HTC U Ultra Review: HTC is pulling out all stops for their latest flagship offering

HTC U Ultra Review: HTC is pulling out all stops for their latest flagship offering 

Price : Rs 59,990 

Specifications : Qualcomm Snapdragon 821,

 4GB RAM, 64GB storage + micro SD (up to 2TB with Flex storage),

 5.7-inch WQHD (2560 x 1440 pixels) Super LCD5, 

12MP f1.8 UltraPixel rear camera with OIS & PDAF, 

16MP front camera, 

3,000mAh battery.

The 5.5-inch smartphone screen is now considered mainstream. And at least in the Android world, there are many different flagships that stick to this size with unabated enthusiasm. For their latest flagship, HTC is pulling out all the stops — even going a size larger, adding a second screen, opting for a glass back instead of metal and generally doing things we thought were most un-HTC like. 

It’s a new design direction for the company and one that many have already lambasted. HTC was known for their One series of phones with beautiful aluminium shells, precise chamfered edges and a general feeling of robustness. The U Ultra, though it doesn’t skimp on features and performance, is now a glass-metal sandwich! You can get it in three colours: black, pink and a sapphire blue. The back panel is multi-layered, mineral-infused contoured glass surface that reflects light in different ways and merges seamlessly with the metal frame — HTC calls it a ‘liquid surface’. It looks superb when it’s clean — but it picks up smudges and dust in a nanosecond. Despite the size, it’s easy to pick up and hold.

Looking around the phone, you can see that it has a ‘clean’ and uncluttered design. There’s one USB-C port (no 3.5mm), dual speakers, capacitive Android buttons and a screen that takes up most of the front. The second screen sits on top, to the right of the front camer and can be controlled independently of the main screen. In the Settings, you can choose what it displays and when it switches on/off. You can also double tap the second display to take a quick glance at notifications.

One of the standout features is supposed to the smart, AI-like software features. HTC calls it Sense Companion. This is something that will learn from your routine and habits, set alarms for you, remind you about things that matter more, listen to what you say and generally make things easier. We didn’t get a chance to try out the HTC Sense Companion since that will only be available by mid March via an update. This functionality is something you can add via apps but it may be nice to have it built in and better integrated with the stock software.

Performance is top-notch, thanks to the Snapdragon 821 processor and 4GB RAM. HTC’s Sense UI remains excellent — one of our favorite interfaces apart from the bone-stock Android. Coming to the camera — this is where HTC has paid some special attention. The primary camera lets in a lot of light with that f1.8 aperture. It also has optical image stabilization, super-fast autofocus (phase detection + laser) and the app offers a bunch of modes including pro, Zoe, panorama, hyperlapse and slow motion. The camera builds on the quality of the HTC 10 and suffice to say, stands its ground with some of the best camera phones on the market like the iPhone 7, Galaxy S7, Google Pixel and OnePlus 3T. The front camera is great too: offering an UltraPixel mode that captures even candlelit scenes and a wide-selfie mode. Special mention goes to the excellent stereo speakers, Hi-Res audio capabilities, good battery life (with QC 3.0 fast charging) and high quality 4k video recording.

There are some special offers on at this time. The company is bundling complimentary 1 year insurance that covers water and physical damage. In addition, there’s a cashback of `5,990 (offer is on the full `59,990 price) when purchased with Standard Chartered credit/debit cards. However, this isn’t the first nor the only dualscreen phone available right now — LG V20 has been out for some time now and is priced at an enticing `45,000 at the time of writing. Even the HTC 10, which many would prefer because of the iconic allmetal design and excellent camera, is priced at `48,000. And you can also get similar levels of performance (minus the second screen) at half the price with the OnePlus 3T. Ultimately, while the phone is great, they need to drop the price to sub `50k levels to entice more buyers.