HTC set to make comeback with metaverse smartphone, here's what we know

The phone will launch on June 28 and feature metaverse technology

After being absent from the smartphone market that it once dominated, HTC is all set to make a comeback with a metaverse-powered smartphone on June 28. While the first decade and a half of the century saw HTC go toe-to-toe in a competitive market battling the likes of Apple, Samsung, OnePlus and Xiaomi, the Taiwanese brand seems to have disappeared from the market.

The company has, however, gained footing in the Virtual Reality segment which they call 'Vive'. HTC offers a range of AR/VR headgears and accessories, ranging between $129 and $1,399. Now, it is ready with a premium VR-focused smartphone.

What we know about the phone so far

While not much is known about the phone apart from its launch date (June 28), what we can expect is the company to bring together its experience in VR technology and smartphones in the new metaverse device.

HTC launched its own version of metaverse called ‘Vivaverse’ in March 2022. It defines Vivaverse as "a metaverse ecosystem that connects people from all walks of life to an open and accessible virtual world". It aims to "connect individuals and communities across the metaverse to allow interactions in new virtual worlds using any device". Hence, we can also expect the phone to support AR and VR headsets.

To process high-quality multimedia content, HTC is likely to use top-of-the-line chipsets from either Qualcomm (Snapdragon 8 series) or MediaTek (Dimensity 9000 series).

The phone was initially set to be launched in April but the global supply chain issues and Covid-19 outbreak are speculated to have slowed down the manufacturing.

HTC had in 2019 experimented with the blockchain technology in HTC Exodus and Exodus 1s. The series, however, reportedly didn’t take off due to the lack of popularity of cryptocurrencies.

It is still unknown whether or not the phone will be available in the Indian market.

More details would follow the launch of the device on June 28.