HTC U 11 vs Samsung Galaxy S8: What’s the rumoured difference?

HTC is rumoured to be announcing its next flagship device on 16 May in the form of the HTC U 11, at least that’s what the most recent leaks suggest.

The device, which has been called Ocean in the past, will face some stiff competition when it arrives though with both Samsung and LG having already taken the wraps off their 2017 flagships. 

Here is how HTC’s U 11 could compare to the fantastic Samsung Galaxy S8 in terms of specs, based on the speculation.

• HTC U 11 ‘Ocean’: What’s the story so far?
• Samsung Galaxy S8 preview

HTC U 11 vs Samsung Galaxy S8: Design

• Galaxy S8 has beautiful metal and glass design, all about screen
• HTC U 11 said to be coming with squeezable frame
• Galaxy S8 has 3.5mm headphone jack, HTC U 11 thought to ditch

The Samsung Galaxy S8 features a beautiful design with an almost all-screen front and very slim bezels. There are no physical buttons on the front, with the home button built into the curved display, while the fingerprint sensor is positioned on the glass rear next to the camera lens. 

A dedicated button for launching the Bixby voice assistant is situated on the left-hand side of the metal frame, while USB Type-C and the 3.5mm headphone jack are both present at the bottom of the device. The Galaxy S8 is IP68 water and dust resistant.

The HTC U 11 is rumoured to be coming with a squeezable frame, called Edge Sense, and it is thought the device will feature a shiny finish and a capacitive button on the front, like many HTC devices that have gone before it. It is also rumoured to be IP57 water and dust resistant. 

The 3.5mm headphone jack is expected to be ditched, as it was on the previous U handsets, but USB Type-C is pretty much a certainty. Exact measurements have not been detailed in leaks as yet but we’d expect it to be slightly smaller in terms of height than the Galaxy S8 that measures 148.9 x 68.1 x 8.0mm and weighs 155g.

HTC U 11 vs Samsung Galaxy S8: Display

• Galaxy S8 has 5.8-inch, Quad HD+, 570ppi
• HTC U 11 expected to have 5.5-inch, Quad HD, 534ppi
• Galaxy S8 has Mobile HDR Premium and is curved

The Samsung Galaxy S8 has a 5.8-inch curved display with a Quad HD+ resolution (2960 x 1440), which delivers a pixel density of 570ppi. The device is all about its display, though despite its larger size, the footprint of the handset itself hasn’t changed all that much compared to the Galaxy S7 edge, largely down to the new 18.5:9 aspect ratio. 

Samsung opts for Super AMOLED technology for its S8 display, offering bright and vibrant colours. It also offers Mobile HDR Premium, meaning the Galaxy S8 is ready to shine when more HDR content becomes available on the likes of Amazon Video and Netflix.

The HTC U 11 is thought to be coming with a 5.5-inch display and a Quad HD resolution, which would put its pixel density at 534ppi. It is not clear whether HTC will opt for AMOLED like it did with the Pixel devices, or whether it will choose LCD like the HTC 10. 

It has however been claimed that the HTC U 11 might offer a curved display, which would be a new design trait for HTC. There have been no leaks surrounding the likes of Mobile HDR as yet, though with Samsung and LG both offering it, it would be an odd feature for HTC to ignore.

• Mobile HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10 and Mobile HDR Premium explained 

HTC U 11 vs Samsung Galaxy S8: Cameras

• Galaxy S8 has 12MP rear, 8MP front, both f/1.7
• AF on front camera for S8, OIS on rear
• HTC U 11 could have 12MP rear with either 8MP front, or 16MP

The Samsung Galaxy S8 has a 12-megapixel Dual Pixel rear camera with a f/1.7 aperture and optical image stabilisation. The front-facing snapper has an 8-megapixel sensor with autofocus and an aperture of f/1.7.

Both are excellent performers, delivering great all-round performance in our experience. There are some good features on board, including the ability to adjust the on-screen exposure compensation slider, as well as control focus for selfies with various blurring options available.

There have been a couple of rumours relating to the cameras for the HTC U 11. Some suggest we will see a 12-megapixel rear camera with an 8-megapixel front camera like the Pixel devices, while others claim a 12-megapixel rear snapper with a 16-megapixel front camera like the U Ultra.

• Samsung Galaxy S8+ review 

HTC U 11 vs Samsung Galaxy S8: Hardware

• 4GB RAM, 64GB storage on S8 and expected for HTC U 11
• 3.5mm headphone jack on S8, not expected for HTC U 11
• Fingerprint and iris scanner on S8, only fingerprint rumours for HTC

The Samsung Galaxy S8 comes with the Exynos 8895 chip, or the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chip, depending on the region. There is 4GB of RAM, 64GB of internal memory and you’ll also find microSD support for storage expansion up to 256GB.

As we mentioned previously there is a 3.5mm headphone jack and USB Type-C for re-charging the 3000mAh battery, with both wireless charging and fast charging also supported. A fingerprint sensor is on board the rear of the device, while an iris scanner is present on the front of the S8.

The HTC U 11 is rumoured to be coming with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor and it is thought there will be at least 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, with microSD support. Battery capacity has yet to be detailed in leaks, but USB Type-C is expected, as we mentioned. 

Leaks suggest there will be a fingerprint sensor on the front of the HTC U 11, as has been the case with previous HTC handsets, and it is thought the headphone jack will be removed. The HTC U 11 is expected to be coming with BoomSound HiFi like the HTC 10, so hopefully the new flagship’s sound output will be up there with the best again.

HTC U 11 vs Samsung Galaxy S8: Software

• Both Android Nougat with respective software skins
• Squeezable frame for HTC U 11 expected to offer various functions 
• Curved screen on Galaxy S8 offers software features 

The Samsung Galaxy S8 runs on Android Nougat with Samsung’s TouchWiz software over the top. It offers Google Assistant, along with Samsung’s new AI system, Bixby and the overall software experience is excellent.

The HTC U 11 will no doubt also launch on Android Nougat along with HTC Sense. It is expected to come with full Google Assistant, along with the HTC Sense Companion app that has been designed to use AI in order to help you get the most out of your phone. 

In terms of other software features, the Samsung Galaxy S8 has a number of functions that make use of its curved display, while the HTC U 11 is reported to be coming with that squeezable frame we mentioned. Based on the leaks, it looks like users will be able to squeeze the frame in order to perform certain functions, though it isn’t clear what these will be yet.

• Samsung Galaxy S8 tips and tricks

HTC U 11 vs Samsung Galaxy S8: Conclusion

Samsung’s Galaxy S8 is a fantastic device, offering a beautiful design, excellent performance and great cameras. Based on the rumours for the HTC U 11, it looks like Samsung’s device will offer the larger and sharper display, a few more sensors like an iris scanner, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. 

In terms of performance, there’s not likely to be much difference between these two devices based on the speculation, but the HTC U 11 looks like it could offer something interesting in terms of design and software features if the squeezable frame appears.

We will update this feature as more rumours appear, as well as when the official specs are announced.