HTC to launch a high-end smartphone with "metaverse functionality" soon

While it isn't exactly smashing sales records like the good old days, HTC is still relatively active in the smartphone market. It focuses on selling low-cost phones and tablets in markets such as Russia and Taiwan. HTC promised to launch a few 5G-ready devices in 2021, but that seems to have fallen flat, presumably due to the ongoing chip shortage. However, the company has yet another ace up its sleeve; if a report from Digitimes is to be believed.

HTC is planning to launch a high-end Android device sometime in April 2022. Just what qualifies as "high-end" in HTC's book remains to be seen. It will, however, need to pack some beefy hardware because it will reportedly ship with metaverse integration. Interestingly enough, HTC unveiled its own take on a digital world called the Viveverse not too long ago, so the smartphone could fit right into the ecosystem.

The prospect of a high-end HTC-branded smartphone is undoubtedly an exciting one. AR/VR integration is the cherry on top, especially given HTC's impeccable history with the tech. However, past attempts to integrate AR/VR tech with smartphones failed spectacularly, and one can hope that HTC has something radically different up its sleeve.

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