HTC has released a teaser for a new smartphone that’s designed to be squeezed by users.

The Taiwanese company is preparing to launch the HTC U, an Android-running handset that could be vastly different to any other smartphone on the market.

The short teaser video shows a user squeezing the sides of a smartphone between their thumb and fingers.

The clip gives little else away, but appears to confirm previous leaks from tech tipster Evan Blass, claiming that the U will have a number of sensors embedded into its metal frame.

These will allow users to control the handset by either swiping or applying pressure to its sides.

It’s certainly a novel approach, but we won’t be able to pass judgement on the feature until we’ve actually used the device.

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Fortunately, we shouldn’t have long to wait, as HTC has revealed plans to launch the U on 16 May.

It’s also expected to be equipped with a 12-megapixel rear camera and a 16-megapixel front-facing camera.

The U is also said to utilise a top-end Snapdragon 835 processor, suggesting HTC plans to pit it against the best on the market, including Samsung’s new flagship.

The Galaxy S8 has earned universal praise, thanks to its stunning design and impressive feature set.

It’s the best Android smartphone ever made, and HTC would do extremely well to eclipse it with the U.