Mobile

HTC smartwatch to debut alongside One M9 flagship in March?

HTC smartwatch to debut alongside One M9 flagship in March?

Alexandra Burlacu

HTC is reportedly getting ready to unveil its first smartwatch alongside its new One M9 flagship smartphone in March, at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2015.

The company was already expected to introduce the new HTC One M9 around the time of MWC 2015, but a new report now claims that the first HTC smartwatch will debut at the same time.

The HTC One M9 is expected to sport the same stylish design of its predecessor, but add notable improvements on all fronts, including superior camera and audio features. Not much is known at this point regarding the purported smartwatch, however, so it remains unclear for now just how it will look or what functionality it will bring to the table.

The news comes from Bloomberg, which cites an unnamed source with knowledge of the matter.

"HTC Corp. plans to unveil a marquee phone in March with improved camera and audio features, and its first smartwatch, according to a person familiar with the matter, as the Taiwanese company tries to stem three years of falling sales," Bloomberg reports.

"Code-named M9, the phone features a 20-megapixel rear camera and an HTC UltraPixel front camera, the person said, asking not to be identified because the details aren't public. The smartwatch will link with Under Armour Inc.'s fitness service, building on a partnership announced earlier this month, the person said."

Previous rumors had already indicated that the HTC One M9 would not feature an UltraPixel rear camera like its predecessors, and the latest report seems to bolster such claims. Rumors have also pointed to UltraPixel tech for the front shooter, but nothing is confirmed at this point. In addition to the improvements in the camera department, Bloomberg also claims the One M9 will boast superior Dolby 5.1 audio output.

An HTC smartwatch, meanwhile, has also been rumored for a while now, albeit nothing materialized so far. This purported device would be HTC's first such wearable, as the company tries to expand beyond the smartphone market. The HTC RE action camera came as a first effort toward this endeavor, and the smartwatch will reportedly have a similar goal.

Bloomberg makes no mention of what platform will power this purported HTC smartwatch, but Android Wear is the most likely option.

With nothing officially confirmed, however, it all remains in the rumor state for now. HTC has scheduled a launch event for March 1, when it should all become clear. In the meantime, make sure to take all leaks and reports with a grain of salt.

© Copyright 2020 Mobile & Apps, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

more stories from Mobile

Back
Real Time Analytics