HTC’s team up with Beats has certainly brought about a higher degree of audio quality when it comes to some of their smartphones, such as the HTC Sensation XE, but perhaps this is just a precursor of things to come? HTC’s latest design patent points towards the concept of a slide out stereo speaker, where this media-centric device (no idea on whether it will be a smartphone or a portable media player, but the smart money would definitely be on the former as the latter is a dead end market with Apple ruling the roost) will have front and rear facing stereo speakers that are touted to deliver a virtual surround sound experience for the user. These speakers will be located in the back panel, revealing themselves when the back panel slides out in landscape mode, doubling up as a kickstand at the same time. How do you think HTC will position such a new device, and do you think what might be a novelty could eventually end up as a staple feature?