There is a chance that HTC One M10 release date was delayed as the Taiwan-based manufacturer is reportedly looking positively to the new virtual reality market.
Virtual reality technology was front and center at the recently concluded Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2016. Google, Sony and HTC showcased their own virtual reality devices - Oculus Rift, PlayStation VR, and HTC Vive Pre.
It appears that HTC is confident with its own virtual reality device that it is shifting its focus to the new market than the smartphone market. It seems to be a smart move since HTC smartphones are not selling very well in the past quarters.
HTC chief executive officer Cher Wang said that the company is more excited than ever for virtual reality and wearables.
Wang told Telegraph, "Virtual reality is something people have talked about for 20, 30 years, in movies, in books and finally, it is real. VR has been on our minds for a long time, and now HTC has made virtual reality real".
"Now we are more realistic. We feel that we should apply our best design to different type of sectors. Yes, smartphones are important, but to create a natural extension to other connected devices like wearables and virtual reality is more important," she added clarifying the stance of smartphones in HTC's list of priorities.
Meanwhile, some of the rumored HTC One M10 features are: a bigger screen display with either 2K or 4K pixel resolution, which will yield to clearer and more vivid images. Under the hood, the handset is purported to be powered by Qualcomm 82X with 3.X GHz Octa-core HMP cyclone technology (6 instruction per cycle capability) paired with 4GB of RAM that will deliver faster and better performance. The handset will sport the same storage systems with microSD slot for additional external storage.
Other rumored features of HTC One M10 are dual-SIM support, 27 megapixels front and back camera, longer battery life, and wireless charging feature, according to TechRadar in a separate report. The smartphone will be dustproof and water-resistant like most handsets. The handset will cost around $650 to $800 depending on the storage variant. However, HTC has confirmed none of the aforementioned rumors.