HTC U12+ is More Impressive Than we Expected

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This week, HTC revealed the HTC U12+, and, despite details of it leaking earlier this week, it’s still far more impressive than we expected. HTC has been making smartphones that not only push the bounds of technology, introducing features like dual cameras years ago, and squeezeable phones last year wtih the HTC U11, but look truly beautiful doing it. They were the first on the playing field with high-end Android phones with the HTC One m7, and added dual cameras for bokeh effects and focusing after the shot with the HTC m8. They brought high-end audio to a smaller form factor, a feature that has been copied by Apple and others. Truly, HTC has been at the forefront of innovation, Quietly Brilliant, as a marketing slogan of theirs once said.

The HTC U12+ is a continuation of that. HTC brought back their dual camera setup, front and back, shrunk their bezels, introduced a new high-end transparent color, upgraded their audio once again, and introduced a new version of Edge Sense, HTC’s squeeze based interface, that takes it so far past “gimmick,” you’ll wonder how you used a phone without it.

Edge Sense 2.0

Edge Sense was introduced with the HTC U11. It then found it way into HTC’s other phones, including the Google Pixel 2 and Google Pixel 2 XL. At first, it seemed like a gimmick, a simple shortcut that people will likely forget about. On the Google Pixel 2, it mostly is, as Google has locked it down to only initiating Google Assistant. Google Assistant is nice for people who talk to their phones frequently, but that’s not most of us. However, on HTC’s own devices, it could be used for app shortcuts and features. For example, I use mine to launch the camera and take a screenshot (different pressure levels). However, for many, this still wasn’t enough.

Edge Sense 2.0 changes that by introducing more ways to use Edge Sense. It’s no longer just a shortcut, now it can be used to guess what your intentions are with the phone, allow gestures, and treat the entire phone like it’s covered in buttons. In fact, the buttons on the HTC U12+ aren’t even moving buttons, they’re just pressure sensitive.

The Gestures

You can still squeeze the HTC U12+, and it’ll still have shortcuts you can assign. However, there will be additional features now. With the HTC U12+, Edge Sense will be able to tell what hand (or both) you’re holding your device with. If you give it a quick double tap on one side with your thumb, it’ll shrink the whole screen so you can quickly access something with one hand on that side. It’s like Apple’s Reachability, but smarter. The new double tap gesture is also customizable.

In-App Uses

Now you’ll find millions of apps that use Edge Sense from within the app. You can use it to zoom in on a portion of the map in Google Maps, or even like a photo in Instagram. That’s because you can now add in-app gestures for tapping and double tapping using the squeeze action on the HTC U12+. See a photo you like while swiping through your Instagram feed? A quick squeeze will send a like to your friend’s photo. Want to play, pause, or skip a track in your music player? You can do that now too. Best of all, this feature is in beta for HTC U11 users, so if you already have a recent HTC device, you can start using it right now!

Intelligence

My morning ritual goes like this: alarm goes off, feel the anger of the ancient gods pump through my veins, hit snooze 1,000 times, bargain with my body to fall back asleep for just a few minutes, and then I’ll be productive, realize with utter depression that I have to wake up, and finally accept my fate and reach for my phone. I then browse the news, some Facebook posts, Instagram, or Reddit, before getting out of bed. But that last step before actually getting up involves frustratingly trying to get my phone to not rotate, as I’m holding it sideways in bed. I’m sure many of you have done the same.

With Edge Sense 2 on the HTC U12+, your phone will realize you’re holding it in a portrait orientation, that is, that you don’t want the screen to rotate, and it’ll lock rotation. This is a much better solution that Android P’s rotate button, or Apple’s obnoxiously difficult to reach (and ugly) Control Center lock screen rotation button. HTC U12+ users won’t know the pain of a device that just can’t figure out whether or not to rotate, and that alone will be a huge selling point for many smartphone users.

Camera

Or should I say “Cameras,” because the HTC U12+ has four. HTC started the dual camera craze with the HTC One m8, but stopped using it eventually, when it became apparent that it wasn’t the “it factor” required to bring users to HTC’s devices. However, times have changed. Now, dual cameras is the status quo for flagship smartphones, and HTC brought theirs back. Unlike their competition, they put dual cameras on the front and the back.

Rear Cameras

The HTC U12+ has DxOMark’s highest rated dual camera setup, being beaten only by the triple camera setup on the Huawei P20 Pro. DxOMark specifically liked the super fast autofocus, accurate white balance, good texture, “class-leading” zoom, and bokeh. The camera also had little sensor noise in videos, beating out the Huawei P20 and Google Pixel 2 in many low light situations. This is thanks to optical image stabilization on both cameras and HTC’s large pixel “Ultrapixel” sensor. It’s currently the second best rated smartphone on DxOMark’s rankings, the highest rated U.S. government-recommended device (as they specifically warn against Huawei phones), and beats the fantastic iPhone X by 12 points.

HTC’s rear cameras have a 12MP wide angle main lens and a 16MP zoom lens. The wide angle lens is better at capturing low-light shots, but HTC’s zoom setup is the best in the business. It’s capable of 2x optical, 10x digital zoom. That zoom can also work with HTC’s Sonic Zoom feature, which zooms in on the subject making noise in a video automatically. The front facing cameras bring the same feature set, but use two wide angle 8MP cameras. HTC’s face unlock feature is likely driven by these two cameras. All cameras are capable of doing AR stickers, for adding some Snapchat-like fun to your photos.

