The HTC One successor dubbed the "M8" has leaked extensively, and now it seems that an HTC M8 Mini will launch soon as well.

Smartphones have gotten increasingly bigger, boasting massive displays that blur the line between phone and tablet. With such big smartphones gaining ground, a new trend has emerged, seeing high-end, large-screen flagships accompanied by smaller, more compact "Mini" versions.

Samsung first initiated this trend when it launched a Mini version for its then-flagship Galaxy S3 smartphone. The company continued with this strategy for its current flagship smartphone as well, offering the Galaxy S4 alongside a more compact Galaxy S4 Mini. HTC followed suit and launched a Mini version of its flagship HTC One, and the company will reportedly launch its next-generation flagship alongside a Mini version as well.

The much-rumored HTC M8 is expected to launch as the successor to the current HTC One flagship, and reliable tipster @evleaks now claims that an HTC M8 Mini is also in the cards.

The tipster didn't offer any details regarding what to expect with the smaller version of the M8. Mini versions of smartphones have typically launched with watered-down specs to accommodate the smaller form factor and lower price point, but Sony may have changed the rules of the game. The company launched its Xperia Z1 Compact as the Mini version of its flagship Xperia Z1, but didn't compromise very much in terms of specifications. The Z1 Compact is waterproof and boasts almost the same specs as the flagship, including the powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor and the high-end 20.7-megapixel rear camera.

HTC may go for a similar strategy and launch its purported M8 Mini with high-end specs as well, though this is purely based on speculation at this point. Not many details have leaked regarding this smaller version, but the next-generation flagship HTC M8 has starred in several reports.

The HTC M8 is expected to launch with a 5-inch full HD display and top-notch specifications such as a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage capacity, and microSD card support for additional memory. Other rumored specs include an UltraPixel camera, a 2,900 mAh battery, and Android 4.4 KitKat out of the box.

If HTC chooses to follow Sony's strategy, the HTC M8 Mini may launch as a trimmed down version of the M8 with the same processor and core specs as the flagship, but with a smaller display and lower resolution.

Keep in mind, however, that it's all in the rumor state for now, and it's also a bit early to speculate about an HTC M8 Mini. The flagship HTC M8 is expected to make its debut this month, and the smaller version may follow sometime after. We'll make sure to keep you up to date as soon as we learn more, but take everything with a grain of salt for now.