HTC unveiled an unexpected smartphone U Ultra

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

The new U Ultra has a sapphire crystal display and a $ 950 price tag.

When HTC promised a surprise last week, many specialized publications suggested that it was about the flagship HTC 11. It turned out that everything is much more unexpected.

HTC today announced the release of a limited edition U Ultra smartphone. The novelty is distinguished by 128 GB of internal memory and a display covered with sapphire crystal. The previously presented HTC U Ultra was received controversially, and now the controversial design has become even more expensive. The final price of the smartphone is $ 950 (the standard model costs $ 750).

HTC U Ultra specifications

The company presented the standard version of HTC U Ultra at CES in January. This is the 5.7-inch flagship smartphone of the new U line with support for the AI assistant Sense Companion. The U Ultra doesn't have a headphone jack, but it does have a second display like the LG V20 and an all-glass Liquid Surface.

The model is equipped with Snapdragon 821, 4 GB of RAM and 64/128 GB of flash memory. The smartphone supports memory cards up to 2 TB. The main camera is almost the same as in last year's HTC 10: 12MP UltraPixel (pixel size increased), f / 1.8 aperture and optical image stabilization. New - only phase detection autofocus. The model is equipped with a 3000 mAh battery and runs on Android 7.0.

What's wrong with the design of the HTC U Ultra

1. No headphone jack. This is stupid and infuriates the buyer. This was the case even with the iPhone 7, and in six months we have not become more loyal to adapters.
2. Plagiarism. LG smartphones had an additional display above the main one long before the HTC U Ultra was announced: the same LG V20 looked like no other smartphone. The HTC U Ultra case reminds us of how Facebook brazenly copied the Snapchat idea and incorporated it into its messenger. You can't get rid of the feeling of stolen design quickly.
3. Glass body. Glass is easily soiled and breakable material. So all the advantages of a smartphone, which is worth buying for the sake of a beautiful case, are nullified. Indeed, in terms of filling, U Ultra does not differ from competitors in anything supernatural. The sapphire crystal will make the display more resistant to damage, but is it worth the extra $ 200?
4. Framework. The LG G6 and most likely the Samsung GALAXY S8 are bezel-less smartphones. Already after the surge of interest in the frameless Xiaomi Mi Max, it was possible to catch the trend. But HTC didn't. HTC U Ultra looks like any last year's smartphone. But, in order to seem modern, it supports AI. It would be better if the frames were smaller and the battery was bigger: 3000 mAh for a smartphone with a Quad HD display is critically small.

How do you like this HTC U Ultra: if you had $ 950 in your wallet, would you buy it?