Walmart will test Tesla Semi trucks for transporting merchandise
The Tesla Semi already has one very large guinea pig for an electric fleet: Walmart. The retail juggernaut has some 6,000 trucks and moves merchandise all over the country and as of last May, it was the world’s largest retailer. The company eyeing EVs for logistics sends a pretty clear message about the viability of the tech’s commercial applications. And Walmart isn’t the only company interested in Tesla’s truck. According to Bloomberg, trucking logistics company J.B. Hunt and grocery chain Meijer have also reserved multiple Semis.
“We believe we can learn how this technology performs within our long-term sustainability goals, such as lowering emissions,” Walmart said in a statement to CNBC. This pilot program for the 500-mile range trucks likely won’t start anytime soon. After all, Musk said that Tesla Semi tricks won’t start production until 2019.
Walmart has other options too: Mercedes has its own all-electric semi, as does diesel-maker Cummins. They’re shorter range, but given Tesla has fallen behind schedule for Model 3 production, the alternatives could be road ready before Musk’s fleet.
Source: CNBC
Apple Extends Free Repairs of Anti-Reflective Coating on 2013 or Newer MacBook Pro and All 12-Inch MacBooks
Apple has extended free repairs of anti-reflective coating issues for all 12-inch MacBook models and 2013 or newer MacBook Pro models.
Apple has authorized coverage within four years from the original purchase date of an affected MacBook or MacBook Pro, according to an internal document distributed to Apple Authorized Service Providers and later obtained by MacRumors.
Eligible 12-inch MacBook or 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro models qualify for a free display replacement within the four-year coverage period. Apple says the 2012 MacBook Pro is no longer eligible for free repairs since the notebook was fully discontinued by October 2013, which is over four years ago.
Below is a list of the absolute latest dates that each 12-inch MacBook and MacBook Pro model may remain eligible for coverage:
• 2013 13-inch MacBook Pro: July 2018
• 2013 15-inch MacBook Pro: July 2018
• 2014 13-inch MacBook Pro: March 2019
• 2014 15-inch MacBook Pro: May 2019
• 2015 13-inch MacBook Pro: October 2020
• 2015 15-inch MacBook Pro: Still sold
• 2016 13-inch MacBook Pro: June 2021
• 2016 15-inch MacBook Pro: June 2021
• 2017 13-inch MacBook Pro: Still sold
• 2017 15-inch MacBook Pro: Still sold
• 2015 12-inch MacBook: April 2020
• 2016 12-inch MacBook: June 2021
• 2017 12-inch MacBook: Still sold
Apple previously confirmed to us that the repair program continues to be handled internally rather than being publicly announced.
Affected customers can schedule a Genius Bar appointment at an Apple Store using the Apple Support app. Or, on the Get Support page, click Mac → Mac Notebooks → Hardware Issues → Display Issue and options should be presented to initiate a repair or contact Apple via phone, email, or online chat.
Apple’s support website will ask for your Mac’s serial number, which can be found by clicking on the Apple logo in the top-left corner of the screen and clicking on About This Mac in the dropdown menu.
Affected customers can also visit an Apple Authorized Service Provider to determine if their notebook is eligible for coverage. If you have already incurred out-of-warranty costs related to this issue, you may be eligible for a refund, which can be initiated by contacting Apple support directly.
Since the repair program has not been publicly announced, some Apple support representatives may be unaware of its existence. Escalating your request to a senior advisor may help, but your mileage may vary.
Apple first began the repair program in October 2015, and has now extended it twice, after some MacBook and MacBook Pro users experienced issues with the anti-reflective coating wearing off or delaminating on the Retina display.
The damage appears to be caused by a variety of factors, including the pressure of the keyboard and trackpad on the display when closed, and the use of incorrect third-party cleaning solutions with microfiber cloths.
Over 12,000 customers joined a Facebook group dedicated to the issue, and hundreds of others have claimed to be affected across the Apple Support Communities, MacRumors forums, Twitter, Reddit, and other discussion platforms.
The website Staingate.org contains a gallery of MacBook Pro models with seemingly damaged anti-reflective coating, revealing that the blemishes can be relatively minor or extend across the entire display in extreme cases.
Update: MacRumors has received a supplementary internal document that lists all 12-inch MacBook models, and 2016 and 2017 MacBook Pro models, as affected products. The document also states that even damaged displays with anti-reflective coating issues may qualify for a free display replacement.
