New HTCU "Ocean" rumors claim it will have sensors embedded in its frame

New rumors about the next flagship phone from HTC have started popping up on the internet once again. The latest report claims that the phone, which it says will be called simply the HTCU, will have embedded sensors in its frame that will allow it to do various tasks.

The report comes from VentureBeat and noted gadget leaker Evan “@evleaks” Bass. He claims the HTCU, also known by its code name Ocean, will be the third in the company’s new U line of smartphones, following the official announcement of the HTC U Ultra and HTC U Play in January.

The HTCU will have a 5.5-inch WQHD (2,560×1,440) display, and have the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor inside, according to the story, along with Android 7.1 Nougat out of the box. However, Blass claims the main feature of the HTCU will be Edge Sense. The phone will have sensors placed in its frame that will let users handle tasks that are normally done on the touch screen, such as swiping and activating apps and more.

In fact, previously leaked videos such as the one posted above from January show Edge Sense at work. Blass also says the HTCU will have a 12 MP rear camera and a 16 MP front-facing camera, along with Sense 9, which will be the latest version of HTC’s UX skin for Android.

Blass says the HTCU will be officially announced in mid to late April, followed by its official sales launch in early May. His story did not mention a price point for the phone, nor did he say if it will be sold by any of the major wireless carriers in the US. The current HTCU Ultra has been ignored by those outlets, which forced HTCto sell the phone unlocked on its website for $749.