HTC U11: Perfect if you want smartphone with brilliant camera, audio output

Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC’s latest, the ‘squeezable’ HTC U11, appears to have all qualities of the flagship breed – several technological innovations with powerful innards in a compact body. In the premium segment, the HTC U11 not only offers top-of-the line specifications but also innovative features like the HTC Edge Sense, USonic and BoomSound. 

But can it compete with the likes of Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+, LG G6, and Sony Xperia XZ Premium? Let’s find out:

Design

It is the first time since the M7 series that HTC is moving from metal to 3D glass for the front and back of the body. The Gorilla Glass 5 covers the device, with a metal frame sandwiched. 

The HTC U11, however, disappoints with bezels that are noticeable on sides and huge on top and bottom. On the rear, the smartphone’s new ‘liquid surface’ is a fingerprint magnet. Thankfully, the HTC U11 comes with a cleaning cloth in its box! 

Display

The smartphone sports a 5.5-inch Super LCD 5 screen of quad-HD (1440 x 2560) resolution in a 16:9 aspect ratio. While the screen is good and delivers consistent performance, futuristic technologies like HDR-ready display and 18:9 aspect ratio are missing.

Hardware and software

The HTC U11 is a real powerhouse for technical innards: Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, Adreno 540 GPU, and Snapdragon X16 LTE modem with LTE speed up to 1 Gbps. The device has a massive 128GB internal storage and a 6GB RAM, and supports UFS version 2.1, expandable up to 2 TB using microSD.

In a first, the HTC U11 can be operated using squeeze-based interactions. It uses an array of pressure-sensitive sensors that recognise ‘squeeze’ actions to deliver app-specific features. 

The device runs Android Nougat v7.1.1 covered under HTC Sense User Interface equipped with three digital assistants – Google assistant, Amazon Alexa and HTC Sense companion.

Camera

The smartphone sports a 12MP, bright f/1.7 aperture rear camera with phase detection autofocus, optical image stabilisation and dual-LED flash. On the front, there is a 16 MP camera with f/2.0 aperture for perfect selfies. The rear camera is a real performer, much ahead of competition, and does well in recording 4K videos, too. The only weakness is the slow-motion recording, where the Sony Xperia XZ Premium is an undisputed king.

In video recording, HTC has improved overall sound quality. Promoted as Acoustic Recording, the camera makes use of 4-omnidirectional microphones to record the sound of far-off subjects while cutting out background noise.

BoomSound speakers and USonic headphones

The BoomSound speakers are louder than the previous generation. In this set-up, the front earpiece works as a tweeter and the base is handled by a dedicated speaker mounted at the bottom. For audio routed through wired handsets, the quality is equally amazing – courtesy HTC USonic headphones that come bundled with the handset. 

Verdict

HTC U11 is a perfect choice if you are looking for a premium smartphone with brilliant camera performance, incredible audio output, consistent performance and top innards with ample storage and RAM. The smartphone’s price of Rs 51,990 seems fairly competitively for its league.

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HTC U11: Perfect if you want smartphone with brilliant camera, audio output