HTC U12 Rumor: Handset Expected To Launch In April With Dual Cameras

The HTC U12 may not have made an appearance during MWC 2018, but it’s rumored to launch soon. According to a leaker, the upcoming HTC flagship phone will launch sometime in April and it’s expected to feature dual cameras on its back.

The HTC U12, also known as the HTC Imagine, is said to arrive with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, the same one that’s powering the Galaxy S9 and S9+. The device will also feature up to 6GB of RAM and up to 256GB of storage, according to LlabTooFeR on Twitter. The leaker has been known for its accurate leaks for upcoming HTC products, and Evan Blass (@evleaks) even chimed in to say that the information is true.

The HTC U12 is also said to have a 3,420 mAh battery with an 8-megapixel front-facing camera. On the back, the U12 will have dual cameras with 12MP and 16MP sensors. It wasn’t explained how the dual cameras will work, but it’s likely that the setup is intended for either zoom or portrait modes, as pointed out by Engadget. HTC is said to be using Sony’s IMX300 series camera sensors for the U12.

The HTC U12 is also said to have the HTC Face Unlock feature that was first introduced with the U11 EYEs. Facial recognition has become more popular thanks to Apple’s Face ID on the iPhone X, so it makes sense that HTC would include it on its brand new 2018 flagship phone. HTC’s Edge Sense 2.0 is also said to be a feature on the phone, but no other details were given on any of its new functionalities. It’s presumed to be a bit more advanced than the previous iteration of Edge Sense, which was first made available last year on the U11. For the uninitiated, Edge Sense allows users to squeeze the frame of the phone to trigger actions or shortcuts.

Other features listed for the HTC U12 include IP68 water and dust resistance and a 5.99-inch quad HD display with a presumed resolution of 2,880 x 1,440. The U12 is expected to have a “bezel-less” design with a tall screen. The phone may have already shown up last month as a nameless device during a 5G event in Taiwan.

On the software side of things, the HTC U12 is expected to run Android 8.0 Oreo with HTC’s Sense 10 running on top. The device is also said to have full support for Google Project Treble, which means that the device will get regular and seamless software updates. It’s also said to have single SIM and dual SIM versions.