HTC launches U11 flagship smartphone
HTC just announced the HTC U11 flagship at a world-spanning event taking place in New York, London, and Taipei.
The phone has been extensively rumoured in recent months and, as per usual, many of the more prominent whispers proved absolutely correct when the wraps were taken off.
True to HTC’s multiple teasers on social media prior to the launch, the main feature is the new Edge Sense; a pressure-sensitive surround which means squeezing the bodywork can input different commands. More on this later.
Design wise the HTC U11 is fairly familiar territory for fans of the firm’s industrial aesthetic; it’s a neat and tidy slab, which tapers towards the edges and has all these nice ports and grilles punched in various places.
It’s probably to do with the Edge Sense pressure-sensitive technology, but the surround holding the front and rear together looks much more prominent than we’re used to, at least from the back, it’s got quite a chunky appearance but still retains a metallic sheen.
The back panel and overall colour schemes on display are quite striking though; we’re used to HTC’s aluminium bodywork in a range of subtle metallics but here we’re looking at a high-shine gloss finish in some very eye-catching primary hues such as red and blue, as well as a sort of turquoise option. Black and white are also available, but remain glossy. Needless to say with a glossy finish, it looks like fingerprints are going to be a standout feature!
The handset also has an IP67 water and dust resistance certification, as well as HTC’s usual attentiveness when it comes to high-end audio; BoomSound Hi-Fi Edition stereo speakers are on board together with a Hi-Res Audio certification and many of the audio optimisation features we saw aboard the HTC U Ultra, all of which are centred around giving you a tailored audio experience.
The touchscreen is a 5.5in Super LCD 5 with a 2560x1440 QHD resolution.
Under the hood is Qualcomm’s lead Snapdragon 835 CPU model together with 4GB of RAM, promising snappy and responsive performance on Android Nougat. It also comes with 64GB of onboard storage and microSD card support, though in some markets you’ll be able to get a 128GB version with 6GB of RAM.
The battery pack is rated at 3,000mAh and supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0.
There’s no fancy dual-sensor camera aboard this particular HTC device, instead you’ve got a 12MP sensor branded with HTC’s “Ultrapixel 3” technology and with an f/1.7 aperture; the same size as Samsung’s Galaxy S8. It also features 4K video recording, optical stabilisation, dual-LED flash, and slow-motion video.
And while we haven’t tried it ourselves yet, of course, word is coming in that this is one fantastic camera setup. DxOMark, which is a camera testing website, gave the HTC U11 camera a score of 90, which puts it at the top of its imaging testing chart surpassing the Google Pixel.
Meanwhile, on the front, the selfie-camera is a 16MP setup with a wide-angle lens, selfie panoramic capture, and 1080p video.
The software package is Android 7.1 Nougat with the HTC Sense UI on top, and bundled into this we also have the HTC Sense Companion suite seen on the HTC U Ultra. There’s also Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa in some markets.
The Edge Sense features mean you can customise your phone to respond to squeeze input on the frame; you can, for example, make it so that when you squeeze in a certain place the phone takes a photo. The level of pressure needed can also be customised, so if you want to avoid having the phone take pictures of the inside of your pocket you can make the required pressure nice and high!
The HTC U11 will be available worldwide inside May 2017, though a precise release date is yet to be outed. HTC's RRP for the phone is €749/£649. Colour options are Amazing Silver, Sapphire Blue, Brilliant Black, Ice White, and Solar Red.
In the US the HTC U11 will be available via Sprint in Sapphire Blue and Brilliant Black on a 24-month contract for $29/month. Pre-orders begin today, May 16, but it will ship from June 9.
Unlocked HTC U11 handsets in Sapphire Blue, Brilliant Black, and Amazing Silver are up for pre-order from today via own HTC's webstore and Amazon, though the price is yet to be revealed. It will ship at an unspecified time in June.
HTC U11 Specs
Dimensions: 153.9 x 75.9 x 7.9mm
Weight: 169g
Display: 5.5in SLCD5 1440 x 2560p QHD @534ppi
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 64-bit octa-core MSM8998 @2.45GHz
GPU: Adreno 540
RAM: 4GB/6GB [Market Dependent]
Storage: 64GB/128GB [Market Dependent]
MicroSD: Up To 256GB
Software: Android 7.1 Nougat, HTC Sense UI, HTC Sense Companion, Google Assistant [Market Dependent], Amazon Alexa [Market Dependent]
Battery: 3,000mAh, Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0
Connectivity: NFC, A-GPS/GLONASS, Type-C USB, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Dual-Band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, Wi-Fi Hotspot, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 4.2
Features: HTC Edge Sense, IP67 Water & Dust Resistance
Primary Camera: 12MP, f/1.7 Aperture, OIS, Dual-LED Flash, 4K Video
Secondary Camera: 16MP, Wide-Angle Lens, 1080p Video
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