HTC U12 release date, specs rumors: Upcoming flagship set to impress with all-screen display, improved camera features

The silver variant of HTC's current flagship smartphone, U11HTC website

The HTC U12 is one of the most anticipated flagship smartphones this year. Although the Taiwan-based tech firm has yet to confirm its arrival, rumors are rife that the U11 successor will launch in the next few months. The next entry in HTC's U series is expected to introduce major design upgrades, featuring a full view front display and enhanced camera capabilities.

The latest leaks regarding the HTC U12 were posted in Amazon Japan, wherein details about the smartphone's supposed casing were listed. The listing claims that the protective cases are already underway, especially now that the HTC U12 is expected to be released very soon. At first glance, the leaked U12 case appears to be a regular Android phone cover, although the four slots reserved for the device's cameras are noticeable. There are two camera slots for each of the front and back portion of the phone, suggesting that a dual-lens setup can be expected for the front-facing and rear camera, Tech Radar reported.

A dual camera setup has become a trend in flagship devices recently, although in the case of the HTC U12 leak, a two-lens build for the front and rear shooters is very unique. If the leaked renders turned out to be correct, the HTC U12 will be among the first premium smartphones to boast four cameras in a single body.

Meanwhile, a separate render leak spotted earlier this month gave the public an idea regarding the HTC U12's display. The leaked photo reveals the front side of the handset, showing nothing but a black screen. One might think that this sneak peek has nothing significant to show about the U12, but this implies that HTC has finally jumped on the bandwagon for an all-screen display phone.

According to Value Walk, it would not be surprising if the HTC U12 does launch with an all-screen front panel, given that the HTC 11 Plus was launched with slimmer bezels last December. Another thing to note from the render leak is that the fingerprint sensor is nowhere to be seen, another indication that the U12 is going for a full view design. It has yet to be seen if the biometric reader will be transferred to the rear side of the phone, or perhaps the sensor will be embedded right under the all-screen panel.

The HTC U12 is expected to become available in the first half of 2018.