Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC has launched two smartphones under the U series. Dubbed as HTC U11+ and U11 Life, they are related to the HTC U11 which was one of the best flagship Android phones of 2017. The HTC U11+ will be the first device from the company having an edge to edge display like the Samsung Galaxy S8, Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 and the iPhone X. This will be a higher plus variant of the HTC U11 having a bigger screen and slimmer bezels. The U11 Life is a mid-range category smartphone having two variants: Android One and Sense. The devices come with the Edge Sense which lets you squeeze the phone to enable specific activities.
HTC U11 Plus Specifications & Price
The smartphone sports a big 6 inch Quad HD+ (2880 x 1440) LCD is having an 18:9 aspect ratio. The bezels are thin and look great on the sharp and vibrant display. It has a liquid surface design translucent back. It is powered by an octa-core Snapdragon 835 processor clocked at 2.5 GHz. There are two memory variants: 4 GB of RAM + 64 GB internal storage or 4 GB of RAM + 128 GB internal storage which is expandable via micro SD support.
The HTC U11 Plus sports a 12 MP UltraPixel camera on the rear with features like f/1.7 aperture, BSI sensor, autofocus, OIS and dual-LED flash. The front side offers an 8 MP camera with BSI sensor and f/2.0 aperture. The device supports 4K video recording. There is a slow-mo feature that films 1080p footage at 120fps. HTC also promises future support for HDR10 video via a software update.
The HTC U11 had a long-lasting and reliable 3,000 mAh battery and will continue the same in the 3,930 mAh battery of the U11 Plus. The battery should last more than a day on average use considering its bigger display. The device also comes with wireless charging and support for Quick Charge 3.0 technology. The company also upgraded its resistance rating to IP68.Connectivity options include Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, GPS, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, USB Type-C 3.1 , DLNA, Miracast and GLONASS.The device’s bigger battery and display increased its weight from 169g to 188g.
The U11 Plus gets an advance audio support from Qualcomm’s AptX HD, and Sony’s LDAC but no 3.5 mm jack. The HTC BoomSound and HTC USonic earbuds come bundled with it. It comes with support from both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, and it’s own Sense Companion which can be triggered using its Edge Sense. The device will run Android 8.0 Oreo with HTC Sense UI on top. It is priced at EUR 799 ( Rs 60,000 approx) and will be available in Ceramic Black, Amazing Silver, and Translucent Black colours. The device is listed on the HTC Indian site, so we expect the device to launch in India soon.
HTC U11 Life Specifications & Price
It features liquid surface design and acrylic glass. The device will be sporting a 5.2 inch 1080p Super LCD and is powered by a Snapdragon 630 processor coupled with 3 GB RAM with 32 GB storage or 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage both of which is expandable up to 2 TB using micro SD card. There is a fingerprint sensor at the front and comes with IP67 rated protection. IT also comes pre-installed on Amazon Alexa as well as Google Assistant.
There is a 16 MP rear PDAF camera with BSI sensor and f/2.0 aperture. There is also a front 16 MP camera as well. It runs on Android 8.0 Oreo with HTC Sense in the Non-Android one version. The device is backed by a 2600mAH battery with QuickCharge 3.0 support. It measures 149 x 72.9 x 8.1 mm and weighs 142 grams. It is the price at $349 (Rs. 23,000 approx). The Android One version of the smartphone will be available in Sapphire Blue and Brilliant Black while the Sense version only comes in Blue. The company has not revealed if the device will be available outside the US.