HTC U Ultra hands-on: a major change for HTC

It is no secret that HTC has had a rough couple of years, despite once being one of the great kings of the Android world. While the HTC One M7 and One M8 were both positive steps in the right direction for HTC, the HTC One M9 was arguably a pretty big stumbling point for the company, with many criticizing its design, camera, and more. Last year HTC attempted yet again to turn things around with the HTC 10. It’s true that the phone was better received than its predecessor, but unfortunately it largely failed to make the mark that the company was hoping for.

Enter the HTC U family.

Arriving significantly earlier than previous HTC flagships, the HTC U family has two different models, the high-end U Ultra and the mid-range HTC U Play. In this post we’ll be focusing on the former.

Read: HTC announces the mid-range HTC U Play

Editor’s note: HTC did not allow us to record any footage of the HTC U Ultra and U Play due to the non-final software.

It’s still unclear whether the HTC U Ultra is meant to replace the HTC 10 or is merely a new lineup and a bit of a stopgap until their next flagship, though given its larger overall size, we’d say it probably is meant to compliment HTC’s smaller flagship range. That’s all unconfirmed at the moment though.

So what does the HTC U Ultra bring to table? Let’s dive in and find out.

HTC U Ultra specifications

While it would have been nice to see the HTC U Ultra launch with the brand new Snapdragon 835, the phone still rocks pretty solid specs including a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821, 4GB RAM, and either 64 or 128GB storage, as well as microSD expansion up to 2TB. However, one of the biggest spec standouts is the display.

The HTC U Ultra’s screen is significantly larger than the HTC 10’s 5.2-inch display at 5.7-inches with a resolution of QHD. Even more interesting, HTC  has seemingly taken a page from LG’s playbook, introducing a 2-inch secondary display above the main one, with a resolution of 160 x 1040. As you’d imagine, this second display is for notifications, contacts, reminders, and even certain special apps.

Under that display is a button configuration that is very familiar to those who used the HTC 10 or the A9. With the HTC U Ultra you once again get a home button that doubles as a fingerprint scanner, which HTC promises is as fast and efficient as ever. And on top you’ll find a front facing 16MP camera that also can be easily switched to “UltraPixel” mode, giving you “unparalleled light sensitivity” or a high resolution, depending on your situation.

Moving around back, you’ll find a 12MP UltraPixel 2 camera sensor with laser autofocus, phase detection autofocus, optical image stabilization (OIS), a 1.55µm pixel size, and an f/ 1.8 aperture. At least on paper, this camera sounds very similar to the HTC 10, but considering the 10 had a pretty solid camera, this certainly isn’t a bad thing.

Just like the HTC 10, you get a non-removable 3000 mAh battery, though it’s hard to say what this means for battery life, considering the display is a great deal larger than the 10. Of course you still get Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0 so you can charge your phone back up in a hurry, even if you do end up running it down.

Overall, there’s a lot to like about the spec sheet, but we have to point out one area that isn’t so positive: the headphone jack is gone. As we saw with Apple last year, HTC has removed the headphone jack to save on a little internal space. Whether this is a deal breaker or not probably depends on your own personal tastes and needs.

HTC U Ultra design, features, and software

After years of offering a metallic design, HTC is finally making a massive switch with the HTC U Ultra. This time around, HTC opts for a 3D contoured glass design that we can’t help but feel is quite familiar to what we’ve seen from companies like Samsung and even Honor. Of course the overall look still has some traditional HTC flair, but in a package that certainly is quite a bit different than year’s past. Whether this is an upgrade or downgrade in design is largely a subjective matter, of course.

HTC is well-known for its audio prowess and this continues here with the U Ultra. The iconic BoomSound Hi-Fi speakers are present here, wit ha tweeter above and a woofer below, as well as four omnidirectional mics that capture positional sound. There’s also a unique new HTC U Sonic feature that reportedly analyzes your inner ear with sonar-like pulses, and then attempts to your ears to optmize the headset sound and quality specifically too your ears. Like HTC says in its official press release “Whether you’re in a library or at a party, you can adapt your headset to suit noise levels around you.”

Without a headphone jack, HTC leaves out one area it is known for, though we imagine that its wireless sound support is also top notch, and you can, of course, except some kind of USB-C audio adapter for those that want to use existing wired headphones with the U Ultra.

On the software front the HTC U Ultra runs Android 7.0 Nougat with Sense technology. While we can’t speak much on all the features found in the latest version of Sense just yet, HTC is highlighting some new AI/Assistant features. The brand new Sense Companion is a personal companion that always is learning from your habits and can remind you of all sorts of things like if you need to give your phone a little extra charge to make it through the day depending on your schedule, recommending restaurants, warning you to leave for work early based on weather and road conditions, and more.

HTC says that this technology is made to evolve the more you use it, and the company will also likely continue updating and upgrading its function set in the months (and years) to come. In addition, the HTC U Ultra features advanced voice recognition, responding even if your phone is asleep, letting your rject calls, take calls, dismiss alarms and more — all from your voice.

HTC U Ultra pricing and availability

The HTC 10 Ultra will go up for pre-sale later today, exclusively at htc.com. No word on exact pricing just yet, though we’re sure details will surface very soon. As for color choices? While we imagine not all colors will be offered in every market, the currently announced choices are Brilliant Black, Cosmetic Pink, Ice White,  and Sapphire Blue.

With an all new design and plenty of special features, the HTC U Ultra certainly stands apart from its past brothers, but is this enough to make it a success? Let us know what you think down in the comments below.

