In particular, HTC could partner with a financial sponsor (e.g. private equity) to carry out a takeover.

FORBES: RIM: Seeing Possible Takeover Target, Bernstein Turns Neutral

While Snapdragon 600 is already showing up on various flagship devices like the HTC One, PadFone Infinity, Galaxy S 4, Optimus G Pro and Xiaomi 2S, we're still looking forward to the big daddy of Qualcomm's lineup this year: the Snapdragon 800.

ENGADGET: Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 to enter mass production in late May

The Optimus G is now ranked as the No. 2 smartphone, followed by the HTC One, the Samsung Galaxy S3 and the Apple iPhone 5.

CNN: Consumer Reports: Samsung Galaxy S4 is top phone