HTC's smartphone sales have been in a downward spiral for years, partly because the devices can't match those of the competition. The recently released HTC U11 Plus changes that. The large, premium-priced phone leaves a very good impression – although logically it is not cheap.
HTC U11 Plus
Price € 799,-Colors Black and semi-transparent
OS Android 8.0
Screen 6 inch LCD (2880x1440)
Processor 2.4GHz quad-core (Snapdragon 835)
RAM 6GB
Storage 128GB (expandable with memory card)
Battery 3930 mAh
Camera 12 megapixels
(rear), 8 megapixel (front)
Connectivity 4G (LTE), Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi, GPS, NFC
Format 15.8 x 7.5 x 0.85 cm
Weight 188 grams
Other USB-C, no 3.5mm audio port
Website www.htc.com 9 Score 90
- Pros
- Excellent and modern display
- Most Powerful Hardware
- Dual SIM
- Very good camera
- Long battery life
- Negatives
- Glass back gets dirty
- No 3.5mm audio port
- No wireless charging
Large, elongated screen
Like the U11, the U11 Plus has a glass housing that, in addition to being water-resistant, is also slippery and gets dirty quickly. Unfortunately, wireless charging is not possible and a 3.5mm audio cable can only be connected via the USB-C adapter. Fortunately, HTC supplies excellent USB-C earplugs. Just like expensive phones from Samsung, LG and OnePlus, the U11 Plus has a 6-inch display with an 18:9 ratio and high QHD resolution. The almost front-filling screen is very good, but has to leave the Galaxy S8 for itself on points such as the color reproduction. The used LCD screen can not match the OLED panel of the S8. The same applies to the screen edges, which are somewhat wider on the U11 Plus. Although the larger screen has added value in many situations, we cannot ignore it: this is a substantial phone.
Impressive hardware
That the U11 Plus is on the heavy side has a good explanation. The 3930 mAh battery is a lot larger than that of the competition, so that the HTC phone can last for a day and a half without any problems. Charging is fast via USB-C. Thanks to the Snapdragon 835 chip, which is in almost all high-end Android devices, and no less than 6GB of RAM, the U11 Plus runs like a charm. The storage memory is also very spacious with 128GB and you can - very nice - two SIM cards in the device.
The fingerprint scanner on the back also leaves a good impression, as does the 12 megapixel camera. It delivers sharp, true-to-life images and also holds its own in the dark. We can be brief about the Android 8.0 Oreo software: it is user-friendly and up-to-date, although HTC does provide a number of unnecessary apps. And the pinch-sensitive Edge Sense frame? That is getting better through software updates, but it is still not a killer feature.
Conclusion
With the U11 Plus, HTC delivers its best smartphone in years and – more importantly – it can really compete with the top models of Apple and Samsung for the first time. The U11 Plus has an innovative design, the best hardware and the latest software. In addition, the cameras and battery life are excellent. At 799 euros, the device is not cheap, but compared to the competition it is comparable to even competitively priced. It makes the U11 Plus a good purchase, although the U12 is already on the doorstep.
