The HTC U11 was one of 2017's most underrated phones, so you'd be a fool to let the U12+ slip under your radar.
There were a lot of excellent phones that came out in 2017, and while much of the limelight was reserved for the likes of the Galaxy S8, Google Pixel 2, and Apple's iPhone X, HTC also kicked out a truly awesome phone with the U11. The U11 didn't receive anywhere near the amount of attention as it should have, and while it's unclear if the U12+ will be able to change this, one thing is certain – it'll be a darn nice phone.
| Category | HTC U12+ |
|---|---|
| Operating System | Android 8.0 Oreo with Sense 10 |
| Display | 6-inches at 2880 x 1440 18:9 aspect ratio Super LCD 6 HDR10 compatible |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 |
| Storage | 64GB or 128GB |
| RAM | 6GB |
| Rear cameras | 12MP wide-angle (f/1.75) + 16MP telephoto (f/2.6) Optical image stabalization |
| Front camera | Dual 8MP sensors |
| Battery | 3,500 mAh |
| Water resistance | IP68 |
| Connectivity | USB Type-C Bluetooth 5.0 NFC |
| Security | HTC Face Unlock |
May 17, 2018 — Full spec sheet and three colors leaked
Just a few days before HTC officially unveils the U12+, Evan Blass has taken to Twitter to give us a full glimpse into what the phone has to offer.
The colors include black, a red similar to the V30's Raspberry Rose, and one with a transparent back. Along with the host of colors, Blass also shared a full spec sheet for the U12+ — the highlights of which can be seen above.
May 3, 2018 — A big announcement is coming on May 23
HTC's been rather quiet regarding its flagship for this year, but that recently changed with a Tweet the company shared today. Above a picture teasing a May 23 announcement date, HTC says "Coming Soon. A phone that is more than the sum of its specs.
Coming Soon. A phone that is more than the sum of its specs. pic.twitter.com/m2skJSK0qt
— HTC (@htc) May 3, 2018
In other words, we're just a few short days away from the HTC U12+.
Bezels will be a lot smaller compared to the U11
Get ready to say goodbye to these massive bezels 👋
Although the U11 was one of 2017's most eye-catching phones when viewed from the back, its front resembled a device that could have been released in 2015. Large bezels don't necessarily make or break a phone, but when the U11 was fighting against the Galaxy S8 and LG G6, its traditional front design could quickly lead you to believe it was outdated when compared to the competition.
Thankfully, the HTC U12+ will adopt a much more modern design. A device render from early January showcased a phone with very minimal bezels (at least from what we could see), and this was followed up by hands-on photos of what's being reported as the U12+ in the flesh.
It's possible that the phone in the hands-on photos is nothing more than a dummy unit HTC is using to test out 5G speeds, but even if that's the case, it's likely the U12+ will end up closely resembling it.
The back won't be a fingerprint magnet
While the U11 looked outdated on the front, its back design remains stunning to this very day. We're expecting the U12+ to retain the same general design with a metal frame sandwiched between glass on either side, but according to HTC Source, at least one variant of the U12+ will look slightly different.
Per sources that are familiar with the U12+, HTC's creating a version of the phone with a matte white finish on the back. It'll still be made out of glass, but the matte design should both look great and help to drastically reduce the number of fingerprints that pop up.
You'll still be able to get a U12+ with a reflective design, but I'm personally much more interested in seeing what the matte aesthetic looks like.
It'll be powered by the Snapdragon 845
Qualcomm's latest and greatest mobile processor for 2018 is the Snapdragon 845, and we have no reason to believe that the U12+ will ship without it.
The 845 is one beast of a CPU, offering substantially faster performance, improvements in the camera department, increased data speeds, and much more. The HTC U11 provided an incredibly slick user experience with the Snapdragon 835, and we can only imagine how zippy the U12+ will be thanks to the faster silicon.
Full support for Project Treble
Since the U12+ will be launching with Oreo out of the box, it'll be rocking support for Project Treble. LlabTooFeR notes that HTC will also offer A/B updates, meaning that new software releases should be available on the U12+ not too long after Google's Pixel devices get them.
Squeeze controls aren't going anywhere
Edge Sense – the feature that allows you to squeeze your phone to perform a variety of commands – first debuted on the HTC U11. Google integrated the tech as a way for quickly prompting the Google Assistant on the Pixel 2, and it made a return later in the year with the HTC U11+.
There was a lot of doubt surrounding Edge Sense's usefulness following the announcement of the U11, but once the phone was released and people started getting their hands on it, it became clear that it was way more practical than anyone was expecting it to be. Edge Sense isn't the sole reason to buy a U11 or Pixel 2, but it's one of those things you come to appreciate the more you use it.
It's reported that Edge Sense 2.0 will make a debut on the U12+ this year, and while we don't know quite yet how this will be different from the current version of Egse Sense, we'll likely see deeper customization of how it can be used, more apps/commands it can tie into, etc.
What are you hoping to see?
As information regarding the U12+ slowly trickles in, what features or specs are you looking forward to the most? Will a refreshed design be enough to keep you interested, or would you like HTC to try something new like it did last year with Edge Sense? Let us know in the comments below!
HTC U11
Updated 5/17/18 — Added all new info about the HTC U12+!
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