So right of the bat lets address the gimmick in this new phone by HTC. You can now squeeze the sides of the phone to launch apps or control them. If you want to increase the volume of your HTC U11 you can squeeze the sides and the volume can be increased or decreases depending on how hard you squeeze. If you want to launch the camera app, you can set the feature to launch in on your squeeze as well. Why you would want to do this is something we have been unable to figure out. Its counter intuitive. It is much easier to use the volume toggles or swipe to do these functionalities than squeezing the sides of your phone. To be honest what were they thinking?
Why does HTC U11 has this feature?
The answer is simple, they need to stay relevant. Samsung has edge to edge display, iPhone is getting the same and Google pixel has the best camera in the market. HTC’s phones are suddenly appearing very dated in their style and technology. Therefore, they needed to do something with this new phone that would give them some sort of edge or competitive advantage. However, this was indeed a half-baked terrible idea. It makes no logical sense to use it this way. In fact shows the desperation of HTC to make a phone which stands out compared to what the other flagship models are offering
This is indeed sad, since if you ignore the gimmick, the phone is a solid addition to their line up and does everything a good smart phone should. However with the price at 650 USD, you have to ask yourself shouldn’t you rather spend that on a Samsung, Pixel or even the upcoming iPhone ?
Design of the HTC U11
The built quality is solid as is the case with nearly all of HTC’s products. However, we feel that HTC was hit with the similar issue of trying to stand out. From the sides and front it is nearly indistinguishable form the other older flagships models. So, what did they do? they made the back a shiny mirror. The back is a finger print magnet and much worse than the Iphone 7’s Piano black version. All of the HTC U11 versions are the same super shiny back. Perhaps this is personal preference thing. However, we really did not like the smudgy back of the phone.
Overall
There is no headphone jack. It has a decent solid camera and is now water proof. The screen is not edge to edge display but is a solid screen for a smart phone. The screen resolution is good and it packs a strong punch in colors and brightness.
Conclusion
If you ignore the squeeze and the shiny back, this is a solid smart phone. It has good build quality and a solid camera. However, most people will get distracted by those features and will choose to buy it or not depending on their personal preferences regarding it. At the high end of the flagship smart phone market one has to ask if this is the best you’re getting for your money. HTC needs to innovate something truly worthwhile to stay relevant and this edition seems like a halfhearted attempt. HTC is an excellent company and we expect better from them. Perhaps the next version.
*Launch Image courtesy http://www.express.co.uk/
