HTC will reportedly introduce its first 5G smartphone later this year.

The company's CEO, Yves Maitre, is said to have confirmed as much in a recent interview, telling journalists in Taiwan that it is part of a wider strategy for 5G connected applications in 2020.

That includes the use of 5G as part of its virtual reality roadmap, with HTC having revealed its imminent Vive VR headset ambitions in depth last week, alongside more conceptual future plans.

What we don't know yet is what the flagship phone might be or when it could appear specifically.

Taiwanese website Mashdigi claims that more will become clear once 5G networks debut in HTC's homeland.

The company's general manager in Taiwan, Chen Baizhen, declined to disclose any more details on the handset, but is expected to announce something after the country's first 5G network is launched.

HTC is investing heavily in 5G hardware and applications, with the HTC 5G Hub already available in the UK (through EE). It is a mobile router with its own touchscreen and was first shown at Mobile World Congress in 2019.

The UK's general manager, Graham Wheeler, told Pocket-lint last week that more was expected to be part of its MWC showcase this year, but the show was cancelled due to fears over the coronavirus outbreak.

You can hear the full interview on the latest Pocket-lint Podcast available now.