HTC is planning to build and release a 5G smartphone in 2020. That’s according to Taiwanese site Mashdigi. The piece does not quote HTC’s CEO Yves Maitre directly but claims that “HTC’s first 5G networked mobile phone and the expected time of its announcement [is unknown, but] it is expected that it will have further cooperation with Qualcomm and will also launch high-end flagship models first”
Maitre has been CEO since September last year having formerly held a senior VP role at telecom giant Orange.
If the report is accurate, it shows HTC is barely hanging onto relevance in the Android hardware market. Once the undisputed king of Android with phones like the One M8 as recently as 2014, it now does not sell phones in the UK following a patent dispute.
2018’s HTC U12 Plus is the company’s last flagship phone, and it was a bit of a mess despite excellent cameras, while HTC has even released an odd blockchain phone since then that obviously no one bought.
The report claiming a 5G HTC phone is on the way does say that it is “unclear whether it will adopt a multi-device publishing strategy compared to other manufacturers or launch a mid-level 5G-connected mobile phone.”
HTC is floundering in the hardware stakes and is now more recognised for its Vive VR headset. The company’s fall from grace in the smartphone market in the last six years has been astonishing but sad to watch.
Author: Henry Burrell, Phones Editor
Henry is Tech Advisor’s Phones Editor, ensuring he and the team covers and reviews every smartphone worth knowing about for readers and viewers all over the world. He spends a lot of time moving between different handsets and shouting at WhatsApp to support multiple devices at once.