HTC is losing sleep over the One M10, says teaser vid

HTC skipped revealing anything huge at MWC 2016 last week so that it could have its unveiling event all to its own. Considering what's at stake for the company, it could definitely benefit from some undivided attention. But just how critical is the "One M10" to HTC's business? Apparently, bad enough for its employees to lose sleep over and go on overtime a lot. At least that seems to be the implication in HTC's latest "Power of 10" teaser video that claims, rather than demonstrate, how HTC is obsessed with making a better smartphone.

"We're obsessed, but in a good way", says HTC. Obsessed at perfecting their smartphone. Not because they have to, but because they want to. And yet, at the same time, they're in a grind. While HTC does try to spin the message to paint the image of a company deeply committed to designing a smartphone superstar, it might actually have the opposite effect, casting doubt on whether the HTC can actually deliver.

The HTC One (M7) could perhaps be considered the pinnacle of HTC's Android smartphones. From then, things have gone downhill a bit, with an "OK" One M8 followed by a disappointing One M9. Management shake up, delayed promises, and a diversion in products might have made some former fans and market analysts dubious of the company's future. But if there's one thing HTC has proven to the world is that it can be stubborn and persistent.

There have been predictions that HTC would throw in the towel in the smartphone race but it hasn't given any indication of doing so. Its previous flagships have been heavily criticized for their almost mediocre cameras, not to mention empty buzzwords, but now HTC is claiming that they have finally gotten it right.

Of course, it cannot claim otherwise, but actual execution will be the one that decides whether HTC has made another empty promise. So far, the leaks have been both predictable and perplexing. Hardware specs for flasghip smartphones have mostly coalesced around the Snapdragon 820, 4 GB of RAM, and a QHD resolution display. That said, HTC has twice missed out on some of the trends, particularly the screen, so there is some precedent for being skeptical. And the design of the back, as leaked earlier, is also a sharp turn away from its convention.

HTC is expected to finally bare it all in two weeks time. Then we'll finally get to see if all those overtimes were really effective.