Image: David Ortiz.
HTC refuses to pay for the premium smartphone market. The company, which since 2018 has focused on launching cheap devices for a limited number of countries, could soon present a new high-end mobile with features focused on the metaverse. This has been confirmed by DigiTimes through statements by Charles Huang, head of HTV Vive for Asia and the Pacific.
The aforementioned media ensures that the high-end smartphone that HTC plans to announce will have functions focused on virtual reality and augmented reality. It will be officially launched during the month of April. Its specifications, yes, are unknown. It is likely that the terminal is equipped with sensors, cameras or even includes software modifications to be able to manage all these features related to the metaverse. In addition, and taking into account that it is a high-end mobile, it could come with some of the most common features of devices in this category. Among them, a Snapdragon Gen 1 processor or a 120 Hz screen.
HTC's next mobile will be focused on the metaverse. But isn't it too early for this?
The company has also reiterated that they are not going to pay for their smartphone division, despite multiple rumors and the few launches they make in some specific markets. HTC, in fact, has spent about four years without launching a high-end mobile. The last model that the firm marketed was the HTC U12 +. This smartphone, in particular, was announced in 2018. It came with a 6-inch LCD screen, a Snapdragon 845 processor and a dual camera of up to 16 megapixels.
Now, can it be too soon to announce a mobile with features focused on the metaverse? Meta (Facebook), despite its enthusiasm for the virtual world, has assured on multiple occasions that developing a metaverse can take years. However, many of the main companies related to the technology sector have already announced or confirmed their intention to enter this area. Whether it's soon or not depends on the features announced by HTC with its smartphone and the maturity of 'Viverse', its virtual world. However, we must keep in mind that the Taiwanese company has been focused on its virtual reality division for years and already has headsets, glasses and other equipment that offer functions similar to those that we now consider as characteristics of the metaverse.