And HTC's 'major news announcement' is ... Beats Audio

The rumors are running rampant as to what Thursday's "major news announcement" from HTC CEO Peter Chou will be.

  • Bootloader unlocking? No.
  • Honeycomb tablets? No.
  • When your phone will get Gingerbread? No.

Seriously, folks. You don't hype a "major news announcement" for that stuff. You send a press release.

That said, All ThingsD is reporting that the big news is a $300 million collaboration with Beats Audio. As in Beats by Dre, and the same Beats Audio you'll find in a smattering of HP products -- including the HP TouchPad. The collaboration will be exclusive to HTC smartphones.

Now, that's nothing to turn your nose up at -- there's definitely a market for a proper Android MP3 player. (So long as it's priced right.) But with all the patent nonsense floating around and the world still waiting for its first Honeycomb tablet from HTC, the timing for a "major news announcement" sure came at an interesting juncture.

Anyhoo, whether or not the cat's out of the bag, be sure to join us for the liveblog Thursday morning.

Source: AllThingsD

Update: Added the picture you now see above, from the Beats By Dre Facebook page. Guess that makes it official. Thanks, andyp714 and rfmike!

Phil Nickinson