HTC M7 rumor roundup: design, specs, software and more

Trying to keep a high-end gadget secret in today’s tech world is a harder task than winning the Tour de France without using illegal substances, so most of the big names in the industry don’t seem to put that much effort into it anymore.

We sometimes even get the feeling that OEMs intentionally spill the beans way before the actual releases to build hype, as it’s happened lately with several Samsung phones and tabs, Sony’s Xperia Z or HTC’s Droid DNA.
The latest star of a true rumor bonanza is codenamed M7 and is supposed to be HTC’s next spearhead. While we’re not expecting the big guy to come to light before the end of February, we already know or think we know a great deal about it, which is why we’ve decided to gather all the intel in one place. That way, you can make sure you’re up to date with the talk of the town without having to browse through a bunch of posts.
Here it goes:

HTC M7 pricing and availability

We probably shouldn’t start off with the section that’s the lightest on credible info, but we know you’re most interested in this, so let’s get it out of the way. The ETA was first rumored to be April, based on One X’s 2012 release, but right now we’re more inclined to say March.

That’s because we think HTC will be looking to undercut Samsung’s Galaxy S4 launch, but also due to the increasing frequency of rumors. HTC is almost certainly no stranger to at least a couple of recent M7 leaks, so there’s likely a reason why info is being spilled early.
That said, an MWC showing in February is almost guaranteed, though it’s not impossible to see the M7 unveiled even earlier. After all, Barcelona could be hosting a lot of launches, so if you need to shine why not pick a date when people can talk only about you?
On the pricing front, there’s been absolutely no movement so far, but with at least three US major carriers expected to sell it, the M7 should be competitive. Still, we don’t imagine HTC going below $199.99 with contracts and $600 outright.

HTC M7 design and display

With a 5-inch Droid DNA/Butterfly in its portfolio, many of us would have expected HTC to up the size ante some more. However, rumor has it the Taiwanese will in fact get back to their One X roots, equipping the M7 with a 4.7-inch display.

That will naturally boast a 1,920 x 1,080 pixels resolution (aka Full HD), which will result in a record-breaking 468 ppi pixel density. Unfortunately, the panel won’t be of the AMOLED variation we all love so much, using instead the more traditional LCD technology supplied by Sharp.
As far as design goes, we have every reason to believe the M7 will look like a sized down DNA, although we’ve picked up a number of contradicting rumors on the subject.

HTC M7 hardware

While we still have to fill some blanks here, we’re almost positive there’ll be a quad-core 1.7 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro CPU and 2 GB of RAM inside of the beast. Other specs that have come up more than once in the rumor mill recently are 32 GB of on-board storage, a 13 MP rear-facing snapper, a 2 MP front cam, and a 2,300 mAh battery.

Unfortunately, microSD support still remains nothing but a sweet dream, while the chances of that not so hot battery to be user removable are slim to none. On the flipside, you should be happy to hear that HTC is planning to launch 16 and 64 GB versions of the M7 as well (most likely limited to certain markets), while the likely inclusion of an IR port is probably the funkiest detail of all.

HTC M7 software

Expected to run Android 4.1 Jelly Bean upon launch, HTC’s new flagship should also come with a new version of Sense UI on top, most likely dubbed 5.0. We’ve heard a lot of people calling the new interface cleaner and sleeker than previous Sense versions, but before taking it for a spin ourselves we don’t want to get too excited.

We’ve also seen a number of pics starring this supposed new UI, and, while they do look pretty appealing, we still kind of wish HTC would leave Android untainted.
That’s pretty much all we know about the HTC M7 for now, but damn, it’s a lot considering the phone won’t actually ship until March at the earliest. Basically, there are only a couple of specs left to be revealed, the exact pricing and the official name or names (M7 is just a codename, remember?), so it’s almost like we wish there was more of a mystery still around to make the waiting a little more bearable. Oh, well, we can always be wrong when dealing with rumors, right?
Source: Androidauthority

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