Related Roundup: MacBook ProTag: repair programBuyer’s Guide: MacBook Pro (Neutral)
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KGI: Next Year’s iPhone Models to Have Upgraded Intel and Qualcomm Modems Enabling Faster LTE Speeds
Apple’s next-generation iPhone models released in 2018 will feature Intel’s XMM 7560 and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X20 modems, enabling faster LTE transmission speeds, according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Image: KGI Securities
Kuo highlighted that both new chips support 4×4 MIMO technology, compared to only 2×2 MIMO in the latest iPhone models, which leads him to believe LTE transmission speeds will increase significantly in 2018 iPhones.
In his latest research note, obtained by MacRumors, Kuo predicted Intel will supply Apple with 70 to 80 percent or more of the baseband chips.
New baseband chips from Intel & Qualcomm will significantly boost transmission speed of new 2H18 iPhone models thanks to supporting 4×4 MIMO antenna design: We believe that 2H18 new iPhones will upgrade baseband chips from Intel’s XMM 7480 and Qualcomm’s MDM 9655 in 2H17 to Intel’s XMM 7560 and Qualcomm’s SDX 20. As both new chips support 4×4 MIMO technology, compared to only 2×2 MIMO in 2H17, we anticipate LTE transmission speeds will increase significantly. We believe Intel will supply Apple with 70-80% or more of required baseband chips.
Kuo also predicted that next year’s iPhone models will feature dual-SIM dual standby (DSDS), with support for LTE+LTE connections, which allows two SIM cards to be active simultaneously using only one set of chips.
2H18 iPhone models won’t only offer faster LTE transmission speed: We predict that at least one of the 2H18 new iPhone models will support dual-SIM dual standby (DSDS). Unlike existing DSDS phones, which commonly support LTE+3G connections, we believe next-generation iPhone models will support LTE+LTE connections, in a bid to enhance the user experience.
It’s not entirely clear if the new iPhones would have a dual SIM card slot or if one of the SIM cards would be embedded into the device.
Tags: KGI Securities, Ming-Chi Kuo
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Apple Says HomePod is Delayed Until Early 2018
Apple today announced it has delayed the release of the HomePod until early 2018. The speaker was originally set to launch in December.
In a statement provided to CNBC and several other media outlets, Apple said it needs “a little more time” before the HomePod is ready.
We can’t wait for people to experience HomePod, Apple’s breakthrough wireless speaker for the home, but we need a little more time before it’s ready for our customers. We’ll start shipping in the US, UK and Australia in early 2018.
Apple’s definition of “early” is generally January to April. Apple did not provide a specific reason for the delay.
Apple unveiled the HomePod at its Worldwide Developers Conference in June. At the time, Apple said the speaker would launch in December for $349, starting in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia.
HomePod is the first Apple product delayed since the AirPods last October. At the time, Apple also said it needed “a little more time” before the wireless headphones were ready. AirPods eventually launched in December 2016.
HomePod also serves as a “Hey Siri” assistant and HomeKit hub. The high-fidelity speaker is equipped with spatial awareness and Apple-engineered audio technology, including a seven‑tweeter array and high-excursion woofer, and is powered by Apple’s A8 chip. A firmware leak reveals it likely has 1GB of RAM.
Related Roundup: HomePod
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Promise Technology Debuts $249 Thunderbolt 3 Dock With 5 USB-A Ports, 2 TB3 Ports and SD Card Slot
Promise Technology today announced the launch of its new TD-300 Thunderbolt 3 dock, which is designed for Apple’s latest MacBook Pro models with USB-C and Thunderbolt 3.
The TD-300 features five USB 3.0 ports (three at the back and two at the front), two Thunderbolt 3 ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port, an audio in/out port, and an HDMI 2.0 port.
There are a range of Thunderbolt 3 docks on the market now, but Promise Technology’s TD-300 includes a good number of ports and an SD card slot, something that we’ve only seen on OWC’s TB3 dock. A Thunderbolt 3 cable and power adapter are also included.
Promise Technology’s dock supports two 4K displays or one 5K display and delivers up to 60W of power to charge a MacBook Pro. That’s sufficient for the 13-inch MacBook Pro models, but may be inadequate for charging a 15-inch MacBook Pro under a heavy load.
“As part of our mission to offer solutions that are optimized for rich media workflows, we’re constantly expanding our portfolio of innovative solutions that harness the latest technology,” noted Vijay Char, president, Promise Technology USA. “The addition of a Thunderbolt 3 dock brings a new level of efficiency and flexibility to creative professionals. Laptops can be charged at the fastest speeds possible, images from DSLR cameras are easily transferred, peripherals such as hard drives and monitors can be daisy-chained for increased productivity, 4K video can be sent to multiple displays, and more. The possibilities are truly endless.”
