HTC Aero release date, news and rumors

HTC's got a new hero on the way and it's not the M10

 

We've already had one HTC flagship this year in the form of the HTC One M9, but we might be about to get another. Not the HTC One M10 - that probably won't be here until early next year - but instead something new and different.
We don't know a huge amount about it yet, but the name HTC Aero is being thrown around, and with talk of a QHD screen and a ground-breaking camera, it could be well worth keeping an eye on.

Cut to the chase

• What is it? A new high-end phone from HTC.
• When is it out? October probably.
• What will it cost? A lot. A whole lot.

HTC Aero release date

It looks like the HTC Aero will probably launch sometime in October. Although it was never referred to by name, HTC's CEO Cher Wang stated that a 'hero' device would be released then and that descriptor certainly sounds high-end.

HTC Aero design

So far we don't know anything about the design of the HTC Aero, if it's the high-end device that it's seemingly shaping up to be though then we'd expect it to have a premium, likely quite stylish build.
But whether it will take its cues from the all-metal HTC One M9 or sport a new design remains to be seen.

HTC Aero screen

While the HTC One M9 has just a 1080p screen it looks like the HTC Aero could push things up to QHD. A source speaking to HTCViet certainly thinks so anyway, claiming that the upcoming handset will have a 1440 x 2560 display, protected by Gorilla Glass 4.
Supposedly it will also be 2.5D, which is less exciting than it probably sounds, but means that the edges will curve ever so slightly into the frame, much like they do on the iPhone 6.

HTC Aero rivals

It's hard to truly get a sense of what sort of phone the HTC Aero will be yet, so predicting its rivals is tricky too. But as a likely high-end late 2015 handset it will have the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus for company.
They could pose a seriously tough challenge for it, though as 'S' models we're not expecting them to stray far from what we saw with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

The Sony Xperia Z5 could launch soon too, once again bringing the best of Sony in a smartphone, including waterproofing, a 5.5-inch 1080p screen and a fingerprint scanner if rumors are to be believed.
The Aero could potentially also face competition from other HTC handsets, most notably the still-decent HTC One M9, depending on the price.

HTC Aero camera and battery

We could be in for a real treat with the HTC Aero's camera, as sources speaking to HTCViet claim it's "ground-breaking".
They go some way to explaining why, stating that it will have an f/1.9 aperture, which could improve photos in low light conditions. That's something HTC is often good at anyway, but there's always room for improvement.
As well as that it will apparently be able to save photos in RAW format, so if you're serious about photography you won't have to compress the images you capture. We're not convinced any of that really sounds ground-breaking, but it is at least promising.

HTC Aero OS and power

Given that the HTC Aero probably won't launch until October it's possible that it will run Android Marshmallow (which is expected in September) out of the box, overlaid with HTC's Sense interface.
There's no word on what will be powering HTC's new phone. Perhaps it will sport a Snapdragon 810 like the HTC One M9, but given the controversy surrounding that chip HTC might opt for something different - could it be the 808 used in the LG G4, or even a new mid-range 600 series?

HTC Aero cost

There haven't been any leaks or rumors about the price of the HTC Aero, but given that it's shaping up to be a high-end phone we'd expect a high-end price.
For reference the HTC One M9 has an RRP of £500/$649/AU$1099, and we doubt the Aero will be any more than that and it could be less as it's not part of HTC's main flagship line - but it's bound to cost many hundreds of pounds/dollars.