HTC announces the mid-range HTC U Play

Editor’s note: HTC did not allow us to record any footage of the HTC U Ultra and U Play due to the non-final software.

While the new HTC U Ultra is certainly the star of the new U line-up, the U Play is the perfect mid-range device for HTC fans that want something a bit smaller and don’t mind less aggressive specs as as result.

Read: HTC U Ultra hands-on: a major change for HTC

Not only is the HTC U Play smaller than its more powerful brother, it also offers a somewhat different take on design. While both phones swap metal for glass this time around, different camera shapes and other refinements make it pretty easy to tell the two models apart, in addition to the obvious size difference.

On the spec side of things, the HTC U Play is powered by a MediaTek Helio processor and offers a more modest 5.2-inch 1080p display. Other specs include 32 or 64GB storage with microSD for expansion, a 16MP rear camera, a 16MP front cam with UltraPixel switching tech, and a 2,500 mAh battery.

The specs here obviously aren’t as premium as the U Ultra, but they are still pretty solid, including little extras like high-quality sound and USonic adaptive sound that figures out the optimal sound conditions for your ear based on the noise around it.

For a full look at what is under the hood, check out the spec sheet below:

On the software front, the HTC U Play offers Android 7.0 Nougat with Sense on top. That also means you get the brand new Sense Companion, just like the HTC U Ultra.

What is this companion feature exactly? Basically it is a personal assistant that HTC is always learning from your habits and can remind you of all sorts of things like if you need to give your phone a little extra charge to make it through the day depending on your schedule, recommending restaurants, warning you to leave for work early based on weather and road conditions, and more.

Not much is known about the pricing or release details for the HTC U Play just yet, other than we can expect it in “select global markets” in early 2017. What do you think of the mid-range U Play, would you consider picking one up if the price is right? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments.

HTC U Ultra specs: 5.7-inch QHD display, Snapdragon 821, 3000 mAh battery

You should know every last spec you’re getting in a new phone.

HTC’s U Ultra is a big phone, with plenty of specs under its beautiful glass exterior. When it comes to what you expect from a high-end phone, you get it here: Snapdragon 821, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, a 5.7-inch QHD display covered by Gorilla Glass 5 and a top-end camera with big pixels and a fast aperture. It’s all here, and more, in the full HTC U Ultra spec sheet.

HTC U Ultra + U Play

• HTC U Ultra + U Play hands-on
• The latest U Ultra news
• HTC U Ultra specs
• HTC U Play specs
• Join our HTC U Ultra forums!

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HTC U Play specs: 5.2-inch 1080p, MediaTek CPU, 16MP camera

Stepping down in size but also internal specs.

The HTC U Play may retain the excellent external hardware of its larger sibling, but the internal specs are decidedly downmarket from the U Ultra. In order to cut down the price, the U Play moves to a MediaTek processor and in some cases 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. It also drops to a less-desirable 16MP camera, smaller battery and a 1080p display resolution. Here’s the full slate of specs.

HTC U Ultra + U Play

• HTC U Ultra + U Play hands-on
• The latest U Ultra news
• HTC U Ultra specs
• HTC U Play specs
• Join our HTC U Ultra forums!

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HTC announces U Ultra and U Play: Beautiful glass back in two sizes with disparate spec sheets

HTC is waiting less than two weeks into 2017 to launch two new phones.

At an event today in Taiwan, HTC unveiled its latest phones in a new line: the HTC U Ultra and U Play. The two models follow a familiar strategy for HTC, launching one high-end device and another in the same line with lower specs to target different audiences. To that point, the U Ultra is the phone we’ll see here in the U.S. and around the world, while the U Play will see a much more limited release.

Both phones have a brand new design language for HTC, dominated by a curved full-glass back look it calls “liquid surface” and accented by clean metal accents and a muted front. The phones retain a front fingerprint sensor that doubles as a home button flanked by capacitive back and recents keys. You won’t find a headphone jack on either phone, as HTC continues its high-quality USB-C audio story started with the HTC Bolt.

The U Ultra is obviously the higher-end of the two considering its name, with a 5.7-inch QHD display to the U Play’s 5.2-inch 1080p, but the Ultra also has something else: a secondary display at the top of the phone giving you a little extra real estate. Its 2-inch size and off-center placement is nearly identical to the LG V20, and its function is similar as well: it can show glanceable information like upcoming appointments or be configured to show notifications, frequently used apps and more.

More: HTC U Ultra and U Play hands-on

The hardware is gorgeous on either phone.

Inside the U Ultra you’ll find a Snapdragon 821 processor (the 835 just isn’t ready yet), 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, plus an SD card slot. The camera is very similar to the 12MP UltraPixel sensor found in the HTC 10, with 1.55-micron pixels and f/1.8 aperture, though it adds new PDAF to augment the current laser focus setup. HTC’s latest split BoomSound experience is here as well, just like the HTC 10.

The U Play is a bit more traditional, skipping the secondary display entirely but unfortunately also dumbing down the rest of the specs: a MediaTek Helio P10 processor steps in, and some combination of 3 or 4GB of RAM and 32 or 64GB of storage, depending on the region. The camera also drops to a typical 16MP unit that lacks any “UltraPixel” branding. The front-facing camera is identical to that of the U Ultra, though: a 16MP sensor with a 4MP “UltraPixel” shooting mode.

