HTC Corp. is expected to launch its flagship U12+ model in early May in order to avoid direct competing with rivals in the Android camp such as Samsung Electronics, Sony, Xiaomi and OPPO.

The U12+ could be the only premium smartphone HTC launches this year, with such a strategy intended to prolong the U12+ sales cycle, according to sources in Taiwan.

The smartphone is expected to be equipped with a 6-inch display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, 6 GB RAM and 64 GB or 128 GB of internal storage, as well as a 3,420 mAh battery.

The smartphone is also likely to be equipped with a dual 12 and 16 megapixel lens camera on the back with a dual 8 megapixel lens camera on the front.

HTC is expected to equip the U12+ with "Edge Sense" as seen in its predecessors, which allows users to simply squeeze the phone to activate features such as the camera or other apps.

HTC reported a loss for the fourth quarter of last year. The company is trying to expand into the virtual reality market by selling a VR headset since April 2016, but this accounts for only a small fraction of its sales and has had little impact on the company's continued losses.