HTC Zara rumored as upcoming plastic-body Android

The HTC One Mini is now official, joining hits like the HTC One and misses like the HTC First in the company’s 2013 lineup. Coming up next, we’ve been looking to models like the One Max, and rumors have also talked about a plastic version of the One, as well as a handset codenamed M8 arriving as next year’s flagship. Today we get one more codename to add to the mix, with reports surfacing of the HTC Zara.

This news comes out of China, where it’s mentioned alongside the T6 – that’s the model we’re expecting to launch as the One Max. While the One Max should be another metal handset, Zara is mentioned specifically as a plastic design.

There are no other details mentioned about Zara beyond that choice of materials, so we’re left wondering if this is some wholly new device, or if it might align with some of those rumors we’ve already heard. For example, might Zara be the internal term used to designate the project for that plastic version of the One we’ve heard about, as an alternative to the Butterfly S? We can’t say yet, but armed with that name, we’ll be on the lookout for additional mentions of the Zara in the weeks to come.