The HTC M8 is tipped to be the first HTC device to feature on-screen buttons rather than the soft touch variety.
Tipped to launch around MWC 2014, the HTC M8 could lack any soft touch navigational buttons, making it the first HTC device to do so.
According to notorious tech tipster @evleaks, the HTC M8 could feature an on-screen navigational bar rather than the usual array of soft touch buttons located underneath the display.
“M8 will be the first HTC device with on-screen buttons”, reads the @evleaks tweet.
Samsung and HTC are two of the only Android device manufacturers to persevere with capacitive buttons, but it seems HTC’s next flagship could follow in the Google Nexus 5’s footprints.
In the past, Google has argued that the adoption of the navigation bar would help standardise the Android experience, but some manufacturers have been averse to the suggestion.
Android 4.4 KitKat introduced Immersive Mode that make it easier for app developers to take advantage of the device’s full screen estate without losing access to the navigation bar. It can be accessed as a semi-transparent menu by dragging down from the top of the screen, disappearing if it is not engaged with.
This means smartphone and tablet manufacturers have little excuse not to introduce the touch-screen navigation bar rather than a row of soft touch buttons. Removing the latter would allow for reduced bezels and smaller designs without losing screen estate.
Other rumoured features include an enhanced fingerprint scanner, Android 4.4 KitKat, HTC Sense 6.0 UI and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor with 2GB of RAM.
It is also tipped to feature a 5-inch full 1080p HD resolution display and a twin-sensor rear UltraPixel camera.
The HTC M8 should launch at a special event just before the Barcelona-based MWC 2014 conference, perhaps held in London like the HTC One launch.
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