With two weeks to go before the big unveiling of the HTC M7, we thought all the secrets surrounding the device had already been uncovered. The latest rumor indicates that the HTC M7 may not actually have a 13 megapixel imaging sensor as previously thought. If the new details are to be believed  the HTC M7 will be equipped with a new Ultrapixels imaging chip which will use three 4.3 megapixel sensors layered on top of each other.

The Ultrapixels imaging chip in the M7 is said to intelligently combine all the data from the three separate sensors into a single image which should produce a clearer image with more accurate color reproduction. The HTC Ultrapixels technology may be new to mobile devices, but companies like Sigma have been using it in their digital cameras for over a decade. It’s impossible to know if layering three 4.3 megapixel sensors is better than using a single 13 megapixel sensor, but the Ultrapixels image chip is still just a rumor… or it is?

Just hours after the Ultrapixels rumors hit the web, HTC published a fancy infographic on the history of camera on its blog. While the story depicted in the infographic covers the evolution of the smartphone over the years, HTC took the opportunity to poke a little run at Apple and Nokia towards the end and finished things off a little tease:

“HTC kicks off a new sound and camera experience in 2013″

HTC Camera Infographic

It may be a coincidence that the HTC M7 Ultrapixels imaging chip rumor showed up on the same day as HTC’s camera infographic, but it certainly does give the rumor a bit more credence. For HTC’s sake, let’s hope their new Ultrapixels imaging chip translates into a greatly improved camera experience and help set the HTC M7 apart from its competitors.