Although reports and leaked images of the alleged HTC U12+ flagship handset suggest it will skip the notch trend and have a normal display, the same can't be said of its mid-range counterpart.

Currently being called the HTC U12 Life, the lesser spec'ed edition will embrace the notch, it is said.

Serial leakster Evan Blass tweeted that the Life will represent HTC getting its "notch on".

However, we currently don't know it it will be for selfie or face recognition cameras - as is the case on the iPhone X and some newly announced or rumoured Android phones.

Instead, it is jokingly suggested by @Nine_SRT that the HTC U12 Life will adopt top and bottom notches for the return of HTC's proprietary BoomSound speakers instead.

The BoomSound speakers on legacy handsets gave excellent front-facing stereo audio performance and HTC is said to be bringing them back. But how to you place stereo speakers on the front of a phone with an edge-to-edge display? Introduce the dreaded notches, of course.

Of course, this is a light-hearted suggestion on how HTC might adopt the notch.

Blass has previously suggested that the HTC U12+ launch will be May, so that could be when we find out about the HTC U12 Life too.