HTC 11 phone could get the coveted Snapdragon 835 chipset

The HTC 11 phone is rumored to be getting something that its flagship HTC U Ultra won't have: Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 835 processor.

That's according to an alleged screenshot of the settings menu posted by a user of the Weibo chat app. Although this image has since been discredited in a Reddit thread, the phone could still potentially come with the 835 chipset.

Samsung reportedly signed an exclusivity deal with Qualcomm to make the Galaxy S8 the first phone to use the chipmaker's hottest new silicon. That would suggest the HTC 11's release could come after the Galaxy S8 goes on sale, which is likely to be in mid-April.

Using the same processor as the Galaxy S8 would give HTC an option to compete with Samsung's upcoming marquee phone on speed, camera capabilities, better battery life and faster LTE. (Here are more details about Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 chip.)

Whatever HTC's next flagship phone holds, it'll compete heavily against Samsung's Galaxy S8 and the LG G6. HTC needs a boost; its HTC "One" series hasn't been very successful in recent years. (Last year's HTC 10 was its latest flagship phone prior to the U Ultra.)

HTC declined to comment on these specs.

Article updated March 15, 2017 at 3:33 p.m. PT with details on the discredited image.