Long after Samsung, LG, Sony and Huawei announced and launched their 2017 flagship devices, HTC has finally pulled back the curtain, revealing the HTC U11 for the first time. Like its competitors, HTC crammed top of the line specs into the U11, giving it a 5.5-inch QHD display, Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 835 chip, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, and a 3,000 mAh battery. HTC has also announced that it will be available with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage globally and in the US. Around back the main camera uses a 12MP dual-pixel focus Sony imaging sensor with an f/1.7 lens and 4-axis optical image stabilization. The front-facing camera also has a 16MP sensor with a new HDR Boost mode which is similar to the HRD+ mode of on the Google Pixel, allowing it to produce more balanced shots since the final image is created from multiple exposures. The same tech has also been applied to the front-facing 16MP camera which should make the U11 a great option for those who love selfies. DXOmark has already tested the HTC U11 and has give the camera a score of 90, ranking it higher than the Pixel and crowning it as the best smartphone camera DXOmark has ever rated. The only disappointment is that there’s still a slight camera bump, but it’s not as pronounced as it was on the HTC 10.
Besides the camera, the U11 has another trick up its sleeve. It’s the world’s first squeezable phone. The phone has pressure sensors embedded into the side of the device which allow you to control specific functions of the phone or open an app with a long or short squeeze. With the camera open, a squeeze can act as a shutter button.
As expected, the U11’s design fits in quite nicely with the U Ultra and U Play. The phone features a 3D corning gorilla glass 5 panel on the front which protect the 5.5-inch display, an aluminum frame and a 3D glass back panel which comes in a variety of colors. We’ve seen glass backed phones before, but the 3D curve on the back of this phone is more appealing than what we’ve seen from Samsung.
Overall, the U11 doesn’t look as futuristic as the LG G6 or Samsung Galaxy S8, but it’s still an amazing looking phone.
Based on what I’ve seen, the HTC U11 is an attractive alternative to the Samsung Galaxy S8 and LG G6. The only downside is that the phone is a Sprint exclusive in the US, selling for $696. The good news is that HTC and Sprint are throwing in two free Amazon Echo Dots for those who pre-order the phone through SPrint. An unlocked GSM model will also be available through htc.com and Amazon. The phone will also be available in Europe and Asia starting in may and should sell for about 700 euro.
My full review of the phone will coming up soon, so hit that subscribe button to know when it’s online. Give this video a thumbs up and I’ll catch you in the next one.
The phone is running Android 7.1 with the latest version of Sense. The UI hasn’t changed much, but HTC is emphasizing that the U11 is the first device to launch hands free wake word access to Amazon Alexa. Google Now is still there, so users will have the option to choose which personal assistant they want to use.
