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HTC U11 vs the competition

The new HTCU11 has just been unveiled, but does the phone have the hardware to compete with other Android flagships launched this year?
By

Published onMay 16, 2017

Less than half a year since HTCunveiled its U Ultra flagship, the company is back with a more powerful smartphone release – the HTC U11. Viewed as the company’s true 2017 flagship, let’s see how the hardware specs stack up against the new Samsung Galaxy S8, LG’s G6, the HUAWEI P10, and Sony’s Xperia XZ Premium.

It’s understood that limited availability of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 was a major factor in HTCand LG’s decisions to release Snapdragon 821-powered flagship phones a little earlier in the year. While very decent performers, the spec hungry customers out there have been waiting for the “real” processor upgrades before taking the plunge this year, and the HTCU11 is here to feed that need for ever faster smartphones.

HTC U11Galaxy S8 / S8 PlusLG G6Xperia XZ PremiumHUAWEI P10 Plus
Display
HTC U11
5.5-inch
QHD LCD
(2560x1440)
Galaxy S8 / S8 Plus
5.8-inch / 6.2-inch
QHD+ AMOLED
(2960x1440)
LG G6
5.7-inch QHD+ LCD
(2880x1440)
Xperia XZ Premium
5.5-inch 4K LCD
(3840x2160)
HUAWEI P10 Plus
5.5-inch QHD LCD
(2560x1440)
SoC
HTC U11
Snapdragon 835
Galaxy S8 / S8 Plus
Snapdragon 835 or Exynos 8895
LG G6
Snapdragon 821
Xperia XZ Premium
Snapdragon 835
HUAWEI P10 Plus
Kirin 960
CPU
HTC U11
4x 2.45 GHz Kryo 280 +
4x 1.7 GHz Kryo 280
Galaxy S8 / S8 Plus
4x 2.4 GHz Kryo 280 +
4x 1.7 GHz Kryo 280 or
4x 2.4 GHz Samsung M2 +
4x 1.7 GHz Cortex-A53
LG G6
2x 2.35 GHz Kryo +
2x 1.6 GHz Kryo
Xperia XZ Premium
4x 2.45 GHz Kryo 280 +
4x 1.9 GHz Kryo 280
HUAWEI P10 Plus
4x 2.4 GHz Cortex-A73 +
4x 1.8 GHz Cortex-A53
GPU
HTC U11
Adreno 540
Galaxy S8 / S8 Plus
Adreno 540 or Mali-G71 MP20
LG G6
Adreno 530
Xperia XZ Premium
Adreno 540
HUAWEI P10 Plus
Mali-G71 MP8
RAM
HTC U11
4 / 6GB
Galaxy S8 / S8 Plus
4 GB
LG G6
4 GB
Xperia XZ Premium
4 GB
HUAWEI P10 Plus
4 / 6 GB
Storage
HTC U11
64 / 128 GB
Galaxy S8 / S8 Plus
64 GB
LG G6
32 / 64 GB
Xperia XZ Premium
64 GB
HUAWEI P10 Plus
64 / 128GB
MicroSD?
HTC U11
Yes
Galaxy S8 / S8 Plus
Yes
LG G6
Yes
Xperia XZ Premium
Yes
HUAWEI P10 Plus
Yes

On the processing side, the inclusion of a Snapdragon 835 means that the HTCU11 will go head to head with the likes of Samsung’s latest Galaxy S8, Sony’s Xperia XZ Premium, and Xiaomi’s Mi 6 flagships. The octa-core nature of the chip offers up potential for some better power management and a performance boost to multithreaded situations, although day-to-day tasks will feel just as snappy even on last-gen hardware.

GPU performance will also see an uplift with the Snapdragon 835, up to 25 percent, and there are also a number of improvements to other components inside Qualcomm’s flagship platform too. The other benefit of the move to the 835 is the smaller 10nm processing node, which offers up energy and battery life improvements over last year’s 16 and 14nm chips. Not forgetting that the 835 also includes a faster and more powerful X16 LTE modem, which will result in faster data speeds and stronger connections on some networks.

