Just last week we reported on the HTC Edge, an exciting new quad-core Android smartphone supposedly in the works. It appears that’s not the only next gen smartphone HTC’s working on, though. Meet the HTC Zeta – possibly the most impressive quad-core device we’ve seen yet.
Tech site Engadget has been handed this picture and a bunch of specs supposedly for the HTC Zeta. Whether it’s a conceptual render or a phone that’s actually going to see the light of day we’re unsure, but it certainly is intriguing.
Brand new design
As you can see from the picture, the HTC Zeta’s design is strikingly different from anything HTC has produced before. For the last few years the company has churned out dependably solid if rather similar-looking handsets, each without a sharp edge in sight. The HTC Zeta takes a rather different approach.
As well as those sharp corners it appears to have a curved back that tapers at the edges, and an artfully recessed camera lens. Despite this, there is that tell-tale HTC metal band running around the handset’s midriff. There’s also a stunning edge-to-edge screen, cutting down on extraneous surface space (more on which later).
Quad-core processor
At the HTC Zeta’s hard will be a next generation Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. This little beauty is quad-core, like the Nvidia Tegra 3, but is clocked at a whopping 2.5GHz. It’s backed by the usual 1GB of RAM.
Whether this is the same chip as will be found in the HTC Edge, we’re not sure, but reports state that the Edge’s CPU is clocked at just 1.5GHz. That would appear to make the HTC Zeta the company’s new flagship device.
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4.5-inch HD screen
However, the HTC Zeta’s screen is slightly smaller than the HTC Edge’s. Smaller, but by no means small. It’s a 4.5-inch screen with a whopping 720p (1280 x 720) resolution. Hopefully the screen tech itself will be an improvement on current HTC devices which, while good, don’t quite match up to Samsung’s Super AMOLED displays.
32GB storage
Like the HTC Edge, the HTC Zeta will have a generous 32GB of storage as standard. Plenty of room for apps and films to use/watch on that huge HD screen.
8-megapixel camera
Again, like the Edge the HTC Zeta appears to stick with HTC’s new high-end standard camera component – an 8-megapixel snapper capable of 1080p video capture. Of course, HTC could yet have a surprise on the optics front.
Ice Cream Sandwich
As you’d expect from a phone that’s probably still at least six months away, the HTC Zeta will come with the imminent Android Ice Cream Sandwich. The new Google mobile OS has been built with large HD screens in mind, so it should look and operate beautifully here.
Beats Audio
As is the trend for HTC now, the HTC Zeta will be able to pump out some serious beats courtesy of Beats Audio integration. In real terms this means an enhanced audio setting and a pair of bass-heavy Beats Audio in-ear buds.
Dimensions
We even know how big the HTC Zeta will be (assuming it’s a real, finalised device of course). At 109.8 x 60.9 x 9.8mm, it’s massively shorter than the Samsung Galaxy Nexus – there’s more than 20mm in it. That can be attributed to the phone’s near edge-to-edge design, with the screen taking up most of the front surface.
It’s a little thicker, of course, and at 146 grams it’s around the weight of an iPhone 4S.
