HTC U11 Specifications and Review: What’s There For ‘U’

HTC U11 was finally unveiled at an event by the Taiwan-based consumer electronics maker and it is going to be the next flagship from HTC after the launch of HTC U Ultra that was announced in January this year. HTC U11 features high-end specifications and looks like a flagship smartphone from every angle and that too in the true sense of the word. It is going to compete with the likes of iPhone 7, Samsung Galaxy S8 as well as LG G6 in the premium segment and the kind of bells & whistles it has to offer, it can definitely squeeze itself in the market.

One of the biggest highlights of HTC U11 is the U Touch squeeze-based interactions that have become the talk of the town within hours of its launch. The Edge Sensor for new squeeze interactions lets you launch the all new camera, send text messages, open email and users can also customize it to launch any other application. The U Touch feature in HTC U11 also lets you activate advanced touch by using a “short squeeze” and “squeeze and hold” for more functionality.

HTC U11 Specifications

• 5.5-inch (1440 x 2560) Quad HD Super LCD display with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection
• 2.45GHz Octa-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC with Adreno 540 GPU
• 6GB RAM and 128GB storage (UFS 2.1) variant/4GB RAM and 64GB storage variant, both offering expandable memory up to 2TB with microSD.
• 12MP HTC UltraPixel 3 rear camera with 1.4μm pixel, f/1.7 aperture, OIS, RAW capture, UltraSpeed Autofocus, 4K video recording with 3D Audio, Acoustic Focus, Hi-Res stereo recording, 120fps slow-mo video at 1080p and dual LED flash (Highest Rated Camera Ever)
• 16MP front-facing camera with 1080p video recording, capable of clicking selfies at 150-degree wide angle
• Android 7.1.1 Nougat with HTC Sense UI
• Three AI assistants i.e. Google Assistant, HTC’s own Sense Companion and Amazon Alexa (in specific regions only).
• HTC Sense Companion and HTC Edge Sense
• Dual SIM (nano + nano / microSD)
• Water and dust resistant (IP67)
• Fingerprint sensor embedded in the home button
• 3000mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0 support and extreme power saving mode, offer up to 24.5 hours of talk time as well as 14 days of standby time.
• USB-C audio, HTC BoomSound Hi-Fi edition, HTC USonic with Active Noise Cancellation, 3D Audio recording with 4 microphones and Hi-Res audio certification
• 4G VoLTE, Bluetooth 4.2, WiFi 802.11 at (2.4 and 5 GHz), USB Type-C 3.1 Gen 1
  GPS with GLONASS and NFC
• Dimensions: 153.9 x 75.9 x 7.9mm, Weight: 169g

HTC U11 Highlights

HTC U11 has 8 sensors (4 on each on the edge of bottom half) that sense the squeeze actions including launching the camera and click a photo without unlocking the phone. There are variations like a short squeeze, a long squeeze and a combination of both that can be used to trigger applications present in HTC U11 which is not limited to certain apps only. You can trigger flash, launch Google Assistant or even open the browser for that matter. One can also set the level of squeezes to prevent false operations.

The new liquid design that the HTC U11 looks similar to the U Ultra but it has been made more ergonomic which was a much-needed addition to a big smartphone that comes with a 5.5 display. The front and rear 3D glass panels of the phone also have a bend on the corners.

Although the 3.5 mm jack is missing, HTC U11 comes with a USB type-C to 3.5mm audio adapter. The HTC USonic headphones on HTC U11 comes with a Quick one touch calibration for hearing that’s a sonar based Audio calibration.

The 12MP rear camera is a work of art as it comes with a host of added features that lets you capture the perfect selfies and videos.

HTC U11 being a flagship, the addition of 2.45GHz Octa-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC was an expected specification but since we haven’t seen the chipset in many smartphones so it still feels a luxury of some sorts.