Snapdragon 835 unveiled - Everything you need to know
Features

On the memory side, 4GB RAM is now the norm across all of this year’s flagships and HTC’s latest fits right in here. The global model will also offer a 6GB RAM option in some regions, which is a number that we’ve seen prove popular in China and other Asia territories. However, it’s doubtful that the extra RAM will make any meaningful difference to performance.

On the processing side, the inclusion of a octa-core Snapdragon 835 means that the HTCU11 will go head to head with the likes of Samsung’s latest Galaxy S8, Sony’s Xperia XZ Premium, and Xiaomi’s Mi 6 flagships.

The HTCU11 is also a match for internal memory sizes that we’ve seen from other OEMs, with 64GB being the de facto standard. That’s more than you’ll get out of the box with some LG G6 models. However, HTChasn’t said if it’s using UFS or eMMC memory, which might be for the best after the recent memory chip debacle. All of the phones on our list also support microSD cards, if you want extra space for media and whatnot, so there’s not a lot to choose between handsets here.

The final element on this part of the spec table is the display. HTCis sticking with LCD technology with the U11, leaving Samsung as still the biggest player using AMOLED, but the QHD (2,560 x 1,440) resolution is a match for other models. The Xperia XZ Premium’s 4K resolution, which is only enabled when displaying certain content, remains the highest resolution available in a smartphone, but we’re still not convinced by its purpose at this display size. If you’re looking for a slim, bezel-less display, then your best options are still the Galaxy S8 and the LG G6.

HTC U11Galaxy S8 / S8 PlusLG G6Xperia XZ PremiumHUAWEI P10 Plus
Cameras
HTC U11
12MP f/1.7 rear with OIS
16MP front
Galaxy S8 / S8 Plus
12 MP f/1.7 rear with OIS
8 MP f/1.7 front
LG G6
Dual 13 MP f/2.4 & f/1.8 rear with OIS
5 MP f/2.2 front
Xperia XZ Premium
19 MP rear with OIS and PDAF
13 MP front
HUAWEI P10 Plus
Dual 12 & 20 MP f/1.8 rear with OIS and PDAF
8 MP front
Battery
HTC U11
3,000 mAh
Galaxy S8 / S8 Plus
3,000 / 3,500 mAh
LG G6
3,300 mAh
Xperia XZ Premium
3,230 mAh
HUAWEI P10 Plus
3,750 mAh
NFC
HTC U11
Yes
Galaxy S8 / S8 Plus
Yes
LG G6
Yes
Xperia XZ Premium
Yes
HUAWEI P10 Plus
Yes
Fingerprint
HTC U11
Yes
Galaxy S8 / S8 Plus
Yes
LG G6
Yes
Xperia XZ Premium
Yes (No in US)
HUAWEI P10 Plus
Yes
Fast Charge
HTC U11
Quick Charge 3.0
Galaxy S8 / S8 Plus
Yes
LG G6
Quick Charge 3.0
Xperia XZ Premium
Quick Charge 3.0 / Qnovo Adaptive Charge
HUAWEI P10 Plus
SuperCharge
IP Rating
HTC U11
IP67
Galaxy S8 / S8 Plus
IP68
LG G6
IP68
Xperia XZ Premium
IP68
HUAWEI P10 Plus
No
3.5mm audio
HTC U11
No
Galaxy S8 / S8 Plus
Yes
LG G6
Yes
Xperia XZ Premium
Yes
HUAWEI P10 Plus
Yes
Extras
HTC U11
USB Type-C, Boomsound Hi-Fi, HTCConnect, Hi Res audio, AI assistants
Galaxy S8 / S8 Plus
USB Type-C, Bixby, Facial Recognition Wireless Charging, Samsung Pay, HDR display
LG G6
USB Type-C, Wireless Charging, HDR Display, Hi Res audio
Xperia XZ Premium
USB Type-C, Hi Res audio
HUAWEI P10 Plus
USB Type-C, Hi Res audio
OS
HTC U11
Android 7.1
Galaxy S8 / S8 Plus
Android 7.0
LG G6
Android 7.0
Xperia XZ Premium
Android 7.1
HUAWEI P10 Plus
Android 7.0

