HTC is readying a Vive-branded smartphone

For weeks, HTC has been teasing a January 12th event that will show what it has in store “for U” in 2017. But just what does that cryptic clue mean? We might have a better idea. Well-known leaker Evan Blass has obtained a promo video (below) showcasing HTC’s future smartphone efforts, and it’s clear that the company is eager to try something different. Most of the clip centers on experiments with unusual phone designs, such as cloth or splashes of color. However, the most interesting part is toward the end: HTC briefly shows a Vive-branded phone, suggesting that the company wants to bank on the popularity of its virtual reality headset.

Unfortunately, just what a Vive phone means isn’t clear right now. Is that a hint of support for Google’s Daydream VR platform, or a custom approach to mobile VR? A special tie-in for Vive owners? Or just an attempt to use a familiar name? We’ll know the full story soon if HTC unveils this device at its event, but even this brief hint is intriguing.

HTC 2017? pic.twitter.com/ppONWlT5Mr

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) January 8, 2017

Source: Evan Blass (Twitter 1), (2)