HTC Is Teasing A Big Android Phone Comeback With The Metaverse In Its Sights
Taiwanese technology company HTC — once famous for its quality smartphones — has been in a state of limbo for a while now. Faced with mounting losses and unable to fend off stiff competition from aggressive Chinese brands, HTC made a strategic decision to withdraw from several key markets back in 2018. Unlike LG, though — which eventually caved in to pressure and gave up on its loss-making smartphone business — HTC never officially threw in the towel.
And while it may be true that HTC hasn't made any significant international announcements for a while now, the company has been regularly with low-key launches in its home market of Taiwan. It is also notable that HTC has never officially talked about completely withdrawing from the smartphone market.
Earlier today, HTC gave one more sign of its being alive and well when the company's official Twitter account sent out a tweet teasing at least one brand new product.
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2022.06.28#HTC #VIVERSE #Seeyousoon#Createmymetaverselife pic.twitter.com/YwiE3B0r9U— HTC (@htc) June 9, 2022
The text and the imagery make it evident that the new device is quite likely a smartphone. The device is part of HTC's "Viverse" range and does not have an official name yet. This — combined with rumors and tips released over the past few months — suggests HTC's next major Android smartphone release is just around the corner. This latest announcement suggests that an event on June 28, 2022, will reveal all.
What to expect from the HTC metaverse phone?
Though details on HTC's new metaverse-centric phone are few and far between, it's a fair assumption that HTC's leadership in AR and VR tech will play a key role in its functionality. The company's bet big on AR and VR tech over the past few years, as evidenced by devices ranging back to the company's first consumer release: The original HTC Vive. Earlier this year, the company also launched the HTC Vive Wrist Tracker — a tool that was designed to be paired with the VR headset Vive Focus 3.
Interestingly, this is not the first time we have heard rumors of HTC making a possible international comeback. HTC also tried its luck with the Exodus One — a blockchain-focused phone that was designed with cryptocurrency and blockchain-connected software in mind (still based on Android, though, of course). Back in October 2019, we published a report in which we talked about rumors of the company's plans to launch a new high-end smartphone. But then, in 2020, the pandemic hit, and the company's plans failed to materialize.
As for the new smartphone under the HTC Viverse initiative, we still do not know if the device will be a technology concept or something tangible that will go on sale right after the official announcement on June 28. In any case, this device will need to be far more interesting than a standard Android phone if consumers are going to be convinced to jump back on board the HTC bandwagon after such a prolonged absence from the smartphone market in general.