HTC announces plans to launch a "metaverse phone" in April 2022; Check details

Taiwanese consumer electronics company HTC announced during the MWC 2022 event that it will be launching a new smartphone next month, i.e. in April. Furthermore, the company asserts that it wants to integrate some advanced metaverse-relations features into the smartphone. Metaverse refers to a digitally-simulated environment wherein individuals can interact with each other via their virtual avatar. 

During the MWC 2022, HTC mentioned its plans to the DigiTimes. HTC's Asia Pacific General Manager Charles Huang has revealed the company's plans of launching a "metaverse phone" back in April 2022. Additionally, the smartphone is learned to be powerful enough so that it can handle augmented reality and virtual reality. It is pertinent to mention here that HTC has been one of the pioneers in the virtual reality space. 

To recall, the last smartphone launched by HTC was called Exodus 1 and it came out in December 2018. The smartphone had a dedicated crypto wallet feature for cryptocurrency enthusiasts. Since then, the company has not released any smartphones, especially for the international market. However, it has been active in its country where it has launched a couple of mid-range and budget smartphones. 

The company could take from its experience in the virtual reality industry to power the metaverse smartphone. Although, it is not clear as to what features or use cases are the company targeting with its metaverse smartphone. While a lot of companies are working towards developing a unified platform that can be used with the help of AR and VR, the concept itself would take some time to mature. 

Only last year, the company launched the Vive Flow VR headset that featured two LCD displays in a sunglass-like design. The device also had two cameras in the front that support hand and motion tracking. Unlike other VR headsets in the market, it did not come with a controller. HTC could launch its metaverse smartphone with dedicated integration of the Vive Flow VR headset. Furthermore, since the smartphone is said to have high-end specifications, it might rival other flagship smartphones from companies like Samsung and OnePlus. Stay tuned for more tech news.