The TD-300 Thunderbolt 3 Dock can be purchased from the Promise website or from Amazon for $249.
Tag: Promise Technology
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Apple Seeds Fourth Beta of iOS 11.2 to Developers
Apple today seeded the fourth beta of an upcoming iOS 11.2 update to developers, four days after releasing the third iOS 11.2 beta, more than two weeks after releasing the first major iOS 11 update, iOS 11.1, and one day after the iOS 11.1.2 update.
Registered developers can download the new iOS 11.2 beta from Apple’s Developer Center or over-the-air once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Developer Center.
iOS 11.2 introduces Apple Pay Cash, Apple’s new peer-to-peer payments service. Apple Pay Cash works through the Messages app and is designed to allow for quick person-to-person money transfers. It’s available as a dedicated iMessage app in Messages, with cash transferred through the app.
Cash can be sent from a linked debit or credit card, while received cash is stored in an Apple Pay Cash card in Wallet that can be used for purchases or sent to a bank account.
On the iPhone X, iOS 11.2 adds a small bar underneath the icons located at the upper right side of the device on the Lock screen, which is designed to make the location of the Control Center gesture more clear. On the iPhone X, Control Center is accessed by swiping down from the top of the device.
In Control Center on all devices, there are two new informational pop-ups that are displayed when using the Wi-Fi or Bluetooth toggles. These pop-ups explain that Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are disabled temporarily rather than permanently when accessed from Control Center.
In iOS 11.2, there’s support for faster 7.5W wireless charging for the iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus. The faster speeds will be available when using third-party wireless chargers that support 7.5W charging or more.
The update also addresses an animation bug in the Calculator app that caused some numbers and symbols to be ignored when entered in rapid succession. The update removes the animations from the calculator app so calculations can be done quickly with no need to pause between entering numbers to obtain the correct result.
In addition to these bug fixes, iOS 11.2 introduces a new Now Playing option for controlling content on the Apple TV in Control Center, redesigned camera emoji, a new loading animation for Live Photos effects, and new Live wallpapers for the iPhone X, plus it adds a feature that lets developers offer new customers discounted introductory pricing for auto-renewable subscriptions on the App Store.
Related Roundup: iOS 11
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Apple Seeds Fourth Beta of tvOS 11.2 to Developers
Apple today seeded the fourth beta of an upcoming tvOS 11.2 update to developers for testing purposes, four days after seeding the third tvOS 11.2 update and over two weeks after the launch of tvOS 11.1.
Designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models, the tvOS 11.2 developer beta can be downloaded onto the Apple TV via a profile that’s installed using Xcode.
According to Apple’s release notes, the tvOS 11.2 update enables a new AVDisplayManager feature for developers, designed to allow the device to automatically switch video display modes to match the native frame rate and dynamic range of video content.
The update includes support for switching the Apple TV 4K display output to SDR for apps that are GPU-bound when running in HDR and it re-introduces the Unwatched category in Home Sharing for Movies, TV Shows, and Home Videos.
Apple says tvOS 11.2 also adds new features, bug fixes, and security improvements to the tvOS operating system.
Related Roundup: Apple TVBuyer’s Guide: Apple TV (Buy Now)
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Apple Seeds Fourth Beta of watchOS 4.2 to Developers
Apple today seeded the fourth beta of an upcoming watchOS 4.2 update to developers for testing purposes, four days after seeding the third watchOS 4.2 beta and over two weeks after releasing the watchOS 4.1 update.
Once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Apple Developer Center, the new watchOS 4.2 beta can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General –> Software Update.
To install the update, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery, it must be placed on the charger, and it has to be in range of the iPhone.
watchOS 4.2 brings support for Apple Pay Cash, Apple’s new peer-to-peer payment service that is designed to let users send money to one another. Apple Pay Cash can be used to send and receive money through the Messages app on the Apple Watch.
Aside from Apple Pay Cash, watchOS 4.2 appears to focus primarily on under-the-hood bug fixes and security updates.
Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 4Buyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)
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HTC U11 Life (Android One) review
If you want a Google Pixel 2 but don’t want to drop so much money on a phone, the HTC U11 Life with Android One is the next best thing. It’s one of the “mid-range Pixels” made under the auspices of the Android One program, only it’s made by the actual manufacturer of the regular-sized Pixel 2.
