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Report: HTCwill release fewer phones, focus on R&D in 2018
- HTC will reportedly limit the number of phones it releases in 2018 and focus on R&D and marketing a limited number of devices.
- A mid-range variant of the recently released HTCU11 Plus is also allegedly in the works.
- The HTCU12 is rumored to feature a 4K display and a dual-lens camera.
According to a new report, HTC will reduce the number of phones it produces in 2018. The company will allegedly focus on research and development efforts for future devices instead. It will also devote more resources to marketing the limited number of phones that it releases next year.
The company continues its struggle to come back from several down years, and the numbers for 2017 aren’t great— HTCposted net losses of NT 7.102 billion ($237.42 million) in the first three quarters of 2017.
To help bolster sales, HTCwill release a mid-range variant of its HTC U11 Plus in January 2018, according to industry sources (via DigiTimes). HTCcurrently does battle with companies like Motorola, LG, HUAWEI, Xiaomi, and more in the mid-tier range and looks to gain a better foothold in the segment. Details about specs or price are yet to surface.
Sources also tell DigiTimes that the HTCU12 will likely come with a 4K display in 2018. The sources go on to state that the phone will also feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor and a dual-lens rear camera.
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard rumors of phones touting 4K displays. The Samsung Galaxy S8 was heavily rumored to come with a 4K display this year, only to launch with a Quad HD panel.
However, 4K displays are more expensive than Quad HD panels, so why would HTCwant to sell its already-expensive flagships at an even higher price point? HTCis constantly scrounging to make more money from its smartphone division, and we don’t think this is the way the company will likely go in 2018. For now, let’s take this rumor with a big grain of salt.
Even though we’re skeptical, there are benefits of 4K displays in smartphones. The cameras in our phones routinely shoot 4K video and streaming services like YouTube can stream 4K video. So, why not have a display that can actually let you peep all of those pixels? Sony’s premium lineup of phones feature 4K displays that show a lower resolution most of the time. When users switch to an app that is designed for 4K, only then does it raise the resolution. Could we see HTCdo something similar?
It’s also worth noting that according to this rumor, HTCwill be moving to a dual-lens camera system. It has been one of the holdouts among Android phone manufacturers to rely on just a single lens. The camera in the HTC U11 is stellar, but HTCobviously thinks it can up its game with a dual-lens system if these rumors prove true.