Both phones have surprisingly small batteries — the U Ultra offers just 3000 mAh capacity, while the U Play comes in at 2500 mAh. Those are both on the low end of what we’ve seen from various other phones of this size throughout 2016, and though the U Ultra offers Quick Charge 3.0 over its USB-C port it’s not a great sign for battery life. Let’s hope HTC has optimized the software to handle the limited capacity.

Hardware is a bigger story than software for the U Ultra and U Play, though one big promotion point is the inclusion of some artificial intelligence smarts in the latest version of Sense. HTC has a new app called “Sense Companion” that acts as a dashboard for all of the little bits of AI that are interspersed throughout the experience — namely phone, contacts, notifications, apps and battery management.

More: Complete HTC U Ultra specs

HTC is dipping its toe into artificial intelligence

After learning from your habits of use, the phone will be able to smartly make recommendations, manage what notifications you see, only alert you of information from specific contacts, manage unused apps and give you tips and controls for your battery based on how you use your phone. This definitely isn’t a full virtual assistant, but it’s a bit more of the smarts we’re starting to expect in modern phones. For all of the more advanced function, HTC is still leaning on Google’s APIs for voice control and of course including Google Now’s predictive powers to do their own thing.

HTC aims to ship both phones first in Taiwan, though a worldwide expansion won’t be far behind. The U Ultra will be the truly global device of the two, with the U Play seeing a limited release in specific markets. The U Ultra will be up for pre-order unlocked directly from HTC.com today for $749; details on the expansion of the U Play will come later.

HTC U Ultra + U Play

• HTC U Ultra + U Play hands-on
• The latest U Ultra news
• HTC U Ultra specs
• HTC U Play specs
• Join our HTC U Ultra forums!

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HTC U Ultra + U Play hands-on: Hardware design isn’t everything

HTC keeps making really interesting phones, but will anyone care? I want to believe.

The question is asked every single time HTC releases any phone, from its mid-range Desire line up to the One (and now just numbered) flagships. HTC’s phones always pack stunning designs, clean and fast software, a few neat ideas … and usually a couple of odd decisions that throw people off. On the whole they’re still good phones, though, so why doesn’t anyone ever seem to care? Through a combination of factors the smartphone market has started to leave HTC behind. It’s a big company that doesn’t make products that often go head-to-head with the likes of Samsung and Apple, but at the same time are too expensive to compete with the scrappier competition from OnePlus, Moto and Huawei in the mid-range market.

HTC’s grasp at a chunk of the 2017 smartphone market isn’t a new phone in an existing line, but instead two phones in a brand new line with a fresh name. They are the HTC U Ultra and U Play, phones that are ostensibly all about “you” (get it now?), and independent from previous offerings. They’re marked by a fresh design approach and the start of injecting artificial intelligence into HTC’s software, and are designed to take on the flagship (U Ultra) and top-end of the mid-range (U Play) markets.

With a beautiful glass exterior, high-end specs and a couple of features aimed at grabbing interest, the U Ultra is getting out ahead of the other flagships expected to launch in a couple of months. The U Play, for its efforts, is targeting other more price-sensitive markets with a size and spec cut inside the same excellent chassis. Will the pair offer enough to make people start considering HTC again? We take a look at what they have to offer.

Yes. So much yes.

HTC U Ultra + U Play Hardware

You could argue that HTC hasn’t pushed the envelope in hardware as much as it has in the past, but you could hardly find a flaw in the execution of any design since it started making phones under its own brand. With the U Ultra and U Play, HTC has rolled out a fresh design that’s very much worthy of a flagship device, and it’s applied perfectly in both sizes of the phone.

More: Complete HTC U Ultra specs

The back of the U Ultra and U Play is graced with a complete glass back HTC calls “liquid surface” that curves dramatically around all sides in a single piece, including perfectly sculpted rounded corners. The glass is imbued with various elements and colors to create an effect that provides endless depth and irregular color changes depending on the light, which is visible in all four available colors: black, blue, white and pink. The only bits to break up the flowing surface are the camera assembly (square on the Ultra, round on the Play) and subtle HTC logo.

The glass back is glossy and consistently smooth across its entire surface, transitioning into a metal frame that offers a lightly textured color-matched surface. You won’t find a headphone jack on that metal edge, though: HTC is all-in with USB-C audio, and is bundling the new adaptive headphones it first unveiled with the HTC Bolt at the end of 2016. From the front you’ll find what looks very similar to an HTC 10 or One A9, with a fingerprint sensor that doubles as a home button surrounded by capacitive back and recents keys.

This hardware is gorgeous. Flashy, yet understated.

The U Ultra has a little extra up near the top of the screen, though: a secondary horizontal 2-inch display juts above the main 5.7-inch QHD panel for additional real estate. It sits off-center to the right, making room for the front-facing camera precisely like the LG V20, and provides many of the same functions. It’ll show you upcoming appointments, favorite contacts, frequently used apps and more, and when the main screen is off can continue to show information like the time, date, weather and battery status.

The secondary display exclusive to the U Ultra, however — the U Play’s 5.2-inch 1080p display stands alone and is one of the couple subtle external differences between the models. The U Play of course has a smaller 2500 mAh battery to match its size, but also has a less impressive 16MP camera. The U Ultra has a slightly updated version of the HTC 10’s camera setup, which depending on improvements in software could be a strong contender this year.

The design of these phones is at once flashy and understated, which is very much a calling card of HTC. The glass back is as glitzy as you can get with its reflective properties and option of a bright blue color scheme, but at the same time the front is a complete blank slate and you won’t find any big bevels or unnecessary patterns to distract you. Both phones feel amazing, and once you get beyond the potential for fingerprints and scratches you’ll enjoy the aesthetic.

