HTC patent reveals possible plans for MID
For quite a while now, Samsung's Galaxy S WiFi line has been the only high-end iPod Touch competitor from a prominent Android manufacturer. If recently released patents are to be believed, however, it seems that HTC may have plans to get into the untapped MID and connected media player section of the market as well.
The patent you see above was actually filed back in 2011, but only recently published by the US Patent and Trademark Office, so it certainly does not mean that a device is coming soon. In fact, the patent doesn't even specify whether the device will actually be a media player or a phone, and instead calls it a "handheld electronic device." However, many clues the patent seem to suggest something other than a phone, such as the very numerous speakers, kickstand, and lack of talk about any kind of 3G connectivity or microphone.
Still, nothing about this guarantees a device, and the patent could simply be a concept that HTC wanted to explore, but never got around to. It would certainly be nice, though, if HTC did release a premium media device to compete with the iPod and Galaxy S Wifi, whether it looks like this or not. As long as it has specs even somewhat similar the HTC One series, a MID from HTC would be a welcome addition to the sparse pickings in the Android media player market.
[Patent Bolt]
