HTC's next smartphone sounds like another iPhone clone

HTC is hard at work on its next flagship smartphone, the HTC One M10.

 

HTC One M10 is rumoured to look like the One A9 and therefore, the iPhone 6

 

HTC is expected to unveil its next flagship smartphone – the HTC One M10 – at the Mobile World Congress technology show in Barcelona, next month.

Little is known about the next-generation flagship, although serial leaker Evan Blass has just given us our first hint.

"If you like the A9, you'll love the M10," Mr Blass tweeted.

Admittedly, Mr Blass has a somewhat patchy record when it comes to HTC but his tweet could be the first real small clue to the direction the Taiwanese firm is taking for the M10.

If you like the A9, you'll love the M10.

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) January 26, 2016

 

The HTC One A9 sparked controversy last year, with many mocking its industrial design and its similarities to the Apple iPhone 6.

The One A9 sports a curved Gorilla Glass display that blends with the svelte, aluminium frame. 

HTC ditched the large, square camera module it used in the M8 and M9 in favour of a round iPhone-esque camera that protrudes from the case.

The HTC smartphone also featured the same chamfered edges and circular volume holes which Apple debuted with its iPhone 5 design.

 

The front-facing speakers were an iconic design flair of the HTC One M7 and newer

 

Apple has been criticised for copying HTC's industry-leading unibody smartphone designs in the past, so maybe it's only fair the Taiwanese firm inspired itself from the best-selling iPhone 6.

And if serial product leaker Evan Blass is right, we can expect a similar look for the HTC One M10.

Honestly, that would be a shame. 

 

A number of design tweaks were made of the HTC One A9, which left the phone looks a little familiar

 

HTC dropped the dual front-facing speakers that defined its iconic One M7 and One M8 in favour of a small speaker grill at the base of the device, like the iPhone.

It would be disappointing if this trend continued. 

We'd love to see HTC come flying out of the gate at Mobile World Congress with a stylish new design for its latest flagship smartphone.