Once again, a few puzzling decisions throughout.

The story inside these phones isn’t all that interesting, at least when it comes to the U Ultra. The true flagship has a Snapdragon 821 processor, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage with an SD card slot. The camera is a slight bump from the HTC 10 — a similar 12MP 1.55-micron sensor with f/1.8 aperture, OIS, and now PDAF to partner with its laser AF. The only head-scratcher here is a relatively small 3000 mAh battery.

The U Play, for all its glory and identical hardware design, is a decidedly downmarket offering internally. It drops to a 1080p display (admittedly not bad at 5.2-inches), a MediaTek Helio P10 processor, 3 or 4GB of RAM and 32 or 64GB of storage, depending on market. Its 16MP f/2.0 camera is nothing fancy, lacking any UltraPixel branding. With specs like that it makes even more sense that the U Ultra is the primary device in the lineup, while the U Play will only see a limited release in specific areas.

A sprinkling of AI

HTC U Ultra + U Play Software

HTC’s software story in January 2017 remains mostly unchanged from what we see on an HTC 10 with Nougat today — basically a full Android 7.0 experience, plus a fresh launcher, a set of HTC’s own apps and slight visual changes in the settings and notification shade. Further to that point, HTC is set to continue its strategy of regularly updating its apps through Google Play to improve the Sense experience for all compatible devices, rather than tying things down to big software updates.

There is one odd wrinkle, though: thanks to support issues with its MediaTek processor, the U Play is actually shipping with Android Marshmallow, with a Nougat update slated to arrive shortly. Worth noting.

The one change on offer for the U series, which ties into its name, is the inclusion of an artificial intelligence layer that permeates throughout the system and is designed to personalize your experience. HTC claims it has a “different philosophy” on AI, which in this case means it isn’t going for a full virtual assistant but instead little bits of extra intelligence in a variety of apps.

With this layer of AI in the software, the U Ultra and U Play will aim to give you recommendations based on your phone usage, highlight which contacts are most important to you and make tweaks to improve the software experience. For example notifications can be prioritized based on your favorite contacts, apps will be managed based on what you use most, and the phone can tweak battery management if it knows you won’t make it through the day at your current usage.

The real issue with these types of features is that you’re effectively taking HTC’s word when it comes to how effective they can be. By its own admission HTC says you won’t see immediate impact from the artificial intelligence, as it takes time to learn your habits and figure out how to help you best. I have to give HTC credit for knowing what it can and can’t accomplish with AI, though — the offerings here definitely aren’t big enough to sell a phone on their own, but then again they’re what can be reasonably done and I’d rather have these executed well than get a bunch of “intelligence” forced on me that doesn’t work.

HTC knows it can’t build a complete digital voice assistant platform (at least right now), and so it’s keeping Google’s own voice recognition, search and personalization present here as well. On the U Ultra, four high-end far-field mics aim to hear you clearly from up to six feet away, and they’re always listening for your commands. That’s laying the groundwork for something bigger in the future, but right now the ambitions are kept in check.

Continuing to explore

HTC U Ultra + U Play More to come

This is just the tip of the iceberg on these new phones from HTC, particularly when it comes to the U Ultra as that phone clearly has its sights set on competing with the highest-end phones available today. HTC’s new design on both phones is particularly stunning, and I immediately enjoyed it. What’s inside the U Ultra should make sure it can compete with the top phones out there. The only issue, as ever, are the few puzzling choices HTC made in what would otherwise be a top-end phone: a smaller-than-most battery, lack of a headphone jack and missing waterproofing of any sort.

I immediately appreciate HTC’s choice to make the U Ultra available on Day 1 unlocked sold directly from its own website, but at the same time the pricing may be an issue for some who recently balked at the price of the Pixel XL. Spending extra time with the U Ultra to explore its hardware merits — and more importantly its AI-infused software — on a daily basis will be important to see where it stands as the first high-end phone of 2017.

HTC U Ultra + U Play

• HTC U Ultra + U Play hands-on
• The latest U Ultra news
• HTC U Ultra specs
• HTC U Play specs
• Join our HTC U Ultra forums!

HTC

Stable Nougat OTA now hitting Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, starting with beta users

Android 7.0 Nougat is now making its way to the S7 and S7 edge.

After concluding the beta program last week, Samsung announced that it would roll out the stable Android 7.0 Nougat update to the Galaxy S7 and the S7 edge later this month. The company is now kicking off its rollout, with the update making its way initially to those enrolled in the Galaxy Beta Programme.

Those that have best tested the Nougat update will be transitioned to the stable build via a forced OTA update that is rolling out gradually. If you’re a beta user and see the system update message, you’ll have 30 seconds until the phone reboots and starts installing the update.

The changelog for the update details several UX and performance fixes, including improvements to notifications, multi-window mode, always-on display, and enhancements to the system upgrade and app installation process. If you’re using the Gear IconX earbuds, you should update their firmware to the latest version before installing the Nougat update.

With the stable OTA rollout now officially underway, it shouldn’t be too long until carrier-specific variants receive the update. We’ll keep you posted as and when the update makes its way to S7 and S7 edge units around the world.

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge

• Galaxy S7 review
• Galaxy S7 edge review
• U.S. unlocked Galaxy S7
• Should you upgrade to the Galaxy S7?
• Best SD cards for Galaxy S7
• Join our Galaxy S7 forums

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HTC U Ultra vs U Play: What’s the difference?

