HTC has officially announced the U11+ flagship phone alongside the U11 Life mid-range phone. The U11+ is an improved version of the U11 flagship phone that had debuted in May. The U11+ comes with an attractive 18:9 full screen design and a larger battery whereas the HTC U11 Life comes in Android One and Sense UI versions.
HTC U11+ Specifications and Features
Measuring 158.5 x 74.9 x 8.5mm, the HTC U11+ comes with a glossy and reflective glass rear along with an aluminum frame. The IP68 certified U11+ comes in color options like Amazing Silver, Ceramic Black and Translucent Black which features a semi-transparent back panel.
The U11+ has an 18:9 Super LCD-6 display of 6 inches. It carries support for QHD+ resolution of 2,880 x 1,440 pixels. The screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5. The display carries support for DCI-P3 wide color gamut and HDR10 and produces a screen-to-body ratio of 78 percent.
The Snapdragon 835 chipset is the driving force for the 64 GB and 128 GB models of the U11+ that respectively feature 4 GB of RAM and 6 GB of RAM. The single-SIM variant has a dedicated microSD card slot whereas the dual-SIM model can support a microSD card through the hybrid SIM slot. It is packed with a 3,930mAh capacity battery that is enabled with Quick Charge 3.0.
The rear camera of the HTC U11+ has an f/1.7 aperture 12-megapixel camera with a pixel size of 1.4µm. It is coupled with features like OIS, PDAF and dual-LED flash. The smartphone features four microphones which allows the phone to capture Hi-Res audio while shooting 4K videos. An 8-megapixel with f/2.0 aperture is present on the front panel of the phone. The selfie snapper offers a field of view of 85 degrees.
The HTC U11+ is the first smartphone to arrive with Android 8.0 Oreo pre-installed. The Android OS is skinned with Sense UI. The back panel of the phone features a fingerprint scanner. Since the smartphone lacks a 3.5mm audio jack, the device is shipped with USonic headphones that can be linked to the USB-C port. The Edge Sense feature allows users to give access to frequently used contacts, apps and some settings by simply squeezing the sides of the U11+.
The smartphone is also equipped with Hi-Fi BoomSound speakers that offers 30 percent better sound output than U11. The other features of the U11+ include Bluetooth 5.0, LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, NFC, GPS and GLONASS.
HTC U11+ Pricing and Availability
The HTC U11+ will not be releasing in the U.S., but it will be coming to select markets like the Europe and Asia. Europe will be receiving U11+ with 6 GB of RAM and the 4 GB RAM variant will be coming to other markets. In Europe, the phone will carry a price tag of 799 euros (~$929).
HTC U11 Life Specifications and Features
The HTC U11 Life houses a 5.2-inch LCD panel that produces Full HD resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels. Below the display, the phone houses a fingerprint scanner on the bottom bezel. The power-efficient Snapdragon 630 is present under the hood of the smartphone.
For photography, HTC has included a 16-megapixel rear camera with f/2.0 aperture and a selfie snapper of 16-megapixel with f/2.0 aperture. The rear camera can shoot 4K videos, but the selfie snapper can only shoot FHD videos. As far as the design of the U11 Life is concerned, the smartphone sports a full metallic body that measures 149.09 x 72.9 x 8.1mm. It appears like toned-down version of the U11 flagship. Like the U11, the U11 Life features a squeezable frame for Edge Sense. It also lacks a 3.5mm audio jack and comes with IP67 rating.
The HTC U11 Life with Android 7.1 Nougat and Sense UI is available in the U.S. with a pricing of $349 through HTC.com and T-Mobile. This model features 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage. The Taiwanese has promised that the smartphone will be receiving Android Oreo update within one month. This model features Google Assistant as well as Amazon Alexa voice assistant. It includes a Cat. 9 LTE modem that delivers a maximum download speed of 450 Mbps. The U.S. will be receiving only the Blue Sapphire variant of the phone.
Rest of the world will be receiving the Android One edition of the HTC U11 Life which includes 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of RAM. This variant will arrive preloaded with Android 8.0 Oreo. It features a faster Cat. 11 LTE modem that is capable of reaching a maximum download speed of 600 Mbps. The global markets will be receiving U11 Life in Sapphire Blue and Brilliant Black color options. In the U.K., it will be available with a price tag of £349 through HTC.com.
Will the HTC U11+ be able to disturb the sales of other full screen flagships like Samsung Galaxy Note 8, Apple iPhone X and so on. Let us know your thoughts by adding your comments below.
