HTC One (M8) mini and octa-core Desire 616 tipped to launch soon

HTC may not have officially revealed plans for a new mini-variant of the flagship 2014 smartphone, the One (M8), but a new report points to the possible existence of such a smartphone. In addition HTC's first rumoured octa-core smartphone, believed to be dubbed Desire 616, has been spotted again in China.

A publicationciting a UK online retailer has claimed that HTC plans to launch the mini version of the One (M8), rumoured to be dubbed One (M8) mini, in May.

Further, the source has suggested that the One (M8) mini will sport a premium unibody design like its elder sibling, though it will feature a 4.5-inch display. As of now, there is no word whether the alleged One (M8) mini will boast a full-HD display or HD display. The source has also claimed that the HTC One (M8)'s dual camera setup will be replaced with a single camera setup for the mini-version. For those unaware, the highlight of the HTC One (M8) is the dual camera setup that puts an UltraPixel camera alongside a depth-sensing camera that lets user's do things like refocussing images after they've been clicked. However, other features of the One (M8) mini are yet to be revealed.

(Also see: HTC One (M8) review: A worthy upgrade)

The HTC Desire 616, on the other hand, which is said to be Taiwanese handset maker's first octa-core smartphone, is tipped to be priced at CNY 1,299 (Rs. 12,500 approximately without taxes). Phone Arena in a report claims that HTC might launch the Desire 616 in April; however there is no official word on the global rollout of the yet-to-be-announced smartphone.

The alleged Desire 616 (Desire 616w) is said to be made out of plastic, instead of the metal body seen on the HTC One (M8). According to earlier leaked specifications, the alleged Desire 616 sports a 5-inch HD display and will run dated Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. The rumoured Desire 616, if real, will be Taiwanese giant's first octa-core smartphone. It is said to be powered by a 1.7GHz octa-core MediaTek processor (presumably the MT6592) alongside 1GB of RAM.

Other leaked specifications include an 8-megapixel rear camera accompanied by an LED flash; measures 142x71.9x9.1mm and weighs 150 grams. The alleged Desire 616 is likely to be available in five colour variants namely Black, Blue, Red, White and Yellow.