Will the real HTC One M9 please stand up?

Everything we think we know about the physical design of HTC’s forthcoming One M9 “Hima” flagship could be false – an elaborate ruse perpetrated by the manufacturer to foil leakers and to allow the phone to be tested in public. HTCSource claims that HTC has duped us all, putting decoy M9 units that look remarkably similar to last year’s M8 into the hands of their partners around the world.

If true, this could mean that all the leaks and information we’ve seen thus far have simply been these test decoy units. They’re said to be M9 inside but look like the M8 outside, which matches our existing leaks. Evan Blass also surmises that this could point to HTC attempting to surprise everyone with retail sales through some channels on the day of the announcement.

What can we expect to see, then? According to HTCSource, we can expect an edge-to-edge glass panel on the front, with HTC’s signature BoomSound speakers relegated to slits at the top and bottom of the front face — this sounds like the design seen on the Nexus 9. They’re also claiming a large, centrally-positioned front-facing camera, which might conflict with the top speaker or make the phone taller to accomodate both in the top bezel. HTC certainly hasn’t shied away from releasing tall phones in the past couple of years, with the extra space taken by their speakers and the company’s logo accounting for an extra few cm on the phone when set against its peers.

We’re just over a month out from the big reveal – perhaps the real M9 will make itself known in that time.