Last year, critics and Android fans heaped praise on the HTC One for its superior build quality, and it deservingly won the 'Best Smartphone of the Year (2013)' at the recently concluded MWC (Mobile World Congress) 2014. Now, as the phone passes its year cycle, the wait for its successor will be ended in a couple of days' time.

The company has officially kick-started the final countdown for the HTC M8 aka All New HTC One with the promise of enhanced features better than that of Samsung's Galaxy S5. Hearing this, the excitement among loyal fans has reached a fever pitch.

To help provide a better perspective on the upcoming HTC M8 aka All New HTC One's specifications, we have sifted through multiple reports and pieced together a list of probable key features which are likely to make the cut.

Display and Design:

According to numerous leaked snapshots and videos, the upcoming HTC smartphone is certain to keep the same design aesthetics seen on its predecessor, like zero-gap all metal (airplane grade Aluminum) Uni-body, but with a bump in display footprint, a 5.0-inch scratch-resistant screen with full HD (1920x1080p) resolutions, 0.3-inch more than HTC One.

The recently leaked HTC M8 brochure of the Australian network carrier Telstra also corroborates the screen specifications.  

Processor, RAM and Storage Capacity:

A few days ago, US-bound HTC M8 Verizon model was inadvertently put up for sale at the popular online store eBay. The snapshot of the package posted by the seller disclosed that the device will pack the new 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 series processor similar to the one found inside that of its rival Samsung Galaxy S5.

The new HTC phone is touted to pack minimum 2GB RAM and come in 16GB/32GB/64GB storage variants with microSD card slot, giving an expansion option up to 128GB.

Camera:

After facing flak over the HTC One's UltraPixel camera, the company has reportedly enhanced the main camera feature on the rear side, with the introduction of secondary camera on the primary camera to give a better depth of field and provide tools for 3-D effects to enhance photography.  

Earlier in the month, popular Twitter spy @evleaks posted an image of the alleged HTC M8, revealing the rear side of the device. In the snapshot, the smartphone is seen flaunting two cameras, one with a wider circumference having a metal ring and a Dual-LED flash light at the side, and a second snapper sitting atop the bigger camera module. [To view the photo, click here]

According to GSMArena, the upcoming phone's dual cameras will have a combined resolution of 16-megapixel, while the front camera will boast of the UltraPixel technology.

Mobile Operating System:

Already, scores of new phones including high-end (like Galaxy S5, Sony Xperia Z2) and mid-range (LG L90) smartphones are coming with KitKat OS, so in all probability, HTC One successor too will ship with the chocolate-wafer flavored Android OS with custom UI Sense v6.0.

Key features of KitKat OS include smarter caller ID, more organized message grouping Hangouts (all text-SMS, audio and video chat will now be under one roof), quick access to settings, wireless printing (select HP printers), Quickoffice word document app, Bluetooth MAP (Message Access Profile), and many more.

[Also read: Description of key features of Android KitKat OS]

Unveiling and release day details:

HTC is confirmed to hold simultaneous launch events at London and New York City, 3:00 PM GMT(8:30 PM IST), on Tuesday, 25 March 2014, reported Tech Radar.

Unlucky fans who won't be able to attend the event can witness it live in the comfort of their home, as the company has opened an official webpage to webcast the unveiling of the HTC One successor next week.

As far as the release date is concerned, HTC M8 aka All New HTC One is set to hit global stores globally (around 110 regions), two weeks after the launch day, reported HTCFamily

Rumoured specifications of HTC M8 aka 'All New HTC One':

Model HTC M8 aka 'All New HTC One'
Display 5.0-inch full HD (1920x1080p) with pixel density close to 440 ppi (pixels per inch)
OS Android v4.4 KitKat OS with custom UI Sense v6.0
Processor The new  Snapdragon 801 series processor which can clock max CPU speed up to 2.5GHz
RAM Minimum 2GB
Storage capacity Expected to come in 16GB/32GB/64GB, expandable up to 128GB
Camera Main: 16.0-megapixel camera, combined resolution of both camera modules, (smaller camera is placed on top of the main camera to enhance field of depth when the device is focused on an object)Front: UltraPixel camera
Battery Around 3000 mAh or more
Add-ons HTC BoomSound dual-stereo audio speakers, microSD card slot, Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n/ ac)
Colours Gold, Silver and Grey