HTC is rumored to soon start testing its unannounced 2017 flagship with Verizon, recent industry rumors indicate. A source with knowledge on the matter allegedly told HTC Source that the Taiwanese consumer electronics manufacturer is already prepared to begin testing a device powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 on Verizon’s network. The insider revealed no other information on the matter.
If this report is legitimate, it’s possible that the source refers to the upcoming HTC 11 whose existence has apparently been leaked in December. While the Taiwanese phone maker recently announced the HTC U Ultra powered by the Snapdragon 821, the company also vowed to be among the first adopters of Qualcomm’s latest flagship system-on-chip, the Snapdragon 835. Qualcomm’s most powerful consumer-grade mobile chipset to date is expected to debut in the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8 Plus in April, but it shouldn’t be long before it’s also adopted by other original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). However, even if HTC soon starts testing a Snapdragon 835-powered flagship on Verizon’s network, the phone maker certainly won’t be unveiling it this month at Mobile World Congress. The company already confirmed that it won’t hold a press conference at this year’s Barcelona-based trade show, adding that its next device will be unveiled at a later date.
Chialin Chang, the President of Smartphones and Connected Devices at HTC recently said how he believes not a single device fueled by the Snapdragon 835 will be officially announced at MWC 2017. While it remains to be seen whether that prediction holds true or not, all signs point to the fact that the flagship device that HTC will allegedly start testing on Verizon’s network in the near future won’t be making an appearance in Barcelona later this month. Seeing how the HTC 10 was unveiled in April before launching in May of 2016, it’s more likely that the Taiwanese consumer electronics manufacturer will stick to that pattern and debut its successor this spring. Regardless of what kind of phone HTC has in store for us next, the company’s mobile division is currently under a lot of pressure to deliver a commercially successful device in 2017 after recording several consecutive years of disappointing financial results.