For all its highlights, the HTC U11 Life Android One still suffers from some of the same issues as the Pixel 2 and HTC U11, chief among them being an arguably inflated price tag for what you get. There’s a lot to like about the U11 Life, but a few things to be wary of. Find out more in our HTC U11 Life Android One review.
About this review: I’ve been using the HTC U11 Life Android One for eight days, on the Blau network in Germany. The device is running Android 8.0 Oreo with build number 1.06.401.8 and was provided on loan from HTC’s German PR agency.Show More
At half the price of the HTC U11 or Pixel 2 but with a lot of similar perks, the U11 Life Android One looks great on paper. It runs a stock+ version of Android Oreo, augmented by a full-fledged version of HTC Edge Sense and HTC USonic audio tuning. It comes with guaranteed OS updates for two years and security patches for three via Google’s Android One program.
At half the price of the HTC U11 or Pixel 2 but with a lot of similar perks, the U11 Life Android One looks great on paper
It has an IP67 water-resistant rating, a relative rarity at this price point, some of the best bundled earbuds I’ve ever tried, and a really competitive camera for this tier. It borrows the flagship design language of the HTC U11, has an excellent LCD display and fairly decent mid-range specs. But once you scratch the surface, there’s a little more to it that needs discussing.
Design
It all starts with the design. While I applaud HTC for so faithfully emulating their flagship styling in a mid-tier offering, the U11 Life necessarily makes some concessions to its price point. Rather than Gorilla Glass wrapped around an aluminum frame like the U11, the U11 Life puts a Gorilla Glass front on top of a polycarbonate frame with an acrylic back panel.
I wouldn’t go so far as to say the U11 Life feels cheap, but it is clearly plastic. It sounds hollow, is very light and scratches much easier than a glass-backed phone. Considering how terribly this phone picks up fingerprints, I’d recommend using a case, even if its plastic construction makes it less likely to break than glass.
Changes in material choice are pretty standard in a mid-range phone. The same can usually be said of bigger bezels, but considering HTC only just managed to reduce its bezel size in the upcoming U11 Plus, the HTC U11 Life has basically the same bezel situation as the flagship U11. Unfortunately, the U11 Life doesn’t inherit the BoomSound Hi-Fi Edition speakers found on the larger U11 models.
Hardware
The U11 Life uses its large bottom bezel to house capacitive navigation buttons and a solid-state fingerprint scanner. The navigation buttons work fine and can be constantly illuminated or switched off entirely. It’s a bit of a shame HTC didn’t offer on-screen navigation buttons as an option. The fingerprint scanner is reliable but not as fast as you’d find on a more expensive phone.
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The USB Type-C port is offset to the right of the mono bottom-firing speaker, something my lizard brain just couldn’t get used to no matter how many times I jabbed at the speaker with the USB Type-C charging cable or headphones.
There’s a microSD card slot in the nano-SIM tray on the top edge of the phone, which lets you expand the 32 or 64 GB of built-in storage. Those versions come with 3 and 4 GB of RAM respectively, with the 4 GB/64 GB version being an online exclusive available only via HTC.com. Considering the very minimal price difference between the two, the 4 GB/64 GB version is the natural choice (I reviewed the 3 GB/32 GB version). The mid-range Snapdragon 630 chipset lies at the heart of the U11 Life. While it might have been nicer to see a 660, the 630 is still used to good effect.
With its IP67 rating, the U11 Life can withstand submersion in a meter of fresh water for up to a half hour, which is a nice addition for a mid-range phone. Like other U11 models before it, the Life doesn’t have a 3.5mm headphone jack, though HTC tries to make up for it in other ways, which we’ll cover further later.
An IP67 rating is a nice addition for a mid-range phone, but the Life doesn’t have a 3.5mm headphone jack
The U11 Life supports Bluetooth 5 so you can enjoy higher throughput or longer range on compatible accessories – for more on how Bluetooth 5 works check out Gary’s excellent primer. The U11 Life also supports always-listening hotword detection, NFC, VoLTE and Wi-Fi calling, and Cat. 11 download speeds of up to 600 Mbits/s and uploads of up to 75 Mbits/s.
Display
The 5.2-inch Full HD LCD display on the HTC U11 Life was a very nice surprise
The 5.2-inch Full HD display on the HTC U11 Life was a very nice surprise. The Super LCD panel offers rich colors, good dynamic range, stable viewing angles, decent if not exceptional outdoor visibility (in excess of 500 nits), and was generally a lot better than I was expecting.
It wasn’t always very responsive to touch input, requiring some pretty forceful jabbing at times to register presses. This is a concession one has to make at lower price points, but it is more than made up for in the overall quality of the display.
