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HTC has begun sending out press invitations to a February 26 event that takes place on the literal eve of Mobile World Congress.
After essentially skipping out on Las Vegas and CES altogether, we should be in for a real treat next month. Details for at least three Android handsets and one tablet have already emerged with perhaps more on the horizon.
You may recall, HTC had six devices on the agenda for the show last year including the Flyer tablet. Judging by the early rumors, the company may not reach that number for the 2012 event, but it is ready to push the boundaries a little further with the new Android smartphones. Let’s have a look at what might be in store for HTC when it shows up at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain.
HTC Edge
The HTC Edge was the first of the rumored devices to surface, first breaking cover back in early November. Widely expected to be HTC’s first quad-core superphone, the Edge also should feature a 4.7-inch display (720p HD resolution), an 8-megapixel camera, 1GB RAM, and 21Mbps HSDPA connectivity. Measuring roughly 0.4 inch thick, the phone is said to run both Android 4.0 as well as HTC Sense 4.0 UI.
HTC Ville
Landing online just days after the Edge, the HTC Ville also would count as one of the leading Android smartphones when it arrives this spring. Powered by a dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 processor and running 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, the Ville is rumored to have a 4.3-inch qHD display, an 8-megapixel camera (1080p HD video capture), a 1,650mAh battery, and HSPA+ connectivity.
HTC Primo
This third unannounced model just landed on our radar in the past few days and looks to be a midrange handset. Details include a 3.7-inch Super AMOLED display with Gorilla Glass, a 1GHz dual-core processor, 512MB of RAM, and a 5-megapixel rear-camera with an f/2.0 lens capable of recording both 720p video and still images at the same time. Does anyone else find it odd that these are the types of specifications that constitute a midrange device?
HTC Quattro
As if the name wasn’t a dead giveaway, the HTC Quattro tablet should offer consumers a quad-core experience. Like its predecessors, this tablet should have a 10.1-inch display, but that’s where the similarities end. Powered by a Tegra 3 processor and coupled with 1GB RAM, the Quattro could be among the first tablets to launch with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Additional details include 16GB storage, Bluetooth 4.0, a 2-megapixel rear camera, a 720p-capable 1.3-megapixel camera, and support for the Scribe digital stylus.
If history is any indicator, we won’t see these devices tied to specific carriers at the show in Barcelona. The following days and weeks, though, may see various wireless providers around the world offer up release details and pricing. As far as U.S. operators are concerned, it may be May and the annual CTIA show before we learn which devices will come stateside in similar HSPA or 4G LTE flavors. The Ville, for instance, has already been tied to T-Mobile.
Given that at least one of these is expected to run a new 4.0 version of Sense UI, I look for HTC to spend some time outlining new features. Early information tells us that HTC should build on its previous custom experience with at least one new option, HTC Family. Word on the street is that the feature allows for an easy way for families to communicate and includes geo-location tools for staying connected. And last but not least, look for Beats Audio technology to be a part of the devices whether internally or via some fancy headphones.