HTC has announced two new smartphones in the form of the U Ultra and the U Play, both of which have been designed to focus around you, as their names suggest.

The two devices feature very similar and unique designs, but they differ in what they offer in a number of areas. Here is how the HTC U Ultra and the HTC U Play compare to help you decide which is the right one for you.

• HTC U Ultra preview
• HTC U Play preview

HTC U Ultra vs U Play: Design

• Similar design with curved glass construction
• Fingerprint sensor and USB Type-C on both
• U Ultra is the larger and heavier device

The HTC U Ultra and the U Play both feature similar designs with a 3D contoured reflective liquid surface and a curved glass construction coloured with layered minerals.

There is a capacitive button housing a fingerprint sensor on the front of each device, the volume buttons and signature ridged power button on the right and USB Type-C at the bottom. The U Ultra has a square rear camera lens, while the U Play has a circular rear lens and they offer different flash setups.

The U Ultra is the larger and heavier of the two devices, measuring 162.4 x 79.8mm and weighing 170g, while the U Play measures 146 x 72.9mm and weighs 145g. Both have a thickness that ranges between 3.5 and 8mm.

• HTC 10 review

HTC U Ultra vs U Play: Display

• Larger, sharper display on the U Ultra
• Secondary Dual Display on the U Ultra
• Better protection on the U Ultra

The HTC U Ultra has a 5.7-inch main display, coupled with a 2.1-inch secondary display, allowing users to see information such as notifications and the weather without powering on the main display, as LG offers with its V20.

The main display has a 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution, delivering a pixel density of 515ppi, while the Dual Display as HTC calls it has a 1040 x 160 resolution. The displays are protected by either Gorilla Glass 5 or a special edition Sapphire Glass is also available.

The U Play by comparison has a smaller 5.2-inch display with a Full HD resolution. It doesn’t offer the Dual Display function and its lower resolution means it offers a softer display with a 423ppi pixel density. It too is protected by Gorilla Glass, though HTC doesn’t specify which generation.

• HTC U Ultra preview

HTC U Ultra vs U Play: Cameras

• Same front-facing camera capabilities
• Laser autofocus and wider aperture on U Ultra
• 4K video and 3D Audio recording on U Ultra

The HTC U Ultra and U Play both have a 16-megapixel front-facing BSI sensor with an UltraPixel mode, 28mm focal length and f/2.0 aperture. They are both capable of Full HD video recording and they offer modes such as Auto HDR, Voice Selfie and Live Make-Up.

The rear cameras differ however, as their designs suggest. The U Ultra has a 12-megapixel UltraPixel sensor featuring 1.55µm pixels and an aperture of f/1.8. There is a dual-tone LED flash, OIS, laser autofocus and phase detection autofocus, along with 4K video recording with 3D Audio.

The U Play on the other hand opts for a 16-megapixel rear camera with an aperture of f/2.0, phase detection autofocus and OIS. It too has a dual-tone LED flash but it is only capable of Full HD video recording and it misses out on laser autofocus.

• HTC U Play preview

HTC U Ultra vs U Play: Hardware

• U Ultra is more powerful
• Bigger battery capacity on U Ultra
• Better audio capabilities on U Ultra

The HTC U Ultra has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 chip under its hood, coupled with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal memory. MicroSD expansion is available with support up to 2TB and Android’s adoptable storage feature.

The U Play has the MediaTek Helio P10 processor, supported by 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage or 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, depending on the region. MicroSD storage expansion is on board again, with the same support for up to 2TB and adoptable storage feature.

The U Ultra has a larger battery capacity of 3000mAh, compared to 2500mAh and it also offers better audio capabilities. The U Play has dual microphones with noise cancellation, along with HTC USonic, while the U Ultra has four microphones for 3D Audio, USonic, BoomSound Hi-Fi edition and it is Hi-Res audio certified.  

HTC U Ultra vs U Play: Software

• Both Android 7.0 Nougat with HTC Sense
• Both have HTC Sense Companion
• Same software experience

The HTC U Ultra and U Play both launch on Android 7.0 Nougat with HTC Sense, meaning the software experience will be nearly identical.

The two devices also offer HTC Sense Companion, which is an AI for suggestions based on what you do.

HTC U Ultra vs U Play: Conclusion

The HTC U Ultra and U Play might look similar but they are very different beneath their surfaces.

The U Ultra is the more powerful handset, offering better rear camera and audio capabilities, along with a larger and sharper display, secondary display, larger battery and more powerful hardware.

The U Play has size on its side though as the smaller and lighter option, and it still offers the same software experience and an identical front-facing camera to the U Ultra, as well as a similar design. Price will play a key role in the decision between these two handsets, as well as what features are actually important to you.

HTC U Play preview: Mid-range specs, but plenty bling

HTC has made an early move on its 2017 updates, launching a new set of devices under the U name. The U Play is the smaller of the pair, sitting in the shadow of the larger U Ultra, but offering a similar design and build.

The U aspect is easily explained away: these are phones designed to be more personal, to get to know you and to better serve your needs. That might just be marketing spiel, but the HTC U Play succeeds in being an attractive mid-range handset.

HTC U Play preview: Design and build

• Glass body with liquid surface design
• 145.99 x 72.9 x 7.99mm, 145g

One of the things that HTC is best known for is creativity in design of its phones. There have been examples of great attention to detail, the use of some materials and finishes to create unique phones. In many ways, the U Play is an example of HTC doing that once again.

