HTC U Play could launch this week alongside two other phones

You might not have to wait until MWC 2017 for big phone news, as it seems HTC has a lot planned for January 12.

The company is holding an event that day, and while the subject of the event was originally wrapped in mystery, we now have a clear idea of what to expect, with the latest information from tipster @OnLeaks suggesting a phone called the HTC U Play (previously codenamed HTC Alpine) will be announced, complete with a 5.2-inch screen and no headphone jack.

The lack of a headphone jack suggests a slim design, but the leak comes from an “unverified source”, so it may not be accurate.

U know what's coming

But we're also expecting two other phones on January 12, both of which have previously been leaked, with, according to the same source, the HTC U Ultra (codenamed the HTC Ocean Note) taking the top spot with a 6.0-inch screen and no headphone jack.

Based on a recent video leak the U Ultra might also let you tap and swipe the edges of the phone to interact with it.

We’re also likely to see the HTC One X10, which leaked late last year with a 5.5-inch 1080p screen, 3GB of RAM, an octa-core chipset and a 13MP camera.

None of these phones look to be the HTC 11 – we probably will be waiting until MWC 2017 for that. But they sound like they could be competent handsets, and the HTC U Ultra may even be high-end.

James Rogerson

James is a freelance phones, tablets and wearables writer and sub-editor at TechRadar. He has a love for everything ‘smart’, from watches to lights, and can often be found arguing with AI assistants or drowning in the latest apps. James also contributes to 3G.co.uk, 4G.co.uk and 5G.co.uk and has written for T3, Digital Camera World, Clarity Media and others, with work on the web, in print and on TV.