Skip to main content

HTC wants you to forget about megapixels and think about Ultrapixels instead

HTC One X Back cameraWe already know HTC has an event planned for February 19, plus we’ve got a good idea the rumored HTC M7 will be at least one of the highlights, but a new rumor has added some color to the M7. It could feature a very special camera. According to Pocket-Lint, HTC won’t be using the word megapixel to describe the M7’s camera, but Ultrapixel instead.

What’s an Ultrapixel you may ask? Well, it sounds a bit like marketing nonsense on HTC’s part, and could be its version of Nokia’s PureView brand, i.e. the name given to highly capable camera modules used on certain smartphones in its range. Rumor has it the M7’s camera will be a made up of three, stacked 4.3-megapixel sensors, which thanks to some clever software will produce detailed, clear images surpassing that of a normal 13-megapixel camera.

Now, it’s not clear at all how this term will be applied to the M7’s camera. Will the 13-megapixel total become a single Ultrapixel, or will it simply be 13-ultrapixels, or it could even be a 4.3-Ultrapixel camera. HTC is playing with fire though, as the word megapixel actually means something – a million pixels – and is used for a reason, while Ultrapixel means absolutely nothing. Presumably then, HTC will still have to put a megapixel count in there somewhere, or it risks doing nothing but confusing everybody.

Of course, like the M7 name, the use of Ultrapixel hasn’t been confirmed and it could all change when the time comes. HTC is said to be working in a whole new marketing plan for the coming year, and the introduction of buzzwords such as Ultrapixel could be part of it. Whether it catches on is another thing, but if the M7’s camera is anywhere near as impressive as Nokia’s PureView efforts, it may not matter that the name is a bit silly.

Editors' Recommendations

Andy Boxall
Senior Mobile Writer
Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…
How to master your equalizer settings for the perfect sound
An equalizer from eqMac.

While most people will simply flip on the radio or load up Spotify to listen to music, audiophiles like to dig a bit deeper and customize their experience. This often comes in the form of adjustments to the equalizer, which offers the freedom to tweak every aspect of the sound booming out of headphones or speakers. Even some streaming services now have built-in EQs, giving you more ways than ever to play with your music and find something that best fits your ears.

Tinkering with the equalizer can be daunting to newcomers, as there are tons of cryptic settings you can manipulate. And if you mess with the wrong one, your sound quality might take a nasty hit. Thankfully, learning the basics isn't too difficult.

Read more
How to change your iPhone’s notification sound in iOS 17
how to change iphone default notification sound ios 17 sounds screenshot

Apple made a change to the default notification sound when it launched iOS 17, replacing “Tri-tone” with “Rebound.”Users have been unable to switch back to the original sound or select a different one as the default, and not everyone is a fan of the new tune. As you'd imagine, that's left some folks rather annoyed.

Read more
5 things I want to see in the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and S Pen stylus on its screen.

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is definitely one of the best smartphones on the market right now, no doubt about that. You get incredible performance with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, plenty of RAM and storage, a whopping 200MP camera, two telephoto lenses for 3x and 5x optical zoom, S Pen integration, and more. It’s certainly an impressive package.

But it’s not perfect. In fact, some weaknesses could be improved in the next version, the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Here’s what I hope to see next year.
A new design
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (left) and Galaxy S23 Ultra Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Read more