HTC One M10: What we know about the specs, pricing, release date and other rumors

Editors' note (April 12, 2016): The new HTC flagship phone for 2016 has been unveiled. It's called the HTC 10.

Though no details have been officially announced, the Internet rumor mill has started gurgling about the forthcoming debut of the HTC One M10, the expected successor to the One M9, which was released back in March 2015. Given the relatively chilly reception garnered by the One M9, and its sibling the One M9+, expectations will be high for the next generation of HTC's flagship smartphone.

Reportedly code-named Perfume, the One M10 is being billed as HTC's "most advanced smartphone ever." Assuming it's scheduled to appear sometime in the next month or two -- more on that below -- it will certainly have its hands full of competition: Samsung's Galaxy S7, LG's G5, Sony's Xperia X line and Xiaomi's Mi 5 were all announced at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona last month.

Announcement and release dates

Though the previous version of the One, the M9, was launched at Mobile World Congress last year, HTC held off on debuting the M10 at this year's show, and rumors have suggested that it will appear sometime in March or April.

HTC has teased an upcoming event in a February 24 email to journalists, with "The Power of 10" caption being an obvious reference to the new phone. But the company has yet to specify the date.

Design

With chairwoman and CEO Cher Wang citing the company's plans to launch a "hero product" last June, HTC may be swinging for the fence with the next version of the HTC One.

According to Venturebeat, the handset may have a unibody aluminum design and a fingerprint scanner. A number of sources have suggested that the case could possibly be waterproof. (Waterproofing appears to be the feature du jour, as a slew of forthcoming phones: the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are water-resistant, and the Apple iPhone 7 may add the feature, too.) VentureBeat's source says that the One M10 will be skinned with HTC's Sense 8.0 UI and that its display will feature a 2,560x1,440-pixel resolution; others have suggested the possibility that it will have an Active Matrix OLED display.

Under the hood

Though details about the HTC One M10's specs have been scarce, two reliable Twitter sources recently leaked photos and specs. Exhibit A, a tweet from @OnLeaks, delivered pictures of a prototype phone that looks to have a fingerprint scanner, dedicated menu and back buttons, a matte black design and a USB Type-C charging port.

The tweet claims the phone has a 5.15-inch QHD display, Snapdragon 820 processor, Adreno 530 graphics chip, 4GB RAM and a 12-megapixel camera. Longtime leaker @Evleaks responded to @OnLeaks' tweet with a promotional photo of the alleged HTC One M10, showing a very similar design, but with a silver-and-white finish. The new information is consistent with previous murmurs suggesting that the HTC One M10 will come equipped with the Snapdragon 820 -- the same chip that is powering most of the new Android phones mentioned above.

HTC has pledged an improved camera for the M10. Chief Financial Officer Chialin Chang told CNET in February: "We can confidently say that HTC will have a very, very compelling camera experience. We're making this comment after we've seen what's going on in the market."

No word on the battery, which was an Achilles heel for the M9, equipped as it was with a 2,840mAh cell. We would welcome an upgrade to a larger, 3,000mAh cell ostensibly capable of delivering a full day of run time.

Scroll down for a reverse-chronological look at the latest rumors.

March 4, 2016

CNET: Could this be HTC's next high-end phone?

Leaked photos of HTC's next smartphone spring up with impressive-sounding specs.

February 25, 2016

CNET: HTC: You'll find our next phone camera 'very, very compelling'

Top execs talk with CNET about phones, virtual reality and whether the company will ever make a true smartwatch.

January 29, 2016

CNET: Rumored HTC One M10 flagship could catch up to today's rivals -- but maybe not tomorrow's

HTC's big phone of the year could boast a 2,560x1,440-pixel display and a fingerprint scanner on the front, but it's expected to arrive later than 2016's other major phones.

January 28, 2016

VentureBeat: HTC Perfume to offer QHD AMOLED display, laser-assisted 12 UltraPixel camera

HTC is preparing its most advanced smartphone ever, keen on recapturing lost market share after stumbling with successive annual flagships that underwhelmed the marketplace.

January 21, 2016

CNET: HTC's flagship M10 could come later than expected

The phone maker's next high-end phone is now rumored to miss its expected launch at the Mobile World Congress show in late February, and arrive as late as March.

June 3, 2015

Taipei Times: HTC chair apologizes to shareholders

Wang said the company plans to launch a "hero product" in October, and make significant improvements in innovation and design for the next flagship model next year.