As the launch of the rumoured HTC M7 ramps-up for MWC at the end of February, the handset has purportedly been photographed by someone lucky to get their hands-on early.

AndroidPolice posted two photographs of HTC's upcoming flagship, saying they're likely the real deal. The handset photographed lacks any FCC logo or other markings, perhaps signalling this is a prototype version.

The latest rumours suggest the HTC M7 will include a quad-core Qualcomm processor (predictably), a 4.7-inch 1920 x 1080 (full HD) display, 32GB of internal storage, no microSD card slot, 2GB of RAM, a 13-megapixel rear camera, and 2-megapixel front-facing camera.

The photos leaked by AndroidPolice indicate a glossy back for the handset, reminding us a lot of the Droid DNA currently available stateside. The leak also suggests Sense 5 will be present on the handset, which is said to bring with it an even simpler UI and a redesign to the lock screen and HTC apps. You can see the new clock widget below.

This version of the M7 features the home button on the far right, instead of the middle, which seems a bit silly, if you ask us.

As with any leaks, especially leading up to a big trade show like MWC, we advise you take them with a healthy bit of salt.

At any rate, with the amount of leaks for the HTC M7, this could indeed be real. Pocket-lint will be providing full coverage from the MWC show floor in late February, bringing you the latest updates from HTC and others.