When it comes to leaks, few can beat the Chinese social networking website Weibo as popular leaksters from Asia often choose the platform to unleash unofficial reports about technology. This time around, an image and certain details about the HTC 11 have been leaked on Weibo that point towards quite a beastly device from the Taiwanese company. Take a look at the leaked image above and the rumoured specs below to get an idea of what we are talking about here.

5.5-inch edge-to-edge QHD display
Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC
6GB/8GB of RAM
256GB internal storage
3,700mAh battery with Quick Charge 4.0
Dual 12-megapixel cameras at the back and an 8-megapixel selfie cam in front

While the specs do look very impressive, we are a bit sceptical about the 8GB RAM though. We are not entirely sure that HTC will bump up the RAM count on their next flagship smartphone from 4GB on the HTC 10 to 8GB on the HTC 11. It is more likely that the HTC 11 may sport 6GB of RAM instead. I guess we will find out more as we inch closer to 2017.

Saikat Kar (tech-enthusiast)

Techconfigurations has just released a video on YouTube that shows the upcoming HTC made Google devices in detail. Keep in mind though, this is just a 3D video render that is primarily based on the leaked images that we have seen so far, combined with intelligent artistic creativity from the compiler. If you are not yet familiar with the rumoured specifications of the two upcoming devices, take a look below.

Both of them will sport the same 12-mp rear camera, 8-mp front camera, 4GB of RAM, bottom facing speakers, USB Type-C port, Bluetooth version 4.2 and fingerprint scanner on the back. However, the higher end Nexus Marlin may have 128GB of internal memory, as opposed to the 32GB internal memory of the SailFish. Marlin will also sport a bigger battery (3,450mAh) than the 2,770mAh battery rumoured to be inside the SailFish. Both the devices will feature Quad High Definition displays with an AMOLED panel but the Nexus marlin will have a larger 5.5-inch display compared to the 5-inch display of the SailFish. Even though it has been rumoured that the Nexus devices will both sport a Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset, the model number of the SoC is still a mystery.

Author: Saikat Kar (tech-enthusiast)

Before you get too excited about getting the flagship phone for free, we must inform you that this is sadly not the case. A few reports on the internet had suggested that the UAE based operator Etisalat is giving away the HTC 10 for free to some of their customers and after some research, they turned out to be expectedly misleading. Don't get us wrong though, Etisalat is still offering a great deal on the HTC 10, but it's just not giving it away for free like the rumors suggested.

The actual offer of the telecommunications company includes zero upfront, two-years of warranty, enhanced screen insurance and offer on Uber rides with every purchase of the HTC 10 smartphone. The lowest monthly payout for the plan is only Dh105 and you will even get a free home-delivery if you order it online. The offer on Uber ride extends up to Dh100 and the added insurance from HTC on display damage will extend up to six months, during which, all broken or damaged displays will be repaired for free.

Khaled Elkhouly, who is the chief Consumer Officer at Etisalat, said that he feels that this new smart pay option will make the HTC 10 more affordable to their customers and will also help the smartphone reach more buyers. Nikitas Glykas, President of HTC MEA expressed his excitement at the newfound partnership between Etisalat and HTC. To us, it sounds like a great deal as well, given the fact that the HTC 10 has received international acclamation. In case, you just want to pick up a HTC 10 free of contract in the UAE, you can do so for a price tag of Dh2,399.

Author: Saikat Kar (Tech-journalist and enthusiast)

The HTC 10 was recently announced by Verizon and they were the first carrier in the US to do so. However, Sprint has just joined in the action with more details about the phone and a clear release date. The Sprint version of the HTC 10 will be available from May 13 on contract and at zero down payment. There will only be a monthly charge of $26 for two years (24 months) as per the contract. Sprint also added that the highly acclaimed smartphone will be using their LTE Plus network for superfast internet speeds. Verizon will still be the first carrier in America to start selling the HTC 10 via pre-orders accepted only through their online store.

The HTC 10 was received very well around the world by techies and the excellent reviews have created quite a bit of demand for the handset in USA as well. If you are not particularly familiar with HTC's flagship smartphone for 2016, you might find them to be quite impressive. Chamfered edges and a metal body hide the powerhouse Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 SoC within, while the front hosts a 5.2" Super LCD 5 display (1440p) at 565 ppi. There is also 4GB of RAM onboard which seems to have become a standard for all flagship devices this year. HTC has significantly slimmed down HTC Sense 8.0 this year and as a result, the experience feels almost the same as stock Android 6.0.1, albeit with a few added features. There are also the famous front-firing HTC BoomSound speakers and a built-in fingerprint scanner inside the Home button.

Fortunately, most Android smartphone manufacturers went back to the drawing board and gave their smartphones an expandable memory card slot. This holds true for the HTC 10 as well, so you can now increase your phone's storage by an additional 200GB. You will of course get an internal memory of 32-GB to begin with. The 12-megapixel rear camera with laser autofocus, optical image stabilization, f/1.8 aperture and dual-tone LED flash was highlighted by HTC as one of the best features of the smartphone. Not to be outdone, the selfie cam is a 5-megapixel ½.3" sensor with 1.55µm pixel size. The 3,000 mAh battery supports Qualcomm QuickCharge 3.0 and once fully charged, is reported to provide the user with 27 hours of talk time, along with a standby time of 456 hours.

Did the impressive specs of the HTC 10 get you excited? Do the positive reviews make you want this phone even more? Or will you give this one a pass? Let us know what you think.

Author: Saikat Kar (Tech-journalist and enthusiast)

If the rumors are to be believed, then HTC could be Google's partner for making at least one of the Nexus devices this year. The HTC 10 was received very well around the world by critics and that is the main reason as to why many are of the opinion that the next Nexus is possibly going to be best one made so far.

A concept model of the rumored HTC Nexus that is based on the HTC 10 has been made by a Reddit user. As expected, it shows the fingerprint scanner to be on the back of the smartphone, just below the rear camera. A metallic body much like the HTC 10 and two front firing speakers from the Taiwanese flagship also make their way to this concept model of the Nexus 2016. The big Nexus branding at the back reminds us of the fact that we are looking at the next Nexus and not the HTC 10.

Another rumor suggests that HTC will be making not one, but two devices for Google this year. The first one will be taking the place of the LG-made Nexus 5X, while the second one will replace the Huawei-made Nexus 6P. If the speculations are correct, then the devices will be using 5" and 5.5" displays respectively.

As is always the case with Nexus devices, they will both be launched with Android N right out of the box. Since Android N has in-built support for pressure-sensitive displays and functions, we expect features similar to Apple's 3D Touch to show up on the latest Nexus smartphones. Google is allegedly working on a Nexus VR device as well, so we expect the Nexus 2016 smartphones to also support virtual reality. We should get to know what's what before the devices get their expected release prior to Q3, 2016.