New HTC Phone Leaked Screenshot Features 'Edge Sense' That Suggests Buttonless Design

There have been numerous rumors circulating that HTC is working on a buttonless smartphone codenamed Ocean or Ocean Note that will have contextual UI controls. A new leaked screenshot from an unidentified HTC smartphone has now surfaced online, suggesting that the UI controls mentioned will be called Edge Sense.

The screenshot shows the settings menu of an HTC smartphone. One of the options listed on the settings menu is the toggle for a feature called Edge Sense. The screenshot was shared online by VentureBeat writer and notorious leaker Evan Blass (@evleaks on Twitter).

The only apparent clue on what Edge Sense is supposed to be is the icon showing a finger reaching for the edge of the device, as pointed out by Android Police. This has further fueled speculation that HTC next flagship smartphone will feature a buttonless design with a curved edge display.

Edge Sense might be a feature that would provide people the option to use gestures on the edge of the display. If this is indeed the case, the feature would basically function the same as what’s on Samsung’s Galaxy S7 Edge.

The source of the screenshot was later traced back to the Chinese website mobile01.com. The user who posted the screenshots also included some of the phone’s specifications. The unidentified HTC phone is said to be powered by the Snapdragon 835 processor with 4GB or 6GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage.

It’s also mentioned that it will have Mobile VR, a Sense AI assistant and that the device will come with a USB Type-C port. Phone Arena speculates that the Mobile VR mentioned might be support for Google’s Daydream VR. Lastly, one of the screenshots shows that the device is running Android 7.1.1 Nougat.

There’s no clear indication that this is the HTC Ocean or HTC Ocean Note. However, this does give some light on the possible features that will be included on HTC’s next flagship smartphone for 2017.