Reports have surfaced that Taiwanese manufacturer, HTC, is looking to develop a smaller version of its premium smartphone.
According to a report by Bloomberg, two sources familiar with HTC's plans believe the company is working on a 'mini' One to compete with Samsung's Galaxy S4 mini.
According to the sources, the new device will feature a 4.3-inch screen in comparison to the 4.7-inch screen of the One. The mini One is expected to go on sale by August.
One of the sources said the device is also likely to have a less-powerful Qualcomm processor and lower-resolution screen than the premium smartphone.
HTC, however, declined to comment on a request by Bloomberg.
HTC announced the HTC One in February and it went on sale globally from March. The One was released in SA in April.
Troubled waters
In April, HTC reported a record-low quarterly profit after it delayed the full launch of its 2013 flagship smartphone model. The company has been struggling to maintain relevance in the fast-growing smartphone marketplace which is dominated by Samsung and Apple.
Many of HTC's executives are jumping ship, including chief product officer Kouji Kodera, president of South Asia Lennard Hoornik, and VP of global communications Jason Gordon. Last week, COO Matthew Costello also stepped down in the middle of a management restructuring.
HTC's partnership with Facebook has also not been a prosperous one. The Facebook 'phone', the HTC First, pre-loaded with the social media giant's Android home screen sleeve, reflected low sales figures in the US, resulting in the postponement of its release to the UK.
Small trend
Earlier this month, Samsung announced its Galaxy S4 mini which has many of the premium S4's unique features. Samsung introduced its first compact premium smartphone, the Galaxy S3 mini, last year.
Vodacom has confirmed it will also stock the S4 mini. "Details will be made available closer to the launch," says a Vodacom spokesperson.
Apple is yet to announce the release of its highly-anticipated low-cost iPhone, which would place it in contention with Samsung and HTC's compact smartphones.
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