Five years ago HTC released the HTC Thunderbolt in the United States, a smartphone that was exclusive to Verizon and one that was considered to be one of the most expensive smartphones ever built when it came to its components. Fast forward five years and HTC is a much smaller company than it was back then and it’s fair to say that each year that has gone by hasn’t exactly improved the company’s situation.
The company has tried and tried again to get it right and increase sales. In 2012 they launched the HTC One X which didn’t sell incredibly well and in 2013 came the HTC One which was a moderate success thanks to its design. 2014 saw the release of the One (M8) which was highly praised but the company decided to keep the same design for the One M9 last year which caused it to start bleeding money again. This year they launched their latest flagship, the HTC 10, which according to the company is selling well, but many factors point in the opposite direction. HTC is still here though and consistently produces some of the best-designed devices around, the only problem is the sheer amount of competition.
According to a new trademark filing, HTC may be preparing its next attack, a smartphone that will possibly be called the “HTC Bolt,” a name that hints at a possible successor to the HTC Thunderbolt from five years ago. Now, although the company has filed to trademark the name, there is no other information regarding what it could be used for. As mentioned above, the most likely option is a new smartphone, though it could also be used for a new accessory or even a new charging method, or possibly even something completely unrelated to the smartphone market. The possibilities are more or less endless, but as HTC is known for its smartphones, that is the safest bet. Either way, next year’s flagship device is still unnamed, so the company still has a few options up its sleeve. It could revert back to using the “One” line, add a number and call it the “HTC 11,” use the “Bolt” or choose something completely different. One thing that is certain is that “HTC Bolt” has more of a ring to it than “HTC 11.”