The HTC U12+ had many of the things that make a great smartphone. It has an amazing camera, the latest and greatest processors, fantastic looks, and features that make it unique, like Edge Sense. However, it also has overwhelming flaws, like unresponsive fake buttons, glitches with Edge Sense, battery life woes, no wireless charging, and no headphone jack. HTC can’t fix their hardware problems. They can’t add wireless charging through a software update, or add a headphone jack (or at least an adapter). That doesn’t mean HTC can’t repair some of the U12+’s greatest flaws.
https://twitter.com/urbanstrata/status/1017822443543465984?s=20
An update is rolling out in Taiwan now, HTC’s home country. From there, it’ll spread to Europe and the United States. It includes new features like smooth zoom for videos, a security update, and, most importantly, it fixes sensitivity issues with HTC’s faux buttons and Edge Sense.
Update Fixes Issues
According to those receiving the update, it does reliably fix the buttons on the HTC U12+. It may take a few days to be sure that the fix is consistent, but it shows that this issue is a temporary one, not a permanent issue for HTC’s flagship phone. HTC may not have made the perfect smartphone, it’s not even the best Android smartphone of this generation, but they can improve upon it. The update proves HTC hasn’t given up yet.
What’s Left to Dislike?
Unfortunately, there’s still a lot to not like about the HTC U12+. Sure, they could improve battery life with software updates, but it’ll never be stellar. Reviewers didn’t remark that it was bad just not very good. It’s not HTC’s biggest problem. The fact that it doesn’t come with a USB-C to headphone jack adapter is troubling. Still, I’ve rarely used mine, as HTC’s included headphones feature noise cancelation and surprisingly rich sound. For audiophiles who may have their own headphones though, this could be a deal breaker.
USB-C headphone adapters won’t work for every phone. That’s why most are rated so poorly on Amazon. There isn’t a standard yet for audio over USB-C. To be sure an adapter will work for your device, you’ll have to do a lot of research, read reviews, and take a risk. You could also buy one directly from HTC… if it’s not sold out.
HTC’s smartphone business may die with the HTC U12+. Hopefully HTC can make it a good one for the few fans who will upgrade to it.
Sources:
- C. Scott Brown, Android Authority
- Richard Gao, Android Police
- Vlad, GSM Arena