HTC just announced what's quite possibly its best
smartphone ever, and if you live in the US, you can't have one.
Say hello to the HTC U11+. As the name implies, this
is a phone that has a lot in common with the company's flagship, the HTC U11.
It isn't regarded as its successor, however. The HTC U11+ is more of a refined
version, squeezing in a few extra bits and features that smartphone enthusiasts
and fans of the brand would appreciate. This includes a larger battery, a
rather unique translucent design, and a larger screen built around the
increasingly popular 18:9 aspect ratio.
In a nutshell, the HTC U11+ has a taller display
than the U11, thus filling more of its front side with screen space. The U11+
is only marginally taller as a result, but offers a screen that's half an inch
larger in diagonal. And if all this sound familiar to you, it's because a
number of other companies have already done the same. LG, Samsung, Google, and
Apple all offer phones with screens "taller" than the traditional
16:9 ratio. The benefit? Well, having a huge display surrounded by minimal
bezels not only makes a phone look pretty cool, but could also potentially
allow more content to fit on the screen. On the downside, most online videos
aren't made for these new display proportions, so you'll get black bars on the
sides with most YouTube clips. The HTC U11+'s display is built on Super LCD 6
technology, supports a wider range of colors (DCI-P3), and can show HDR10
content.
The HTC U11+ will come in one of three colors:
Ceramic Black, Amazing Silver, and Translucent Black. Without a doubt, it is
the latter that is going to raise the most eyebrows – it literally lets you see
the innards of the U11+ through its semi-transparent glass back. It sounds like
something that only a geek would be drawn to, but then again, the U11+ is a
phone made with geeks in mind.
On the topic of design, HTC has bumped the water and
dust ingress protection rating to IP68, which is great news. Edge Sense,
allowing you to trigger various actions by squeezing the phone, is also
present. In fact, the feature is more functional now, even though it is still
standing solidly in gimmick territory. A squeeze of the U11+ can be set to
trigger the so-called Edge Launcher, which is basically a hub with shortcuts to
favorite apps, contacts, and quick settings.
We've inevitably come to the point where raw
hardware specs need to be highlighted. These include a Snapdragon 835 system
chip and two memory configurations – 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage or 6GB/128GB
of the stuff. Needless to say, we expect this phone to handle any task with
ease. For those who need extra storage, a microSD card slot is available. Power
is provided by a hefty 3,930mAh battery, which is a greater energy reserve than
what most phones of this caliber have.
The HTC U11 is already a very capable shooter, and
the U11+ is going to outperform it, HTC promises. Though the improvements might
come as a result of software enhancements, as the 12MP single main camera –
with OIS, F1.7 aperture, and 1.4um pixels – appears to be identical on a
hardware level. At the front is a new 8MP selfie camera that can pull off some
nifty HDR tricks without lag.
And on the audio front, the HTC U11+ comes with 30%
louder BoomSound speakers. Dynamics range and distortion have also been
improved, which is great to hear. Alas, there's still no headphone jack on
board, but it might not be missed all that much. HTC's active noise-cancelling
earphones promise great sound with their ability to adapt to the user's ear anatomy
for greater fidelity.
As we stated in the beginning, the HTC U11+ is
shaping up as the company's best phone to date. Too bad that it won't be
launched in the US. Instead, it will be released in markets across Europe and
Asia. Pricing has yet to be confirmed, but we'll update you when we learn more.
In any case, do not expect this one to be cheap.