Software
HTC’s Edge Sense is a particularly nice addition to the U11 Life. Despite the Android One software experience, HTC managed to get a fully functional version of its squeezable frame technology on board, something even the Pixel 2 hasn’t got right now.
Some may see a pressure sensitive frame as a useless gimmick, but I found it very intuitive and used it a lot. The default options are pretty much the most useful, with a short squeeze taking you to the camera app whether the phone is unlocked or not. While in the camera, a long squeeze switches between front and rear lenses and a short squeeze takes a photo. Obviously this is a handy feature while in the water, wearing gloves or when you’re otherwise unable to use the camera as normal.
Outside the camera app, a long-squeeze typically launches Google Assistant (you can, of course, modify any or all of the default Edge Sense actions to your liking). Assistant can also be activated via voice or by long-pressing the home button. Unlike the US-bound Sense version of the U11 Life, HTC Sense Companion and Amazon Alexa are not included in the software out of the box.
HTC Edge Sense also lets you enable various in-app squeeze actions that you can customize at will. It takes a little memory to remember what everything does but once you’ve got the hang of it it’s really quite useful. You can also adjust the pressure sensitivity of the squeeze gesture or disable it entirely if it’s not your thing.
The HTC U11 Life runs Android Oreo out of the box, with a guaranteed update to Android P and Android Q thanks to Android One
The HTC U11 Life runs Android Oreo out of the box, with a guaranteed update to Android P and Android Q thanks to Android One. Android One devices are also assured security patches for three years, putting a very healthy shelf life on a mid-range phone. As sad as it sounds, this was a pretty unusual situation until Google re-pitched Android One for the mid-range market.
The near stock version of Android Oreo on the U11 Life runs just as smoothly and reliably as you’d expect. HTC has never had any real issues with software performance even with its Sense skin, so this should come as no surprise. Various Oreo-specific benefits are present here too, like background execution and cached data limits to better utilize the phone’s available resources and prolong battery life.
Audio
HTC also has its USonic audio tuning baked into the Settings menu. The U11 Life comes bundled with a pair of excellent USB Type-C USonic earbuds too. They can be used with the USonic software to tune the U11 Life’s audio to your particular hearing profile.
If you’re unfamiliar, HTC USonic essentially uses sonar to map your ear canal. There’s really nothing to it, simply insert the super-comfortable buds, tap a button to emit a short audio signal and it’s done. Your USonic active noise cancelling earbuds are now tuned specifically to your ears. Of course, the tuning can be disabled at any time.
I’m far from an audiophile, but even my ears can appreciate the richer bass and punchier highs USonic enables. Disabling the feature flattens everything out a little, and while this adds more to the mid-range I prefer the crispy highs and solid low end the USonic buds produce. They’re also admirably spatial for included headphones and have active noise cancellation to boot, another rare bonus at this price point.
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Audio on the HTC U 11 Life is also fine if you want to use Android Oreo’s high-end Bluetooth codecs like Sony LDAC or Qualcomm aptX and aptX-HD with compatible wireless headphones. The absence of a 3.5mm headphone jack will be make or break for many, and there isn’t even a USB Type-C to 3.5mm adapter in the box. HTC sells a digital adapter on its website though, which includes a built-in DAC.
Despite the excellence of the USonic earbuds, your alternative audio options are limited. Besides the bundled USonic buds, there’s not many USB Type-C headphones on the market that we’d actually recommend. You can buy the dongle from HTC for your wired cans (because a regular “dumb” adapter won’t work with the U11 Life) or you can switch to Bluetooth headphones.
It’s also worth noting that the USonic buds won’t work with the majority of other phones either. Plug them into the USB Type-C port of the Galaxy Note 8, LG V30 or Pixel 2 and audio will continue coming out of the external speakers rather than switching to the buds. This is because HTC uses a digital protocol not supported by many other companies. The USonic buds worked just fine with the Huawei Mate 10 Pro though.
The USonic earbuds are really your best option, with no BoomSound stereo speakers
Even without the wired headphone issue, there’s no stereo BoomSound Hi-Fi Edition speakers on the U11 Life, just the single mono speaker on the bottom edge. Although the U11 Life’s speaker is apparently “built to be heard from the front”, don’t expect it to be anywhere near up to par with other U11 devices. I’ll grant that it’s relatively loud, it just doesn’t sound great. As far as audio on the U11 Life goes, the USonic buds are really your best option.
