As Mobile World Congress fast approaches, we're expecting more handset rumors and announcements to crowd the newsroom. On the Android front, rumor has it that HTC will launch the successor to the Droid DNA, and we're already seeing leaks of this so-called M7 handset crop up on enthusiast blogs across the Web.

At HTC’s year-end party in Taipei, CEO Peter Chou walked up on stage to thank the M7 team for their devoted diligence on getting all of the inner workings of the device finalized. Chou played with the handset on stage, snapping a picture of the crowd in front of him as a “great opportunity for testing.” All of this was recorded by a very shaky camera (clip available below), but it could be an indicator that the M7 is HTC’s next venture.

The Android handset has been rumored to have a March 8 release on multiple US carriers. It will allegedly feature a 4.7-inch 1080p full HD Super LCD3 display, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, and a 12 megapixel rear camera. It may also contain a 1.7GHz quad-core processor, though it’s unclear whether it will be a Tegra 4 or a new Snapdragon 600 series SoC. The M7 will likely also feature HTC’s upcoming Sense UI 5.0, as well as a 2300 mAh battery.

Be sure to join Ars for coverage from the official HTC event in New York City on February 19, where we'll be in attendance to see what the company has in store and whether or not it will announce the M7 handset.