The U Play is a glass sandwich with a metal core, but uses a design that HTC is referring to as liquid surface. This uses the properties of glass to create depth to the glossy finish, giving unique colours and reflections that change the way this phone looks as the light hits it.

Pocket-lint

That’s not something you get from metals or plastics, even with the wide range of techniques being used today. The result looks like the precision paintwork of something like a McLaren sports car, with depth to the bodywork. It’s a softer design than some of HTC’s metal finishes of the past few years and it moves away from the mass of metal phones coming from Apple, OnePlus, Huawei and others. 

There’s a downside, of course, and that’s fingerprints. They smear all over this glossy phone, but they wipe away easily; equally, for all the precision – it’s very well put together – some will probably just think it’s glossy plastic.

Pocket-lint

The U Play is available in four colours – black, white, blue and pink – although as we said, each changes as it catches the light. The black sometimes looks green, the white has a pearlescent iridescence, it’s all very unique.

We think the larger U Ultra looks better though. There’s just something about the increased size that brings out the effect more dramatically, but these are two very different phones, with very different specs.

• HTC U Ultra preview: Premium phablet packed with power

The HTC U Play nestles comfortably in the hand, measuring 145.99 x 72.9 x 7.99mm and weighing 145g. The layout is conventional HTC, and little different to recent One devices. There’s a fingerprint scanner to the front, also acting as the home button and there’s no 3.5mm headphone socket, which we’ll talk about later. 

HTC U Play preview: Display and hardware

• 5.2-inch, 1920 x 1080 pixels, 423ppi
• MediaTek Helio P10, 3GB RAM, 32GB storage + microSD

Keeping to a more compact form, the U Play has a 5.2-inch display. This has a Full HD resolution, which is the first indicator you’ll get that this is a mid-range phone. The 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution, 423ppi, display looks nice enough, and is a reasonable resolution. Even at this size, you’ll get sharp visuals, although it’s not as precise in fine details as some flagship devices at this size.

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HTC hasn’t said as much about this panel as it has on the U Ultra (which is 2560 x 1440 pixels). Although it’s named as a Super LCD, we suspect this is an older generation of panel, as it doesn’t look as vibrant and punchy as the Super LCD 5 panel on the U Ultra. Again, that’s probably a move to put this device in the mid-range, and unlikely to bother you too much.

Still, we haven’t had the chance to spend a lot of time with this phone, so there’s a lot of conditions we’ve not tested the display in.

Moving on to the other hardware specs, the U Play continues that mid-range story, opting for a MediaTek Helio P10 chipset and 3GB RAM, with 32GB storage. There’s support for microSD cards, but again this is a step down from the U Ultra sibling it launches alongside. 

• HTC U Ultra vs U Play: What’s the difference?

Exactly how this handset will perform in the real world we don’t yet know. We suspect that given the size and positioning, this will happily skip through daily tasks smoothly enough with little bother, but it’s not quite the star that the bigger model is.

We mentioned that there’s no 3.5mm headphone socket, instead you’ll be using the USB Type-C on the bottom of the phone. This also charges the 2500mAh battery. That’s a fairly low capacity for a phone of this size, probably a move made to hit that skinny waistline. 

HTC U Play: Software designed to know you

• Android Nougat with HTC Sense
• Google Assistant included
• HTC Sense Companion app 

HTC Sense has always been about you. When Android was an awkward mess, HTC Sense made it approachable, personal, and all about you and your life. Android in its native state might now be very refined, and HTC Sense scaling back to let Nougat shine through, but HTC still wants to make this phone all about knowing you.

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Not only will the U Play offer Google Assistant, allowing you to talk to your phone as you can with the Google Pixel, but it will also offer the HTC Sense Companion app. This is designed to bring your device closer to you, learning about how you use your phone and helping with things like battery and storage management, right through to restaurant suggestions or finding your favourite contacts first.

For example, if you use your phone on the way to work and on the way home routinely, it learns this. If you happen to indulge your Pokemon Go habit in the middle of the day, meaning you might not have enough battery to get home, the HTC Sense Companion will identify this and suggest action – like engage power saving now, rather than when you’re down to the last 20 per cent. 

This should extend through to things like alarms and weather, ultimately aiming to make the phone more useful all the time. Rather than just alerting you, it wants to be smartly alerting you.

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Of course, this is something impossible to experience without living with the phone, so we have no idea how HTC’s personal play will really work, something we’ll assess closer to launch. 

HTC U Play preview: Cameras

• 16-megapixel rear camera with OIS
• 16-megapixel front camera with UltraPixel mode 

HTC liked the HTC 10 camera so much that it stuffed that in the U Ultra and even though the U Play has a higher megapixel count, it’s not expected to be such a strong performer. Still, it’s a 16-megapixel sensor with optical image stabilisation and nice features like auto HDR, but it limits itself to 1080p video capture – no 4K playtime here. 

The front camera is also 16-megapixels which is a huge resolution, and seems to be HTC’s new thing. That should give you plenty of detail, but the interesting thing is that it offers an UltraPixel mode. This combines pixels in clusters, aiming to give you better low light results by lowering the resolution. 

This should cut out the noise, but until we’ve tested it, we can’t say how effective any of it will be.

HTC U Play preview: Audio

• No 3.5mm headphone socket
• Good quality USonic headphones included

HTC has made a lot of noise about audio recently, with BoomSound getting plenty of accolades. The U Play misses out on BoomSound, however, and there’s no mention of the Hi-Res skills we’ve seen appearing on a number of other handsets.

