HTC’s next flagship smartphone could end up coming with a touch-capable frame that would allow users to interact with different apps on the device. Currently being referred to as the HTC Ocean, a new device has been leaked that showcases quite a few different possibilities when it comes to the way a user will seemingly be able to access and utilize the different features of the phone. While the screenshots below provide a glimpse at what the HTC Ocean will be capable of, as well as what the design of the device is set to be, the video which is visible in a tweet from Evan Blass actually puts everything into motion to give a more accurate picture of how things will work as well as what’s possible.
When it comes to what the HTC Ocean will include hardware wise, there’s no actual description of any specifications, but you can tell by the images that the phone comes with a dual rear camera setup which is something that HTC pulled away from with the HTC 10. Also worth noting is that the device design shown here carries a very similar look to the HTC 10 in more than a few ways. Having said that it’s important to remember that this is still likely just a concept device at this point and may have been a mock up for the sole purpose of showing off the Sense Touch feature.
In relation to that, if this device is just a concept, it seems that the focal point of the leak is the Sense Touch feature as all that’s highlighted is what you can access with it. There appear to be sensors on either side of the device frame just above and below the antenna bands, which perhaps might be linked to the Sense Touch capabilities. Although there is no confirmation, it looks as if Sense Touch works by tapping or swiping on various parts of the frame and functionality seems to change based on the app that you’re in. For example, swiping up and down on the frame while in a music app would appear to adjust the levels of volume, while swiping up and down on the frame from the home screen looks to prompt the Google app to listen for a response. Naturally, it could be possible for the swiping up and down on the frame while in the camera to adjust the zoom levels, and tapping on the opposite side of the frame could take a picture. There’s no way to tell what device HTC might plan to introduce Sense Touch with, if they plan to incorporate it all, but it’ an interesting concept nonetheless and one that would certainly differentiate HTC’s devices from others.
