HTC One E9 is a phablet with a 5.5-inch QHD display and huge camera areola on the back

Last year HTC introduced the HTC One E8, a slightly more affordable, plastic clad version of their popular HTC One M8. Today, images of an HTC One E9 have surfaced, showing a phablet-sized HTC device headed for Asian markets.

The phone was revealed by China’s telecommunications equipment certification center, otherwise known as TENAA, so it’s pretty official. While it’s tough to make out build materials by the images, it does show HTC’s new 2-tone finish on what is likely to be an all plastic Android device. The back features a rather unsightly camera housing, placed all the way along the top of the phone.

Some basic specs were also revealed, showing a 5.5-inch display, 2,800mAh battery, and measuring in at 7.54mm thin. As for the rest, @upleaks chimed in last week to fill in the missing pieces, claiming the phone (A55) will come with a 2GHz MediaTek MT6795 8-core processor (64-bit), 3GB RAM, WQHD display, 20MP/13MP rear camera with 4MP UltraPixel front facing camera, and BoomSound front facing speakers.

Other colors include white with rose gold (pictured), metallic gray, or brown and gold. Expected launch date is sometimes towards the end of this month, with HTC already sending out invites for a press event in China where the phone is expected to be unveiled at a price point of around 0.

[TENAA | ithome | upleaks]

 

Alcatel’s Hero 2+ phablet is the latest phone to launch with Cyanogen OS

Alcatel might not be the most exciting name in all the mobile lands, but their latest phone gives us reason to pay attention. It’s the Hero 2+, a 6-inch phablet that will find its way onto the market with the following specs:

• Display: 6-inch Full HD (1080 x 1920) TFT 16M color display + built in stylus


• Processor: MT6592 2.0 GHz octa-core ARM Cortex-A7 processor


• Camera: 13MP main camera + 5MP front camera for the perfect selfie


• Video Capture: Full HD 1080p 30 frame per second video capture so you never miss any of life’s moments


• Memory/Storage: 2GB RAM / 16GB of storage (Expandable to 32GB via MicroSD)


• Dimensions: 160.5mm x 81.6mm x 7.9mm

All of that hardware is used to run Cyanogen OS as this is the latest phone to launch with the grassroots ROM by default. Unfortunately it’ll ship with Cyanogen OS 11S, a KitKat distribution, but we’re sure Cyanogen OS 12 — the one with Lollipop — will be along shortly after release.

“We’ve joined forces with ALCATEL ONETOUCH to push the limits of what a great user experience looks like, beginning with their latest phablet for North America – HERO 2+,” said Vikram Natarajan, Senior Vice President of Global Partnerships and Distribution for Cyanogen. “Our partnership is reflective of our deep commitment to driving innovation and meaningful differentiation for users; with enhanced privacy and security features.”

The device is said to be a North American exclusive, and will be available from Alcatel’s Amazon store starting at 9. It ships Q2 2015 so there won’t be a long wait if you’re interested in something like this over, say, the OnePlus One.