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That might seem a little odd, when it carries the name Play – you’d think that something like stonking audio support would be high on the list for inclusion. 

They do come with HTC’s smart USB Type-C headphones however. Not only are these headphones better sounding than many you’ll get bundled with your handset, but they will also tune themselves to your ears. This creates a unique sound profile for you and can be adapted when you’re in a different place with a quick tap – for example when getting on a plane. 

First Impressions

The HTC U Play is an attractive and (relatively) small handset by modern standards. The design is the star of the show, giving you something that’s unique and unlike so many other phones out there. 

The question is whether this will be offered in a package with that slightly lower tier specification at a price that will be tempting. While some will probably stretch to buy the U Ultra, the U Play is likely to fall into that category of facing a lot of competition. 

The U Play is due to hit shelves around mid-February and pricing is still to be announced.

HTC U Ultra preview: Premium phablet packed with power

HTC has made the unusual move of announcing a new family of devices, carrying the name U. The logic is simple enough to follow, they are designed to be all about you and advance the connection between you and your device, for a more symbiotic relationship. 

It’s marketing, sure, dressing up the latest developments in HTC’s smartphones, but forging into a new, large device space at the same time. The HTC U isn’t HTC’s 2017 flagship – that’s still to come – but this is a premium and powerful device none the less.

Launched alongside a smaller mid-range sibling the HTC U Play, the HTC U Ultra is a refreshing start to 2017. 

HTC U Ultra preview: Design

• Glass front and back with wonderful colour finishes
• No 3.5mm headphone socket
• 162.41 x 79.79 x 7.99mm, 170g 

The HTC U Ultra is probably the biggest departure for HTC design we’ve seen in recent years. Stepping away from metal, it attacks the sub-flagship space with something a little more unique. Although we’ve seen glass bodies before – from the iPhone no less – this U family from HTC is rather more ambitious.

HTC is calling the effect “liquid surface”. Rather than the hard metal precision of the HTC One family, the U Ultra looks as though it has a liquid finish. The back appears to flow into the edges, for a smooth rounded result.

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Visually, the U Ultra has a beautiful finish. With four colours on offer – white, black, blue and pink – there’s depth to the colour effect, very much like finish of a premium sports car. The surface seems to shimmer, reflecting the light and changing the colour hints you get as you look at it.

We like that a lot, but there’s no avoiding the fact that it will attract fingerprints like nothing you’ve ever seen before. That said, it won’t just look grubby like some devices do, it will wipe clean in a flash and look brilliant when you set it down on the table. 

There’s a chance, however, that some will think it looks like glossy plastic. The Honor 8 recreated a similar effect in plastic and although the HTC U Ultra looks better and higher quality, we’re not sure how it will wear. HTC says that glass was chosen for its resistance and durability – and there’s a clear plastic cover in the box to keep things looking ship shape.

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While the front and back are glass, there’s a familiar metal core anodised in matching colours forming the centre of this glass sandwich, in which sit the buttons, card trays and USB Type-C connection. There is no 3.5mm headphone socket, which seems to be the trend.

The HTC U Ultra measures 162.41 x 79.79 x 7.99mm, so it’s pretty slim, the soft curves meaning that this 5.7-inch device feels a good size in the hand. 

HTC U Ultra preview: Two displays are better than one

• Super LCD 5, 5.7-inch, 2560 x 1440 pixels, 515ppi
• Secondary 2.05-inch 160 x 1040 pixel display

HTC has taken a leaf right out of LG’s playbook, offering a dual display setup like the LG V20. The main display is a huge 5.7-inches, with a crisp Quad HD resolution. This might not be HTC’s 2017 flagship, but the company is going about making is a pretty stacked smartphone.

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First impressions of the display are good. It appears to be bright and vibrant and is topped with Gorilla Glass 5 to keep it protected, with a premium sapphire glass special edition in the works too – which also benefits from 128GB storage. 

We found the colours and vibrancy to be good, but we’ve not nearly spent enough time with this handset to fully assess its performance in this early preview. It’s an Super LCD 5 panel – the same type as the HTC 10 – and we like that, although we’d say the Samsung Galaxy Note 7’s AMOLED display was still our favourite.

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The second display is interesting however. Unique to the HTC U Ultra – it’s not on the U Play – this display can serve up important information in a way that doesn’t interfere with whatever you might be doing. Don’t want those notifications appearing over the top of the game you’re playing? That’s what this display is designed for. 

There’s a range of features it offers, such as weather, app shortcuts, contact shortcuts, reminders and calendar notifications, with the ability to swipe between them. It’s only a 2.05-inch long strip, so in some cases, it misses out on the ability to do anything useful other than let you see this information. Our first impression is that because it’s not going to be big enough to give you Android Nougat’s excellent quick reply function, it sort of misses the point.

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Exactly how it will behave in day-to-day use we can’t say, but there’s a feeling it might be a little like Samsung’s Edge Display. With the HTC U Ultra sitting in the same sort of spec space as the Galaxy Note 7, this second display fulfils that role too. 

HTC U Ultra: Pixel-bothering power

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 821, 4GB RAM, 64GB storage + microSD
• USB Type-C, 3000mAh battery

The U Ultra might not be HTC’s flagship, but it comes with one of Qualcomm’s latest chipsets, the Snapdragon 821, and 4GB of RAM. We’ve seen this loadout on the Google Pixel and we have to say it flies: we’d expect the U Ultra to do the same, with plenty of power for gaming, entertainment and other tasks. 

