HTC T6 phablet challenges Galaxy Note

HTC is reported to be taking on the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 with the T6 'phablet', a plus-sized version of the HTC One smart phone -- and it might be bringing Key Lime Pie with it.

Key Lime Pie is set to be the next generation of Google's Android software for mobile phones and tablets. We were expecting it to arrive this month -- like previous Android updates -- but it never showed up, so could drop any time. If the T6 rumours from Evleaks are true and the new 'phablet' does arrive with the new software on board, that means we can expect to see Key Lime Pie before the end of the year.

If the rumours are true, that is. The T6 supposedly has a 5.9-inch, 1080p screen. Underneath that high-definition display is a 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor with 2GB of RAM. There's a beefy 3,300 mAh battery, 16GB of internal storage, and a microSD slot for extra leg room.

And like the Note, the T6 is reported to come with a stylus.

Ultrapixel camera 

Like the HTC One, HTC's flagship smart phone, the T6 could boast an Ultrapixel camera with optical image stabilisation. HTC's Ultrapixel camera stays with 4 megapixels on the sensor instead of packing in more megapixels, which it claims improves performance. And there's also a 2.1-megapixel camera on the front for video chat.

So far, so reasonable. But on top of the rumour about Key Lime Pie, the T6 is also reported to be one of the first mobile devices to include a fingerprint reader. It's alleged to be on the back where you naturally hold the 'phablet'. Hmm, not sure about that one.

While we're on the subject of High Tech Computers, the Taiwanese company is reported to have ditched plans for a giant 12-inch Windows tablet. But The Register reports that HTC is still planning a 7-inch Windows RT tablet before the end of the year, which makes much more sense: the Nexus 7 and other smaller slates are currently eating into the iPad's dominance of the tablet market.

Do you buy the rumours of Key Lime Pie and a fingerprint reader? Can a phablet resurrect HTC's fortunes? Tell me your thoughts in the comments or leave your fingerprints all over our Facebook wall.