In the past few years, HTC has been relatively quiet on the smartphone front. However, it seems that the company is ready to step back into the spotlight as they have since officially announced their first smartphone for 2020, which is also their first 5G smartphone. This comes in the form of the HTC U20.
In the early days of the smartphone, HTC was one of the major players around and it was always exciting to see what kind of new products the company had up their sleeves. However, in the recent years, the company has kind of taken a backseat on smartphone development, but it seems that they haven’t completely given up just yet.
It is no secret that Apple is interested in augmented reality technology. Apple’s latest iPad Pro actually comes with a built-in LiDAR scanner to help improve on the AR experience. We have also heard rumors that a similar feature could be arriving for 2020’s iPhones, and that Apple is working on an AR headset could be arriving in 2022.
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HTC has been working on VR headsets for a while now, and more recently, the company has taken the wraps off a new conceptual VR headset that they are working on. Dubbed Project Proton, this is unlike any VR headset that we have seen in the market today, where it feels like it resembles goggles more than your typical VR headset.
We’ve all been to museums at some point in our lives, and usually all the main exhibits are off-limits to visitors, where we can see the exhibits from far, but we can’t really get too close or even touch them. It makes a lot of sense, but at the same time, we’re sure that the experience would be a lot better if we could get up close and personal.
HTC is no longer one of the big players in the smartphone industry these days, but that does not mean that the company has no plans to launch future devices. In a post made on the HTC Taiwan Facebook page, the company has shared a teaser image which seems to hint at a smartphone announcement set for the 11th of June, 2019, which is this coming Tuesday.
Unlike augmented reality which blends the real world and digital world together, virtual reality (VR) completely immerses the user into the digital word. This means that our controls need to be a lot more intuitive for users to use because with a VR headset on, they won’t be able to see what’s in front of them.
HTC continues to expand support for the Viveport VR store. The company has now confirmed that all Windows Mixed Reality headsets will be able to access the Viveport VR store starting next month. Not only that, they will also be able to access its Viveport Infinity subscription service. This will provide a boost in the content available for Microsoft’s headset platform.
There are several HTC smartphones out there that are compatible with Android 9.0 Pie and yet they haven’t received the update. The Taiwanese company has now provided some clarity on the matter and confirmed that the HTC U11, U11+, and the HTC U12+ will be receiving their much-awaited Android 9 Pie update starting this month.
With 5G being the talk of the town, it didn’t come as a surprise to learn that many Android handset makers would be launching 5G variants of their phones. In fact, dating back to 2018, it was reported that HTC could have such a device in the works. Unfortunately, save for the HTC 5G Hub launched at MWC 2019, the company has yet to make any of their plans official.
Let’s face it, as great as HTC’s phones once was, the company’s more recent endeavors haven’t really been met too favorably, especially in the light of Chinese companies who are aggressively releasing cheaper and more value for money handsets. So much so that HTC could be considering calling it quits.
Ubergizmo’s Best of MWC 2019Editor's Pick
With 5G and foldable phones entering the market in 2019, this year’s Mobile World Congress was full of excitement, but not all products are created equal, and some are more eye-catchy than others. Here’s what we think is worthy of your attention, in no particular order.
With most Android flagships sharing similar hardware specs, one of the ways Android handset makers differentiate themselves from the competition is by using software. HTC, just like all the other handset makers, has employed this strategy, one of which is through its Mail app which comes bundled with its phones.
Last year HTC announced the HTC Exodus, a blockchain smartphone. It seemed like a rather novel idea, and to make it even more novel, HTC later announced that customers could buy the phone using only cryptocurrency. However if you were interested in the handset but do not own cryptocurrency, you’re in luck.