HTC A7373 (possibly the Knight/Shift 4G) set to be launched on January 9, 2011

This one is getting seriously interesting. A leaked screenshot showing projected launch dates for a few Sprint devices tells us that a mysterious handset branded "HTC A7373" is set for January 9, 2011 release.

Now, a research points that the HTC Desire Z is officially called "HTC A7373 Desire Z" in Russia. This leads us to two logical conclusions - first, Sprint has decided to release a spin-off of the HTC Desire Z (T-Mobile already did so with the release of the G2 and Verizon is about to do the same with the launch of the highly-anticipated HTC Merge) and if everything goes according to the plan, we'll see this handset on January 9 next year. However, there is a second, even more interesting possibility - that this is the long-awaited HTC Shift 4G, which is actually something of a hybrid between the HTC Desire Z and a small-scale version of the HTC EVO 4G.

Sadly, not enough information and images are available to make a definite conclusion, but January 9 is just around the corner. And it's almost certain that a few more leaks will occur before this phone's actual release, so stay tuned for more info on the subject.

source: Android Central via PhoneDog and Nofetel (Russian online shop offering the HTC A7373)