Design

Hold. The. Phone. Is that a transparent back on the HTC U12+? You’re damn right it is! The 90’s are back, and they’ve been upgraded. Gone is the translucent plastic of yesteryear, now we have beautiful, curved, translucent glass with a delicate gradient. This isn’t just the design language from my childhood, it’s an modern upgrade of it. Jony Ive, designer of the translucent iMac, would be proud.

The HTC U12+ will bring back the brilliant red shade from the HTC U11 that I love so much, although it’s slightly tweaked. It’ll be a little bit more pink in hue. Unfortunately, that shade won’t be available in the U.S., only the black and translucent blue colors will be available here. I would have jumped at the chance for a translucent solar red color, but that’s not an option. Every color comes with HTC’s Liquid Surface design, which is a polished glass that looks almost metal-like.

Screen

Most smartphone manufacturers are moving to OLED for its low light capabilities, though they may be sacrificing color accuracy and viewing angles. HTC hasn’t done this. Instead, they’ve stuck with their Quad HD+ “Super LCD” display, which has an amazing 537ppi resolution. With a wide color gamut, HDR 10 support, and resolution like that, why switch?

The screen is a 6 inch display with an 18:9 ratio. This is like many other smartphones, including the iPhone X and Samsung Galaxy S9, in that it’s tall. That means more content while you’re scrolling, and also more when viewing movies in a cinematic wide screen. Like those other phones, HTC shrunk their bezels, and didn’t add a notch. The hardware back, home, and menu buttons are now on the display, in preparation for Android P’s gestures.

Audio

HTC was famous for their “BoomSound” speakers on the One m7, and their speakers have only gotten better since then. Like the U11, the audio is still split between the top earpiece speaker and bottom facing speaker. The top speaker is treble, the lower one is bass. This has apparently been improved over the U11, which I found to be good, but not quite as good as the iPhone X.

The U12+ still comes with the USonic earbuds, which feature active noise cancellation. Also, HTC kept their 3D audio recording, so you’ll still be able to capture truly immersive videos (or ASMR) with the HTC U12+. Listening to that audio will also rock, with HTC’s use of 32-bit high resolution wireless audio over Bluetooth.

Other Specs

The HTC U12+ comes with a Snapdragon 845 processor, the top of the line. HTC’s own optimizations often make it the fastest device in its class, even with the same processor. On top of that, HTC’s providing 6GB of memory, which should be more than enough to keep your apps running in the background. It’ll be available in two storage sizes, 64GB and 128GB, and can be expanded up to 2TB with a microSD card. It’ll feature a 3500mAh battery, which should keep it running all day long. Wireless connectivity includes NFC, Bluetooth 5, and WiFi, as well as streaming to Chromecast, DLNA, AirPlay, and Miracast devices.

Other Notes

HTC’s latest and greatest will be available on Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile, as well as unlocked in 64 and 128GB sizes. Interestingly, the unlocked 128GB version only comes in translucent blue, not that you’ll be complaining much. It’ll go for $799 and $849, although HTC has hinted at promotions. HTC will also allow you to trade up to the U12+, giving you cash for your old phone. The HTC U12+ is available for preorder now, and will go on sale on June 7th.

Other new features include a new Face Unlock, which has yet to be tested up against Apple’s FaceID, but likely isn’t as secure, as it seems to be using only the cameras. It’s also IP68 water resistant, and it’s comprised of aluminum and glass.

Drawbacks

There are three drawbacks I can see with the HTC U12+. First, is the lack of a headphone jack. I haven’t been bothered too much by this, but that’s likely only because my iPhone X supports wireless charging, and my HTC U11 isn’t my primary phone. The Android platform just isn’t ready to ditch the headphone jack, with no third party splitters enabling users to charge and listen to music (or GPS directions in the car) at the same time without Bluetooth. That brings up another concern: the HTC U12+ doesn’t have wireless charging. HTC didn’t think it would be as important as maximizing the internal space for the battery, but coming from the iPhone X, I can tell you it would have been worth sacrificing a few minutes of battery life, especially since wireless charging would make the lack of a headphone jack almost meaningless.

Finally, there’s the issue of availability. The HTC U12+ will be available on Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile, as well as unlocked for other carriers, but only online. You’ll have to head to HTC.com or Amazon to buy the phone. It’s a shame, because many non-techies who don’t do all their research online make their decision in the store. Without an in-store presence, the HTC U12+ will absolutely not save HTC from the downward spiral they’re in. This, like the HTC U11 before it, will be an enthusiast phone.

HTC U12+: Another Amazing HTC Phone

HTC just can’t make a bad phone, but they’re not doing it any favors with their distribution model. Every year, they churn out some of the best smartphones on the market, yet every year their profits wane. It’s a shame, HTC is the only brand I’d go to for an Android phone, and I recommend it to all my friends and family. The HTC U12+ looks like it’ll be the best Android phone on the market, but you likely won’t see it in many hands.