HTC U 11 to go on sale on May 19 for $659

We're still a little bit fuzzy on details when it comes to HTC's upcoming U 11 device. However, this shouldn't be the case for much longer, since the official launch date is already set for May 16. Now, a new report claims HTC won't keep fans waiting to get their hands on one either, with a potential local release date as early as May 19.

To be fair, this probably marks pre-sales kick off, rather than actual store availability. But even so, HTC seems to be keeping a tight schedule this time around. The source also claims that users outside Taiwan will get the U 11 in June.

As for the U 11 itself, we already know HTC is grooming it as a new flagship offer. The manufacturer has only gone on record teasing something rather cryptic, it calls "360 real-live recording" and not much beyond that. Thankfully, AnTuTu, Geekbench and GFXBench listings for the U 11 have already surfaced. As far as we can gather, the phone will be powered by Qualcomm's latest, 10nm Snapdragon 835 chipset, along with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of built-in storage. It will likely use a 5.5-inch, QHD panel with a traditional 16:9 aspect ratio.

Other alleged specs include a 12MP main camera and a 16MP selfie one. HTC Sense will likely run on top of Android 7.1.1 on the device. Also, IP57 waterproofing, HTC BoomSound, a fingerprint reader, QuickCharge 3.0 on the 3,000 mAh battery and no 3.5mm audio jack. But, despite all the specs leaks, the U 11 still holds a lot of mystery. There is the "360 real-live recording" thing we mentioned earlier, butt also what is described as a gesture-recognizing frame. Apparently the phone will be able to sense squeeze and trigger actions based on that gesture.

At $659, we doubt the HTC U 11 will really explode in sales on the current smarthpone scene. Still, if HTC continues to grow its list of intriguing extra features, the U 11 might just leave a dent or two in competitor sales numbers once it comes out.