HTC took the wraps off its U Ultra and U-Play smartphones earlier this year, but rumors running rampant online suggested something major, bearing codename 'Ocean' is in the works.

HTC U Release Date

While the HTC 11 is nowhere close to hitting the store shelves in 2017, HTC U a.k.a. HTC Ocean has been floating around the rumor mill for a long time now. There's no official word regarding the exact release date of the HTC U, but AndroidAuthority claims the device could arrive by the end of April.

HTC U Release Date Specifications

Despite the lack of an official announcement, VentureBeat's Evan Blass (@evleaks) has leaked the first live image of the HTC U phone via a tweet; however, the purported HTC device is no stranger to leaks. It can be recalled that Blass' unnamed sources had previously spilled the beans about the device's specs which comprised the Snapdragon 835 alongside a touch-sensitive frame.

Nevertheless, the video footage embedded in the tweet gave smartphone enthusiasts a peek at a bunch of HTC U features including Intuitive Control, Contextual UI, and Sense Touch. Thanks to Edge Sense technology, the user can now control several customizable actions with gestures such as swiping or squeezing along its left and right sides. The embedded sensors in the frame of the handset make this possible.

The HTC U will run on Sense 9 based Android 7.1 Nougat. In terms of optics, the device will come with a 12MPIMX362 Sony sensor for the primary camera and a 16MP IMX351 on the front. Moreover, it will be up for grabs in 64GB and 128GB versions equipped with microSD expansion. It will sport a 5.5-inch QHD display.

While Blass is usually on the money when it comes to leaks, readers are still advised to take this with a huge grain of salt as there's no way to confirming that the leaked image and specs are factual.