC is likely to announce its next flagship smartphone next month, though the device might not be released on the market until a few months later.