CES 2013: HTC M7 Features Leaked Ahead of Announcement

Technical details of HTC's new flagship M7 smartphone have leaked days before its unveiling at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

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HTC Source, after speaking to an anonymous insider, reports the forthcoming smartphone, codenamed HTC M7, has been spotted running Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean). It is expected this will be upgraded to the latest version of the software before launch.

In addition, the device will use a new version of HTC Sense - Sense v5.0 - updated with what the company claims is a "simple and clean" User Interface (UI). As of now, all of the mobile manufacturer's high-end smartphones, including the One X+, run on the Sense v4+ UI.

Both the lock screen and HTC apps have been modified and the company has tweaked the software to make it easier to use. The tweaks include on-screen volume control, which has a shortcut that will take the user directly into the device's volume settings.

In terms of physical design, the HTC M7 is believed to have been influenced by ideas from HTC's Droid DNA - it has a black chassis and screen surrounded by a beveled edge. Reports suggest the same material used in the Droid DNA has been used for the M7.

As far as other technical aspects are concerned, the HTC M7 was earlier rumoured to feature a 4.7in display with resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels. The pixel density of the display - 468 pixels per inch (ppi) - is reportedly 40 percent higher than the iPhone 5's Retina display. The display was expected to have a screen technology called SoLux Display, offering several visual improvements over the previous Super LCD2.

The smartphone will likely be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon quad-core processor running at a clock speed of 1.7GHz and will also have 2GB of RAM. The phone is expected to be available in a 32GB storage variant with no microSD card support for additional storage space. In terms of connectivity, the handset could offer 802.11 a/b/g/n and bundle an LTE chip.

Like Sony's upcoming Xperia Z, the HTC M7 may have a high resolution rear-camera of 13 megapixels and a two megapixel front camera. Both cameras should be capable of capturing 1080p video. The handset will probably run with a powerful battery of 2300mAh. Other key features include Beats amplifier and stereo speakers.

Finally, although the device is likely to be announced at CES 2013, it is unlikely to enter the market before the first quarter of the year.