HTC teased about a new set of smartphones carrying the Ocean concept code name. Reports have claimed that these devices have sleek and button-less designs. An early 2017 launch date has been announced recently for the trio.

HTC's prototypes are reportedly called Ocean Master, Ocean Note and Ocean Smart, according to Phandroid (as translated from Chinese website Eprice). One device from this trio is said to become HTC's next flagship, while the remaining two would place in other categories.

According to claims, HTC's next smartphones would be launched in the first quarter of 2017, with a Jan. 12 announcement date set for the Ocean Note. It's still unsure whether or not the two other devices would be launched on the same date or later.

It should be noted that the new HTC X10 is expected to be announced early next year, as well. The 5.5-inch X10 will be equipped with a 13 MP primary camera, an 8 MP front-facing snapper, and 3 GB of RAM, GSM Arena listed.

Last week, a mysterious tweet appeared on HTC's official Twitter page. The post showcased an image with a huge 'U' and the date January 12, 2017 printed below it.

For U — 01.12.2017 pic.twitter.com/RYhTOc4Rof

— HTC (@htc) December 20, 2016

Many are wondering about the meaning behind HTC's tweet. Could it be a new line of smartphones or something else entirely? Perhaps a wearable device? One speculation guessed that the post hinted at the company's push towards augmented reality displays.

A day before HTC's tweet was posted, it was announced that the Israeli-based company Lumus secured a Series C round of funding for its augmented reality displays. Lumus got a $30 million investment and some of those came from HTC, NextReality reported.

HTC entering the augmented reality market isn't entirely surprising news, given that the company's biggest competitors, Samsung, also announced their plans to dip into said market not too long ago. Jan. 12, 2017 also takes place four days before CES 2017 wraps up. As many people already know, the event is where tech companies announce their big plans in front of the media.

However, these are all speculations for now and it's possible that HTC's tweet was referring to a different kind of device. All everyone can do for now is to wait for an official announcement from the company.

What do you think of HTC's Ocean smartphones? Do you believe that HTC's tweet refers to augmented reality technology? Share your thoughts below!