Moving on to the camera, historically sometimes a weak spot in HTCflagships, the HTCU11 seems to have made a number of improvements. Its updated UltraPixel technology can still be found in the rear sensor, sporting a familiar f/1.7 aperture and large 1.4 μm pixel size. Optical Image Stabilization is also common across all our flagships, ensuring smooth video and better low light pictures. The U11’s front facing camera has changed over to a 16 megapixel sensor, up from 5 megapixel in the HTC10, but the same as the U Ultra. This offers a resolution that exceeds what’s on offer from other flagship phones, although we’ll have to do some testing to see if this extra resolution comes at the expense of extra noise.

It’s worth noting that DxOMark rates the HTCU11 rear camera very highly, putting it a notch above the likes of the Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy S8. If this reflects real world results, this could make the U11 a very tempting phone to photography enthusiasts. We’ll wait to do some hands-on testing ourselves, but things are looking very competitive in the camera space.

HTC U11 now has the highest DxOMark score, outranking Pixel and Galaxy S8
News

On to the extras, where we can usually start telling most phones apart, and we certainly see that the HTCU11 is keeping up with the competition while introducing a few unique options of its own. For starters, Quick Charge 3.0 support, a fingerprint scanner, USB Type-C port, NFC, and Android 7.1 Nougat are all par for the course these days and the HTCU11 doesn’t disappoint. Unfortunately the 3,000mAh battery size is a little smaller than other devices of a similar size, but it’s by no means an inadequate sized cell.

If you’re looking for a slim, bezel-less display, then your best options are still the Galaxy S8 and the LG G6.

HTC has hopped onto the water and dust resistance trend too, with the introduction of an IP67 rating for its case. While not quite as high a rating as the IP68 certification awarded to the Galaxy S8, LG G6, or Xperia XZ Premium, the HTCU11 will still handle water submersion for a limited time.

The audio side remains an area where the HTCU11 is determined to stand-out. The inclusion of Boomsound Hi-Fi speakers aims to offer a better sound clarity than others, the company’s proprietary HTCConnect technology can stream media to other devices, and the devices supports the playback of Hi-Res audio formats too. The lack of a 3.5mm jack departs from what we’ve seen from most other flagship manufacturers, but HTCis including a DAC-equipped Type-C to 3.5mm in the box to keep most headphone listeners happy.

Samsung Galaxy S8 feature focus: Bixby (Video)
Features

Speaking of trends, HTCisn’t being left behind in the virtual assistant race either. In fact, the HTCU11 supports Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and the company’s own Sense Companion, depending on the region. Of course, Google Assistant is available on a number of phones, but the introduction of its own Sense Companion suggests that HTCis interested in competing with the likes of Samsung’s Bixby too. However, it appears that the Sense Companion is more limited than Samsung’s assistant, only offering up personalized recommendations rather than major integration into a number of apps. However, smart home users might find the inclusion of Alexa out of the box extra useful.

The HTCU11 has also introduced a first for the smartphone market – the company’s Edge Sense squeezable bezel technology. By squeezing the side of the phone, user’s can open up apps, along with a number of other customizations. We’ll have to see how useful this turns out to be, but it’s a neat little addition nonetheless and one that can’t be found elsewhere.

The final word

Based on the paper specs, the HTCU11 certainly keeps up with the competition, while the familiar design language and improvements to its unique technologies will keep long running fans happy. As usual, there’s little to tell the top-tier flagship apart in terms of hardware capabilities, and improvements to the U11’s camera and software features makes this an even tougher contest than last year. I’ll reserve judgement on the usefulness of Edge Sense, but the U11 is shaping up to be a fine phone.

HTC U11 review
Reviews

The HTCU Ultra was a competitive flagship when it launched earlier in the year, even if it didn’t offer too many improvements over the HTC10, and now the HTCU11 has arrived to quickly fill in the company’s range with the latest hardware and software trends. If you’re after the latest processing hardware, virtual assistant technology, and remain a fan of HTC’s design language, the U11 is certainly a flagship worthy of your consideration.

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