Performance
At this price range you have to expect less than flagship performance, but the U11 Life still performs admirably. Despite its mediocre specs sheet, which it shares to a large degree with the Moto X4, the U11 Life performs decently in benchmarking apps, the results of which you can peruse below. More importantly than numbers, in everyday usage the software runs as smooth and stable as most smartphones that cost twice as much. It’s just not as snappy.
Oreo runs as smooth and stable as most smartphones that cost twice as much. It’s just not as snappy
The U11 Life is naturally not up to the serious processor-hungry tasks a power user might demand, and apps are slower to launch than a flagship owner would be used to. Over the course of a week I never encountered any circumstances where the U11 Life simply couldn’t handle a task or took too long to launch an app or menu. It’s simply a matter of adjusting your expectations and moving on.
If you’re at all concerned about performance (and even if you’re not), you might want to pop the extra cash to get the version with more storage and RAM, just to be on the safe side. The Snapdragon 630 is a slightly disappointing chipset choice, because considering the Google Pixel 2 also ships with 64 GB of storage and 4 GB of RAM, a U11 Life with a slightly beefier chipset could have been very competitive.
Battery
The upshot of the Snapdragon 630 is that the U11 Life does a lot with the minimal battery capacity it has. A 2,600 mAh cell won’t get anyone excited, but combined with Android Oreo and the small, low resolution display, the U11 Life regularly got me between 4.5-5.5 hours of screen-on time. I was never worried about it dying before the end of the day, but it did occasionally get close later at night.
With the included 5V/2A brick, the HTC U11 Life Android One takes a little over an hour and a half to fully charge a depleted battery. Half an hour or so of charging will get you just under 50 percent battery.
As with most choices in the mid-range, it’s a game of trade-offs. I might lament the absence of a beefier chipset that would’ve nudged the U11 Life a little closer to the Pixel 2 in terms of performance, but the Snapdragon 630 does a good job of keeping the lights on as long as it does. But battery life is far from a strong point of the U11 Life, and might even be its weakest point barring audio options beyond the bundled earbuds.
Camera
On the other hand, the camera is a surprising strength. The phone’s 16 MP f/2.0 cameras on the front and back produce very good photos for a phone in this price range. There’s no dual-camera bokeh trickery or zoom lenses, but the basics have been nailed.
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As with practically any phone these days, the true measure of a camera comes in low light conditions. An f/2.0 aperture isn’t super wide, but it’s perfectly sufficient for most low-light scenes. You’ll need a decently steady hand though, as the U11 Life doesn’t feature OIS. Its phase detection auto-focus (rear camera only) is reliable though.
I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the low light photos captured by the U11 Life. Having just gotten used to the Mate 10 Pro’s tendency to crush blacks while obliterating all noise, the U11 Life was a nice reprieve. Noise only just creeps into shots taken in very dark environments, the kind that would defeat almost all phones, no matter the cost. Generally speaking, the U11 Life minimized noise to a admirable degree while maintaining good colors and range.
I found that the U11 Life tended to slightly underexpose shots, but you can easily tap to focus and then adjust the exposure compensation slider to get it right for each scene. If you prefer to tap the screen to auto-expose, that’s available as an option in the camera settings. The U11 Life struggled a bit with blown out highlights in dark settings, but that’s true of practically any phone.
Colors are accurate and even, without over-saturation, though they’re unlikely to be punchy enough for some. The U11 Life captures a good amount of detail in good lighting, but things get a little muddy in the dark. Sooner or later noise is unavoidable. The U11 Life’s lowlight shooting was better than I expected and you can see just how well it performs against the Pixel 2 in the images below.
Daytime shots produce very balanced photos and like almost all smartphone cameras nowadays, you’d be hard pressed to mess up a photo on a sunny day. Having the same camera on the front and back of the phone is nice too, especially for the selfie inclined, but a 16 MP selfie shooter seems a little like overkill. I would’ve much preferred a more sedate front-facing camera and the addition of OIS on the main camera instead.
The phone’s 16 MP f/2.0 cameras on the front and back produce very good photos for a phone in this price range
Both cameras have HDR Boost which handles dynamic range quite well, even if it does slow things down a little. The camera app isn’t the fastest thing about the U11 Life and had noticeable shutter lag. I’d love to convince myself it was intentional on HTC’s part to avoid camera shake when hitting the shutter button or using Edge Sense, but it’s ultimately down to the chipset used. Nevertheless, it is something you get used to.
The HTC U11 Life shoots 4K video at 30 fps with a six-minute time limit and supports Hi-Res Audio recording in video (which defaults to off every time you change the video quality settings). The HTC camera app has a variety of other modes including a pro mode with RAW, alongside hyperlapse, slow-motion (720p at 120fps), and the usuals like panorama and selfie beauty mode.
