The HTC Desire 12 is the name of the company’s next Android smartphone set to be released later this year, known industry insider Evan Blass said Wednesday, just over a week after revealing a number of key specs of the upcoming mobile device. The handset is said to boast a 5.5-inch display panel with an elongated aspect ratio of 18:9, i.e. 2:1, whereas its target market segment suggests its screen will be of the FHD+ variety. Despite being aimed at price-conscious consumers, the HTC Desire 12 will be seeking to deliver a relatively premium design, featuring what’s said to be a full-screen aesthetic with minimal bezels. Large screen-to-body ratios with 18:9 displays are a combination that gained a lot of traction in the mobile industry over the course of 2017, allowing original equipment manufacturers to deliver handsets with enough screen real estate to compete in the phablet segment while still being slim enough for easy single-handed usage.
The HTC Desire 12 is reportedly code-named “Breeze,” which is said to be the second time the Taiwanese OEM opted for that moniker, having originally used it to refer to the HTC MTeoR, its 2006 offering that launched as the industry’s first Windows Mobile handset with 3G connectivity. The smartphone is expected to compete on the edge of the entry-level and mid-range segment of the market, being equipped with a MediaTek-made chip, 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of internal flash memory expandable via a microSD card slot by an unspecified amount. The rear plate of the HTC Desire 12 is rumored to sport a 13-megapixel camera accompanied by a dual-LED (dual-tone) flash unit, whereas its slim top bezel should accommodate a 5-megapixel sensor. The device will reportedly be powered by a 2,730mAh battery which won’t be removable and likely won’t boast any kind of fast charging support.
The Taipei-based phone maker is likely to announce the HTC Desire 12 later this month at the upcoming iteration of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. The company is said to have decided to downsize its mobile business this year and will only be releasing a limited number of smartphones relative to its previous annual product roadmaps. The U12 flagship is expected to be announced by mid-2018 but won’t be making an appearance at MWC 2018, according to recent reports.