Last year, a HTC concept video revealed a device that could be controlled by swiping and squeezing along its edge. While we were told at the time that the Ocean was “just a conceptual piece,” it turns out that the phone will soon be coming to market as the HTC U.
According to VentureBeat, HTC will follow-up the beautiful, but lackluster U Ultra and mid-range U Play, with a true flagship device. Featuring a Snapdragon 835, this 5.5-inch smartphone with 2560 x 1440 resolution display will launch with Android 7.1 Nougat and the latest Sense 9.
The marquee feature of the HTC U is the embedded sensor on the metal frame of the device. Marketed as Edge Sense, the phone will be able to accept numerous inputs, like squeezing and swiping on either edge.
VentureBeat notes customizable actions, with later Ocean videos showing off the ability to quickly access an app launcher, change the volume, and use contextual commands in each application.
Other specs include an upgraded 12-megapixel Sony IMX362 rear sensor found on the U Ultra, as well as a 16-megapixel IMX351 up front. Internal storage comes in 64 or 128GB with a microSD card slot for expansion.
An announcement is expected in mid-to-late April with a global release in early May.
More cool HTC stuff here (including the tablet that launched @evleaks): https://t.co/S3WaZkeog9
Check it out before it gets pulled! pic.twitter.com/YJwmZb0Sje— Evan Blass (@evleaks) September 20, 2016
Remember the HTC Ocean? (https://t.co/q5ghm3vQ8Z) pic.twitter.com/GtpqowETjM
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) January 8, 2017
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