All things considered, I expected the software experience on the HTC U11 Life Android One to be as good as it is, but the camera performance was a very nice surprise. With a little patience and steady hands, you can get very good photos out of the U11 Life far beyond what you might have expected from a phone in this price range.
Gallery
Specs
| Display | 5.2-inch Super LCD 1,920 x 1,080 resolution 424 ppi Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 Mobile Platform Octa-core |
| RAM | 3/4 GB |
| Storage | 32/64 GB |
| MicroSD | Yes, up to 2 TB |
| Cameras | Main camera: 16 MP sensor with f/2.0 aperture, PDAF, slow-motion video, 4K video recording
Front camera: 16 MP fixed focus sensor with f/2.0 aperture, 1080p video recording |
| Battery | 2,600 mAh Non-removable |
| Sensors | Edge Sensor Ambient light sensor Proximity sensor Motion G-sensor Compass sensor Gyro sensor Magnetic sensor Fingerprint sensor |
| Connectivity | USB Type-C (2.0) Bluetooth 5.0 Wi-Fi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 & 5 GHz) NFC |
| Network | 2G/2.5G GSM/GPRS/EDGE – 850/900/1800/1900 MHz 3G UMTS 4G LTE |
| SIM | Nano |
| Sound | Mono speaker HTC USonic earbuds with Active Noise Cancellation High resolution audio recording |
| IP rating | IP67 |
| Software | Android 8.0 Oreo Google Assistant Edge Sense |
| Dimensions and weight | 149.09 x 72.9 x 8.1 mm 142 g |
Pricing and final thoughts
Should you spend €350 on the HTC U11 Life? I can’t give you a definitive “yes”. There’s simply too many other competitive devices in that price range right now that now you’d need to check out first, some of which offer dual cameras and other things that might be make or break for you like the presence of a 3.5 mm headphone port.
What I can say though is that if you do buy it, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. If the issues raised above aren’t the kinds of things that would immediately put you off a phone, the U11 Life Android One offers a whole lot of good stuff, from software and design to display and camera.
My biggest gripe with the U11 Life is the feeling that it’s slightly overpriced. That’s ultimately due to its chipset and battery size. If and when this phone goes on sale, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it— assuming you can make peace with its slower performance and a smaller battery.
If you do spend €350 on the HTC U11 Life I don’t think you’ll be at all disappointed.
The HTC U11 Life Android One is now on sale in Europe for €349/€379. The Sense version went on sale in the US on November 3 unlocked for $349 and via T-Mobile for $300.
As much as I know the U11 Life is far from the perfect mid-range phone for everyone, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time with it and will be sad to see it go. I opened this review with a reference to the Pixel 2, and I’ll end it with a reference to a device I also came to love, warts and all: the Nexus 5. In some ways the U11 Life feels like the Nexus 5: it has its flaws, but if you’re willing to accept them, you’re in for a real treat.
Building a new PC? These are the best Intel processors no matter your budget
Even if AMD’s Ryzen processors offered real competition to Intel when they debuted in 2017, Intel chips are still arguably the best for gaming and other predominantly single-threaded tasks. Whatever reason you want to go Intel on your next upgrade though, this guide will show you the best Intel processors whether you’re looking for something entry level, or a little more on the high-end side of the spectrum.
Don’t forget that there are plenty of great options outside the world of best choices for Intel. This guide doesn’t extend to the very cheapest of Intel chips, though these are the ones we’d recommend you check out first before dipping lower. There are also chips well above our extreme-rated-recommendation, though those is really only recommendable for those with an unlimited budget.
For a more varied look at great CPUs for any budget, check out our manufacturer-agnostic guide to the best processors available today.
Entry level: Pentium G4560 ($80)
The entry-level market has always been one of the most hotly competitive and there are a lot of processors to choose from, meaning there’s something for every “entry-level” budget. Although we would certainly urge most people to consider AMD hardware at this price point, it’s hard to go wrong with the Pentium G4560.
Considered by many to be one of the best ultra-affordable gaming processors out there, the Pentium G4560 stands apart from predecessors with the same nomenclature by supporting hyperthreading. That means although it only has two cores, it can run four threads at once, which gives it solid multithreaded performance. In fact, in many tests it’s only a couple of steps behind the much more expensive i3-7100.
