HTC launched its first Windows Phone 7 smartphone on Sprint this past spring as the HTC Arrive, the CDMA version of the 7 Pro. Prior to the phone’s release, we had heard the phone referred to by the codename Ruby. After the Arrive, well, arrived, Ruby chatter died off and we were content to believe that the smartphone was indeed this new Windows Phone 7 device. Well, that might have been premature, as now the HTC Ruby has popped back on our radar, and it’s not quite what we were expecting.

The photos above and below are marked as being taken by an HTC Ruby, catching a glimpse of themselves in the reflective surface of an HTC Flyer tablet. If you don’t see the 7 Pro / Arrive resemblance, you’re not alone. From the very rounded corners to the white facade, this Ruby looks to be something completely different.

So, just what is this Ruby? It doesn’t look like any Windows Phone hardware we’ve ever seen, so we might be back in Android territory here. It’s quite odd to see a new, in-developement smartphone clad in white; if that’s just a temporary casing used while changes in hardware are made, or if HTC intends to actually ship the Ruby like that, we can’t say. Until we hear more, you’ll just have to wait and ponder over these images along with us.

Source: Flickr