HTC has taken the wraps off of the U11, and as the teasers suggested, squeezing is a major focus of this new Android flagship.
The HTC U11 includes a feature called Edge Sense that lets you squeeze the sides of the device to perform actions. For example, you can squeeze the HTC U11 once to launch the camera, and then you can squeeze it again to take a photo. There’s an advanced feature that’ll let you set a long squeeze action. And yes, you can customize the apps that you launch using the Edge Sense feature.
HTC is also equipping the U11 with voice functionality. That includes Google Assistant as well as support for Amazon Alexa, the latter of which HTC says will launch in the US, UK, and Germany within 30 days of the HTC U11’s availability.
When it comes to raw specs, the HTC U11 is a flagship-tier device. It’s got a 5.5-inch 2560x1440 Super LCD 5 display, 4GB of RAM, and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 processor.
On the back of the device there’s a 12-megapixel camera with UltraPixel 3 tech, dual LED flash, OIS and EIS. HTC touts that camera-rating group DxOMark rated the HTC U11’s camera a 90, the highest score in its mobile phone ratings. Around on the front of the U11 there’s a 16-megapixel camera for all of your selfie needs.
Other features crammed into the HTC U11’s glossy body include 64GB of storage, a microSD slot, fingerprint reader, USB Type-C, NFC, a 3000mAh battery, and Android 7.1 running below HTC’s Sense custom user interface. The body of the HTC U11 is IP67-rated for dust and splash resistance.
One feature you may have noticed is missing from that list is a 3.5mm headphone jack, and that’s intentional, because there are none of them to be found on the HTC U11. HTC will include a 3.5mm-to-USB-C adapter in the box, though, as well as a pair of USB-C earbuds with active noise cancellation.
In the US, Sprint is the exclusive launch partner for the HTC U11. Pre-orders begin today and the device will launch on June 9, with pricing set at $0 down and $29 per month for 24 months, or $696 total. For a limited time, Sprint customers that pre-order the U11 will get two free Amazon Echo Dots.
HTC will also sell the U11 unlocked on HTC.com and Amazon, with that pre-order kicking off today and the device scheduled for launch in June. Pricing for the unlocked model is $649.
So there’s the HTC U11. The phone certainly looks like an Android flagship on paper, boasting Qualcomm’s flagship processor and a camera that’s said to be the one of the best around. The Edge Sense functionality certainly sounds interesting, but that’s something that we’ll have to put to the test in our everyday lives before we can really make any judgments about it. Stay tuned.
