HTC has unveiled the HTC U12+ flagship phone today. It has arrived as a successor of the HTC U11+ smartphone that was launched by the end of 2017. Apart from the powerful Snapdragon 845 chipset, the handset is packed with amazing dual rear cameras.
Design and Display
The HTC U12+ that measures 156.6 x 73.9 x 8.7mm and weighs 188 grams features Gorilla Glass 5 panels on its front and rear with an aluminum frame flanked in between. The backside of the phone features a reflective design called Liquid Surface that boasts different color hues when viewed from different angles. The handset comes in colors like Ceramic Black, Flame Red and Translucent Blue. The latter showcases the innards of the phones. The IP68 certification ensures that the U12+ is a dustproof and a water-resistant smartphone.
Like the HTC U11 and U11+, the U12+ is also equipped with pressure-sensitive frame that allow users to squeeze the phone to carry different functions on the phone. HTC has improved the experience on it by introducing Edge Sense 2. Double-tapping on the frame allow users to access the Back function and by simply holding the phone, its rotation will be lock and the screen will not dim. HTC has claimed that users can customize the squeezing, tapping and holding capabilities of the U12+.
The handset features a 6-inch Super LCD6 panel that supports QHD+ resolution and 18:9 aspect ratio. The screen also supports DCI-P3 color gamut and HDR 10 video playback. Compared to the U11+, the screen of the U12+ is surrounded by slimmer bezels. The fingerprint scanner resides on the back of the U12+
Performance, Cameras and Audio Capabilities
The Snapdragon 845 is present under the hood of the HTC U12+. The base model has 6 GB of RAM and 64 GB of native storage. The higher variant is equipped with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage. The handset also includes support for microSD card. It comes loaded with Android 8.0 and the Taiwanese company has confirmed that the Android P OS will be also brought to HTC U12+.
The handset receives power from 3,500mAh battery. With the X20 LTE modem onboard, the U12+ is built to offer download speeds of up to 1.2 Gbps.
After the older HTC One M8 smartphone, the HTC U12+ is the first flagship phone to arrive with dual rear cameras. It includes a 12-megapixel UltraPixel primary sensor that is enabled with features like 1.4micron pixel size and OIS. The main sensor is assisted by 16-megapixel telephoto lens with 2x magnification support. The dual rear cameras can shoot HDR10 video, 4K videos at 60fps and Full HD slow-motion videos at 240 fps. The dual sensors are equipped with features like PDAF, laser autofocus and dual-LED flash.
The front side of the U12+ features a pair of 8-megapixel selfie cameras that brings support for portrait shots and facial unlock. Some of the other features available for the front cameras include AR stickers and HDR Boost.
The HTC U12+ is fitted with BoomSound stereo speakers that includes a dedicated tweeter and woofer. It is also equipped with four microphones for noise cancellation as well as surround sound recording. The HTC Sonic Zoom allow users to focus on a certain audio or voice while watching a video. The Audio Boost amplifies the sound while shooting 3D audio.
Pricing and Availability
The Taiwanese company has started the pre-orders of the HTC U12+ in the U.S. The Translucent Blue edition of the HTC U12+ with 64 GB and 128 GB storage choices are respectively priced at $799 and $849. The 64 GB Ceramic Black is also available for $799.