With HTC positioning this as sub-flagship, that’s a big hint that HTC’s 2017 flagship will get itself the Snapdragon 835 – but that’s a different story.

• HTC Ocean: What’s the story on HTC 11? 

There’s 64GB of storage as standard, with microSD supported, including Android’s adoptable storage function to seamlessly integrate that storage. We mentioned a sapphire glass special edition U Ultra too: this will get 128GB of storage, aping the sort of special edition handsets we’ve seen Huawei making.

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Of course battery life will play a huge part in the success of this device and battery optimisation is something that HTC has paid some additional attention to, to try and eek as much out life from the 3000mAh battery. That’s not a huge cell on this size of device: the Pixel XL is 3450mAh, the Mate 9 is 4000mAh, so battery life could be this phone’s weakness. 

HTC U Ultra preview: HTC Sense Companion 

• Smart assistant features for device control
• Android Nougat with HTC Sense
• Google Assistant included

Looking to expand on the sort of functions that were handled by the Boost+ app previously, HTC has a new app, called Sense Companion. This is where the U Ultra wants to be all about you, by learning things about you and managing the phone to reflect your lifestyle and usage. 

At a basic level, it will do things like manage your storage, memory and apps, but take things a little further in how it interacts with you. For example the phone will learn how you use the power and your usage patterns and then make suggestions to make sure you don’t get caught short. Although we’ve not had the chance to see this in action, HTC told us that it was design to ensure, for example, that you have enough power for your journey home – perhaps reminding you to charge the phone in the middle of the day so that you’re ready for that.

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Rather than just giving you the weather, Sense Companion is designed to alert you to the changing weather. If it’s been sunny for a week, but a storm is coming, it will tell you that. Other smart examples include asking if you want your regular alarm to go off on public holidays or suggesting the type of restaurants you typically eat in, rather than just offering you everything locally. 

The aim, according to HTC, is to create a device that’s more about you. Where we’ve seen lots of personalisation in the UI from HTC in the past, this is really about giving you a smarter phone companion.

Otherwise, the software loadout appears to be a fairly typical Nougat with HTC Sense version, so not much different to the HTC 10 or other recent devices. The device that we’ve spent time with isn’t on the final software build, however, so we’ve not had the chance to test all these functions. Neither did it have an operating version of Google Assistant, something that HTC said would be available on the HTC U Ultra when it launches.

HTC U Ultra preview: Cameras

• 12-megapixel rear camera, 1.55µm pixels, f/1.8, OIS, PDAF + laser
• 16-megapixel front camera, with UltraPixel mode

HTC was so happy with the performance of the HTC 10’s camera, that it’s used the same sensor in the U Ultra. That’s no bad thing, as the HTC 10 had the best camera that we’ve seen on an HTC device for a while.

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It offers large pixels designed for better low-light shooting, it has a wide aperture, optical image stabilisation, as well as phase detection autofocus and laser focusing. The downside of many of HTC’s cameras hasn’t necessarily been the hardware specs, it’s what happens to the photos once you press the button. 

We’ve not seen any photos, although the camera seemed fast and responsive in our initial play with it – something to be examined in more detail closer to launch.

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The front camera is quite a big departure, with a 16-megapixel selfie camera. This is a huge resolution, so it should be able to capture a lot of detail, but offers a special UltraPixel mode for low light capture. This mode is said to combine pixels, using a collection of four pixels in the space of one, aiming to make better use of low light situations. How it works, remains to be seen.

HTC U Ultra preview: Audio prowess, with a catch 

• No 3.5mm headphone socket
• USB Type-C USonic headphones included
• Hi-Res certified
• BoomSound Hi-Fi edition 

As per the Moto Z and the iPhone 7, HTC has removed the 3.5mm headphone socket from the U Ultra. We suspect that sets a precedent for the rest of time on this level of device. It’s not a huge deal, unless you really want to keep using your existing expensive headphones, but HTC is bundling its USonic headphones in the box. 

These are the same headphones that came with the HTC 10 Evo/Bolt and they’re better than average in-ear headphones that come with phones. They also have a trick in that they’ll scan and adapt the sound profile to suit your ear, and then update that profile if you’re in a different environment.

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For example, when you get on a plane, you can tap the icon and update the sound profile to cancel out the background noise. It’s clever and works well.

BoomSound speakers now appear to be gone, but we’ve had good experiences with BoomSound Hi-Fi edition on the past few HTC phones and there’s no reason to think that this might be any different.

First Impressions

The HTC U Ultra sets out to present something different. From a design point of view, it does. The finish is different to this level of phone from HTC in the past, losing the hard metals for a softer, luscious, glass finish. The colours are eye-catching too, although we suspect some might take it for plastic, and not give it its due. 

We’d expect this hardware load-out to sing too, delivering a performance that’s very much like the HTC 10. It’s a continuation in many senses, but that may also be a problem. For all the refinement to audio, the stripping down of bloatware to get you closer to Android some might ask why you’d choose this phone over the Pixel XL – which comes with the huge advantage of being first in line for software updates. 

That fate mostly rests in the handset of HTC’s new Sense Companion and it’s difficult to judge this aspect of the phone without living with it for some time. 

The HTC U Ultra is due to land in Europe in mid-February. Pricing is to be confirmed, but we’d expect it to be in a premium price bracket. 

We like the U Ultra. It’s a refreshing device for those who might have become bored with HTC’s metal devices, but it needs to come in cheaper than the Pixel XL.

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