HTC is rethinking its strategy by planning to release only half of last year's count to focus on core features. HTC President of Smartphone and Connected Devices Business Chialin Chang confirmed that the company is looking at six to seven devices this year, which already includes the recently revealed U Ultra and U-Play.

HTC's 2017 Roadmap Has Up To Five More Devices In-Store

According to Chang (via Engadget), this move allows them to focus on the important aspects of a smartphone, which would then allow them to be more competitive. This is evident in HTC U Ultra and U-Play that both have the company's take on an AI virtual assistant, Sense Companion.

Chang claimed that HTC's main selling point is machine learning. Sense Companion is reportedly a combination of third-party data, device information. and Google Awareness API. The virtual assistant learns more about the user over time and adjusts according to new knowledge.

No HTC 11 May Be Released In The Market This Year

HTC 10 was released last year, which means a successor is due in 2017. However, it may not be called the HTC 11 as opposed to popular expectations. This does not mean that the company is not planning to release a follow-up anymore, just that it will come with a different name.

It is speculated that HTC 11 or HTC Ocean will be announced in the MWC 2017, which kicks off Feb. 27. If true, then a launch can be expected in March. Rumors suggest that it will come out of the box with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor paired with 4 or 6GB of RAM.

The HTC Ocean may also sport a 5.5-inch screen with an 8MP camera at the front and a 12MP camera at the back. Nevertheless, these are all just rumors for now. News and updates are bound to come in the coming weeks.