HTC has started sending out invitations to a series of global events to be held on February 19, where we could be introduced to the rumored HTC M7, the company’s possible replacement for the One X+. It’s a surprising move, as the events will take place a week before Mobile World Congress, where in the past, HTC has had a strong showing.
However, much like Samsung chose to do with the Galaxy S3, HTC could want to grab as much press attention as possible for whatever it’s ready to release – and holding a dedicated event outside of the show will help it achieve this.
The M7 has been rumored since last year, and was initially presumed to be a European version of the Droid DNA/HTC Butterfly, but has since morphed into a new flagship phone with a 4.7-inch, 1080p screen, a 13-megapixel camera and a quad-core processor. Android 4.1 Jelly Bean is almost certainly going to be installed, along with HTC Sense 5 to keep it company.
HTC will hold an event in New York on February 19 at 10am, along with an event in London on the same day, leaving little doubt as to the importance of its new announcement; however the invitations give nothing away about the show’s focus. It’s not only the M7 we’re waiting for news on either, as the firm may have returned to building tablets, including one running Windows RT. There’s also the chance it’ll use the time to reveal some of the brand changes expected under its Marketing 2.0 plans.
If the M7 does arrive at this special event, what will HTC do at Mobile World Congress? Will it decide to limit its presence, a possibility after a difficult 2012, or will the trade show be the launch platform for any mid-range phones it’s preparing for release this year? We’ll find out more on February 19.
