As expected, HTC today took the wraps off of its newest flagship smartphone.
The HTC U12+ is now official with four cameras: two on the front and two on the back. Around back there's a 12MP wide angle UltraPixel 4 camera with f/1.75 aperture, optical image stabilization, HDR Boost 2, and speedy autofocus. Next to that is a 16MP camera with 2x optical zoom and f/2.6 aperture. Around front are dual 8MP wide angle cameras with f/2.0 aperture.
HTC touts that the U12+ earned a score of 103 from camera rating firm DxOMark, making it the second-highest rated smartphone. Special features of HTC's cameras include bokeh, AR stickets, and an auto zoom that'll slowly and smoothly zoom in on your subject when you're recording video.
Another main feature of the HTC U12+ is Edge Sense 2. This is the new version of HTC's feature that lets you squeeze the sides of the phone to perform actions, and now it's got improvements like being aware which hand you're using to squeeze. In addition to squeezing to launch apps, Edge Sense 2 lets you hold the sides of the screen while rotating the phone to lock the screen orientation and double tap the side of the phone for one-handed use.
HTC is also placing a focus on audio with the U12+, like it has with previous flagships. The company says that the U12+ has its loudest ever BoomSound speakers, and it also comes with HTC USonic earbuds with Active Noise Cancellation. The U12+ is Hi-Res Audio certified and includes Qualcomm aptX support for high-res audio over Bluetooth.
The HTC U12+ features a 6-inch 2880x1440 Super LCD6 screen with slim bezels as well as pressure-sensitive buttons on the sides of the device. Also included is a rear fingerprint reader and face unlock security features.
Inside the IP68 water and dust resistant shell is an octa-core Snapdragon 845 processor paired with 6GB of RAM, 64GB or 128GB of built-in storage, and a microSD card slot. A 3500mAh battery powers the whole package, and there's a USB-C port for charging.
HTC will sell the U12+ in Ceramic Black, Flame Red, and a slightly see-through Translucent Blue. It's now available for pre-order direct from HTC, with U.S. pricing set at $799 for the 64GB model and $849 for the 128GB version. Customers in Europe will pay £699/€799 for the 64GB model.
The HTC U12+ looks like a solid successor to HTC's U11 and U11+. It's got a big screen with slim bezels, and lots of folks out there will probably be pleased that HTC has skipped the notch trend that other Android device makers have jumped on. The U12+ design is simple and clean, it's got all of the specs that you'd expect from a flagship smartphone in 2018, and if DxOMark's report is to be believed, its camera performance is top-notch. The competition in the smartphone market is fierce, but the U12+ looks like it has a lot to offer.
Now that it's official, what do you think of the HTC U12+?
