Once a leading force in the Android smartphone market， HTC has significantly shifted its focus in recent years towards Virtual Reality (VR)， the metaverse， and smart glasses (like the VIVE Eagle). Consequently， its mobile phone business has largely faded from public view.
However， at the recently concluded GITEX 2025 Information Technology Exhibition in Dubai， several unreleased HTC mobile phones made an appearance.
Among these was a strikingly designed “e-sports themed” new device. According to photos shared by Yasuhiro Yamane， the back of this new phone features prominent red accents and sharp lines， a stark departure from HTC’s traditionally understated aesthetic. This design choice leans more towards a gamer-centric and trendy appeal.
It is speculated that this new device will target the affordable e-sports phone market. It is expected to be powered by the Ziguang ZhanRui T765 mid-range chip， emphasizing a good balance between performance and power efficiency. The phone will reportedly feature a 5600mAh battery， a 50-megapixel main camera， and a 16-megapixel front-facing camera.
In addition to this e-sports oriented model， the exhibition also showcased four other new Wildfire series phones with different designs， ranging from single-lens to triple-lens camera setups. This indicates HTC’s intention to re-establish a multi-tiered product line， catering to both entry-level and mid-range market segments. This strategic move suggests HTC might be looking to reclaim some market share by offering a range of devices at different price points， a strategy that has proven successful for many manufacturers in competitive markets.
Reports suggest that these newly revealed devices are slated for official release in specific regions this autumn (potentially October or November). It’s important to note， however， that these phones are produced under brand licensing， and thus do not represent a true “HTC return” to manufacturing. For any official successors to the HTC U24 series， consumers will likely have to wait longer.
