Leaks happen in any industry, but for the mobile space it's just par for the course. We just expect it. We've been groomed to anticipate a new device's arrival on the market every year, a replacement to the handset before it, so we all know that we're going to hear about the new device long before its official announcement. More than that, though, we're going to probably see it quite a bit, too. Some companies have better luck with leaks, while others don't seem to have any luck at all. There's very rarely any middle ground here.
And some years are different than others. For a new device, the leaks might be only moderate, maybe even light, especially in comparison to other devices. However, if you start dealing with a successor in an already popular lineup? Then all bets are off, and there's a good chance by the time the official announcement rolls around, it's already "too late."
I don't think it's necessarily too late for HTC's All New One, but we might be getting pretty close to that point.
As it stands, we've seen just about everything the All New One has to offer, but mainly from a hardware standpoint. We have seen the handset on video, where the software was manipulated in some ways, but the content wasn't that great. For the most part, with every new leak and rumor, it's been all about the hardware, what we can expect from the updated design, and what we should get excited about for the internals powering the device.
For some people, hardware is all that matters. The proprietary software is just there, and they can learn to live with it, maybe even fall in love with it over time, as long as the hardware is worth handling. As far as I'm concerned, the All New One has pretty big shoes to fill when it comes to this particular department, so I'm excited to get my hands on it.
The leaks have become an issue for HTC, though. When we're dealing with a specific device, leaks can be a bad thing. Not like with Microsoft's upcoming Windows Phone 8.1, which has seen its fair share of pre-announcement coverage, where it may actually be boosting awareness for the software. With the All New One, the leaks are chipping away at any excitement the company is trying to build before their announcement. The surprise is quickly fleeting.
However, there are two things that could work in HTC's favor.
The first, oddly enough, is still the hardware design. Yes, we may know what it looks like (in multiple colors), and we've seen it from pretty much every angle you can think of, but that doesn't mean you've held it in your hand and felt how great it (potentially) feels. Seeing a device is one thing. So, yeah, you're no longer surprised when the company finally unveils the device because you've been looking at it for weeks (or months), but your entire opinion of the handset could change the moment you get it in your hands. Or it might not.
The second is the software. The new software that HTC has built to showcase the All New One. It's expected to be called Sense 6.0, and HTC has probably done quite a bit to continue to refine it, make it faster and more stable. Let's hope they've included some new features, too. The software could very well be the strongest selling point for a device that's been leaked so many times already. The software could be the only truly "surprising" element at HTC's event later this month, which means they better take advantage of it.
What do you think of HTC's All New One so far, based on what you've seen? Are you still excited for the launch in just a few weeks, or have the leaks ruined it for you? Do you think that HTC should just launch the phone, skip the event altogether, and just focus on marketing the device instead? Let me know!
