The successor to the HTC One could be released as early as February 2014
Remember the lawsuit that Nokia filed against HTC in the UK, which is ultimately resulting in an outright ban of HTC One mini and HTC One max sales in England as of December 6? As it turns out, we’ve received a nice kernel of information from this case about a future HTC device, to be released next year.
In the High Court’s published ruling, London judge Richard Arnold’s stated that a new HTC device would be launched in the UK in either February or March 2014. This is just under one year since the HTC One’s April 2013 release, lending credence to the theory that the successor to the HTC One could be released as early as February 2014.
A spokeswoman for HTC told the BBC that she had no knowledge of any such plan, although HTC’s legal team probably would have access to certain information that practically no one else in the company would have – even spokespeople.
From section 45 of the ruling (emphasis mine):
HTC is close to launching the successor flagship model to the HTC One. HTC has not revealed the launch date. Nokia has adduced evidence which suggests that the launch date is in the first quarter of 2014 and possibly as early as February 2014. HTC has not contradicted this.
From section 81:
So far as the One is concerned, HTC’s evidence is that the consequences of an immediate injunction will be catastrophic for its UK business because the One is its flagship model. HTC paints a dramatic picture of what will happen. I am bound to say that I am somewhat sceptical about this evidence given that HTC will shortly be launching its new flagship phone which cannot be assumed to infringe and therefore to be caught by the injunction. Nevertheless, I accept that there is a period between now and February or March 2014 when HTC is vulnerable. Furthermore, I accept that the damage which HTC will suffer if prevented from selling the One during this period will be both considerable and very difficult to quantify.
Speculate away.
[BBC via SlashGear]
