HTC One M10: Specs to expect from the flagship phone that could revive sales for the company

After a lukewarm response to the HTC One M9 and a disappointing year in business, the Taiwan-based smartphone manufacturer is desperately looking for a product that can help it lure its customers back and attract new ones. While its foray into the virtual reality (VR) world is gaining ground, the company would surely want to win back its market share in the smartphones segment with the release of the HTC One M10.

Sales of HTC smartphones – which once trailed market leaders Samsung and Apple – have dipped primarily due to an overflow of redundant models. HTC posted a Taiwanese $4.5bn (£97m, $139m) loss for the third quarter in 2015.

Can it win back its loyal customer base and add new ones with its upcoming flagship? IBTimes UK takes a look at some of the specs that potential users can expect in HTC One M10:

The flagship model is expected to look similar to the HTC One A9, which was accused of being a copy of the iPhone 6s. Hence, those who like the iPhone's premium version smartphone, can hope to relate with the looks of the M10.

The handset is rumoured to come pre-installed with Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow operating system (OS) with Sense 8.0 UI on top. The OS would be updated to higher versions as they are released.

According to VentureBeat, the One M10 is being developed under the codename "Perfume", suggesting that there could be a change in the device's name altogether.

Camera and Display

The screen of the One M10 is reported to be around the 5.1in mark. It is expected to get a Quad HD Amoled panel with Gorilla Glass 4 protection. The upcoming flagship handset may also have 2560x1440 pixel resolution.

HTC will incorporate ultrapixel (UP) technology in the new M10, instead of the traditional megapixel (MP). The company had introduced a new UP camera with the HTC One M8, however, since it was not well received by users, the company switched back to MP technology with the One M9.

The M10 is rumoured to incorporate a 12UP rear camera with laser autofocus with f/2.0, optical image stabilisation, laser autofocus and a dual-LED (dual tone) flash. The capacity of the front facing camera is unknown, but if the company is looking to target its rivals it should at least have a 5MP capacity or its corresponding UP capacity.

Processor, RAM and Storage

The upcoming flagship is rumoured to be equipped with Qualcomm's latest top-of-the-line chipset, the Snapdragon 820 with Adreno 530 graphics. It is also expected to have a 4GB RAM capacity.

It could possess 32GB of internal storage, but some suggest that it could be as low as 23GB. It could also have a microSD slot given that both the speculated storage capacities are not high.

Battery and speakers

The M10 is slated to be powered by a 3000mAh battery with Qualcomm's Quick Charge 3.0 capability, which can power the phone up to 83% in just 30 minutes. Like the A9, a fingerprint sensor is also like to be placed on the home button. Further, HTC is rumoured to do away with BoomSound speakers in the upcoming model, which could disappoint some of its loyal users.

Although the upcoming M10 looks promising, its specifications do not offer anything extraordinary to compete with the Samsung Galaxy S7 and LG G5, which are expected to launch this year. We would surely be thrilled if some unique features are provided to wow Android users and give them a reason to purchase the new model.

The launch date for the M10 is unclear as latest reports state that it may not make it to the Mobile World Congress 2016 to be held in Barcelona this month, and may be released in March-April.

Rumored HTC One M10 specs:

OS: Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow software
Screen: 5.1in 2560x1440 pixel display
Camera: 12UP rear camera with laser autofocus
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
RAM: 4GB RAM
Storage: 23GB or 32GB storage with expandable storage option (not known)
Additional: Fingerprint scanner on home button