If HTC will indeed end up assembling a model of the rumored Nexus 2016 smartphone it would be a doppelganger of an existing HTC flagship. A picture posted on Twitter by popular gadget leaker Evan Blass, also known as @evleaks, appeared to show that the upcoming device will take a page from the HTC One A9.
Blass described the leaked device, which he previously reported as the HTC One M10 codenamed Perfume, as "a wild shot," which in its current state is far from "flattering." The prototype, according to 9to5Google, is obviously modeled after the One A9.
"The leaked device looks remarkably similar to the current One A9. It appears that the antenna lines, volume rocker, and rigid power button are in the exact same location," the report said.
It should be noted too that the One A9 is regarded by many as an iPhone 6S clone in terms of build and design.
But there are notably marked differences from the One A9 as the image leaked out by Blass showed that the One M10 is missing the HTC logo and front-blasting stereo speakers, which likely have been relocated on the rear portion of the device.
Rumors say that the fresh One M10 specs will be headlined by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 that will be paired with generous 4GB of RAM for snappy and superfast mobile performance. The basic model will have 32GB of storage space with option to expand via the microSD card slot.
Noted for manufacturing premium devices, HTC is said to include on the One M10 mix a camera system bannered by an Ultra Pixel-laced main shooter and an AMOLED display panel that signals the One M-series flagship's departure from LCD.
Yet the most interesting nugget of the new development is the likelihood that much of the HTC One M10 package being whispered about so far will find their way on one of the Nexus 2016 flagship phones that Google will roll out later in the year. Speculations have emerged that the Taiwan-based device maker is gearing up to partner anew with Google with the possibility of producing not one but two smartphones that run on Pure Android.
The HTC One M10 reimagined as the Nexus 2016 aligns with the recent reports that indicate Google is plotting to issue devices with premium build, design and specifications with vanilla Android running the show.
The tech giant is yet to comment on the matter but the juicy details are expected to come out through the annual Google I/O Developers Conference in late May. Release date of the Nexus 2016 devices are expected to follow either in September or October, likely consisting of two smartphones and a 7-inch tablet from Huawei.