Two weeks with the new flagship from HTC was enough for me to understand all the charms and disadvantages of this smartphone. Let’s put aside all prejudices and soberly think about what it is worth buying a device for.
1 – Interface
Yes, HTC Sense is still on top. Even more. It is more relevant than other interfaces. It’s faster than the Samsung interface, it’s prettier than the LG interface, and, in my opinion, more thoughtful than the Sony shell.
Here’s the thing, HTC Sense was good from the start. The company only improved it, unlike other A-brands, which only this year somehow “combed” the appearance of their shells.
Only one thing is bad in the HTC system: the TouchPal keyboard, which must be immediately demolished and put on Gboard. Other than that, it’s a very friendly phone in terms of user interface and I think that’s important.
2 – Sound
They removed the 3.5 mm headphone jack, introduced USonic noise reduction technology, which works only through the USB-Type C digital output, and threw a good headset into the kit. But these are all nuances.
The truth is that the HTC U11 is a monster when it comes to sound through any third-party headphones. External speakers are also dashing.
Among all the flagships of 2017, HTC beats anyone in terms of sound. We do not take into account the Chinese with a DAC, a different price category, although the U11 will give odds even to Meizu.
If sound is a key parameter when choosing a smartphone, then the U11 is definitely worth a try. The only thing that can stop you is the lack of a 3.5 mm jack, which in a year will completely disappear from all manufacturers.
3 – Operating time
Is a 3000 mAh battery a lot or a little? For U11 this is normal. About 6 hours of active screen operation. Not bad, right?
Lives from dawn to the next dawn. And your mother will work for 2 days at all
4 – Relics
Banal item. Talking about the speed of a smartphone powered by Snapdragon 835 is somehow boring. Every time the same thing. “The smartphone is very powerful and blah blah blah.”
I will only note that I had a younger model 4/64 GB on the test. Everything flew into space. And there is also a 6/128 GB version, I think everything is “as expected” there too. Antutu tests will not be here, do not even hope.
5 – Edge Sense
Many people ask why this is all. Why would a smartphone need to be compressible? And I liked it. First, it’s coolly implemented. It works the first time, there are no false clicks, and secondly, you can assign absolutely any application. My method of use: quick squeeze – launch the camera, long squeeze of the body – launch Chrome.
6 – Camera.
The DXO website gave the HTC U11 the highest mark. It seemed strange to me. I took four smartphones in my hands: Pixel, S8, HTC U11 and iPhone 7 plus and ran to compare them. Of course, I thought the Pixel would be better at night, and the S8 is hard to beat during the day. But I was wrong.
As a result, I was disappointed in all smartphones. When you compare all the flagships at the same time, you observe the weaknesses of each smartphone and begin to understand that the ideal does not exist. Every now and then strange thoughts come to mind: I wish the autofocus of the iPhone 7 plus was here during video recording, but here the sharpness from the S8, and here the color reproduction of the U11 would not interfere.
The bottom line is the following: the HTC U11 has a very aggressive HDR, it takes cool pictures during the day. At night, like any smartphone, it is capable of making mistakes. A static frame at night will turn out to be normal, if there is dynamics – porridge is provided. Video in 4K writes very cool, including sound recording on four microphones.
Should I buy HTC U11 for the camera? Definitely worth it!
And why HTC U11 is not worth taking?
The only stone in HTC’s garden is the design. The body materials are excellent, but the dimensions and appearance itself are questionable. A very easily soiled smartphone, constantly glaring in the sun. In terms of design, this is not the prettiest HTC device.
Remember One M7, M8. There was beauty. But, as they say, “the taste and color of two boots – felt boots.”
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