If the rumored specs and features of the HTC Bolt turn out to be true, it will be an above-average device instead of being a mid-level iteration, as previous speculations have said.

According to perennial tipster LlabTooFer, the HTC Bolt will be an above-average device, as it is rumored to be featuring a Snapdragon 810 chipset. While recent flagships carry either an SD 820 or the step-up SD 821, the Snapdragon 810 is only one generation removed and is still considered to be one of the top-tier chipsets to date.

However, although the chipset itself can be considered as a top performer, is also not without issues. Some flagships in the past featuring the Snapdragon 810 chipset were known to suffer from heating issues, particularly the early versions of the processor. In addition, with a Snapdragon 810 inside, it is likely that the HTC Bolt will remain entrenched in Android Nougat platform. The upcoming device will possibly not meet the step-up requirements for future Android updates. This has been the case with the SD 810's predecessor, the Snapdragon 800. Although flagship devices that run on SD 800 — like the Xperia Z3 — are still considered up-to-date, the chipset lacks the support for OpenGL ES 3.1, which is needed for Android Nougat.

Meanwhile, aside from featuring a previous-gen flagship chipset, the HTC Bolt is also said to sport a QHD display. This is a step up from the regular full HD screens in recent smartphone releases. With the screen, the HTC Bolt looks similar to the company flagship, the HTC 10.

HTC has yet to come out with the confirmed specs and features list for the HTC Bolt. Other purported specs, however, include a 5.5-inch display, USB Type-C port, and the absence of a 3.5mm audio jack. Since the device has passed the FCC, it is expected that the HTC Bolt will launch soon.