The G4560 isn’t going to hold a candle to any recent-generation Core i5 or i7 CPUs, but it represents a great starting off point for anyone looking to build a budget system. If you plan to use onboard graphics, it might be worth considering the Pentium 4600 for its more powerful Intel HD 630 graphics core.
Although we would love to recommend you one of the latest generation Core i3 CPUs, like the fantastically powerful i3 8100 with its four cores, at this point it’s not a viable option for entry-level buyers. While the CPU itself is affordable, the only available motherboards are Z370s which are typically north of $130 a piece.
Buy one now on:
Newegg
Mid-range: Core i5-8400 ($210)
As nice as it is to see Intel upping the core counts of all its eighth-generation processors, the real sweet spot in the Coffee Lake line up is the Core i5-8400. Hailed by many as the best mainstream gaming processor in generations, it comes with some impressive specifications considering its relatively diminutive price point.
Although it lacks hyperthreading and the ability to easily overclock it, the i5-8400 comes with six cores, which is more than enough for most programs and a decent frequency of 4.0GHz when in turbo mode. Although its base frequency of 2.8GHz might look weak compared to previous generations, that helps keeps its power demands to just 65 watts.
In many benchmarks, especially in gaming, this chip easily outperforms the beloved Core i5-7600K from the previous generation and even rivals the much heftier Core i7-7700K in some tests. That’s very impressive considering the 8400’s significantly cheaper price than either of those options.
The only real downside to the 8400 is that as part of the newest generation of CPUs, it is only compatible with 300 series motherboards. That means that whatever set up you’re running now you’re going to need a new motherboard too.
If you don’t want to upgrade your motherboard and processor all in one go, a last-generation alternative would be the i5-7600. A still solid processor, though not as easy to recommend as the new poster-child of mainstream gaming that is the 8400.
Buy one now on:
Amazon
High-end: Core i7-7700K ($315)
As much as even our review of the i7-7700K suggested that the Core i5 range of Intel’s latest chips offer better value, there’s no denying that the additional threads of a Core i7 CPU do have their benefits. With some of the best single-core performance of any chip available today and enough additional cores and threads for those more multithreaded scenarios, the Core i7-7700K is a fantastic processor for those with an inflated budget.
The chip sports four cores, with eight threads thanks to multithreading and a base frequency of 4.2GHz. That can turbo up to 4.5GHz as and when required and thanks to that “K” designation, this chip is unlocked, so can be overclocked easily. Although the 7700K typically struggles to get close to 5.0GHz, it is an already exceedingly fast chip, so any extra megahertz are a nice treat, rather than to be expected.
Another real benefit of the 7700K is its compatibility. Although it isn’t of the latest generation of Intel chips, it supports both 100 (with a BIOS update) and 200 series chipsets, making it widely compatible with various motherboards.
All of that can be had for $315, which is a hell of a lot of processor for your money. Although we could certainly draw comparisons between this chip and the newer generation Core i7-8700K, which has more cores and threads, the additional $100 on the price tag and lack of large performance gains just doesn’t seem worth it to us. For that reason and the overall stellar status of the 7700K, it continues to be our high-end recommendation.
That’s not to say we don’t love the new 8th-gen chips though. They’ve begun showing up in the latest-generations of some of our favorite laptops, such as the Dell XPS 13 or Surface Book 2 — and have been clocking in at some impressive speeds. Unfortunately, without some compatible motherboards on the market that aren’t extremely expensive, we can’t recommend them when building your next PC just yet.
Buy it now on:
Amazon, Newegg
Extreme: Core i9-7900X ($960)
In response to AMD’s Ryzen and Threadripper CPUs Intel introduced a number of staggeringly powerful processors in the latter half of 2017, so there’s a lot to pick from. However, when you’re talking about spending upwards of $1,000 on a processor, there are certainly some with more bang for buck than others.
As much as you might eye the ludicrously expensive 7980XE with envy for its 18 cores, that’s complete overkill for almost anyone, even someone with your impressively deep pockets. In comparison, the 7900X is a much more worthwhile purchase.
Although still expensive at $960, the 7900X is the cheapest of the Skylake-X range of Core i9 CPUs and is a fantastically powerful processor. With 10 cores, 20 threads (with hyperthreading), and a frequency that can turbo up to 4.5GHz using Turbo Boost Max 3.0, it offers ridiculous single and multithreaded performance. If you’re a sporadic upgrader, it will easily futureproof you for a few generations without missing a step.
Its advantages over the high-end alternative won’t be revolutionary in its effects on games, but it will be noticeable and for those planning to do high-resolution video editing and other intensive tasks. It’s there where the additional cores will absolutely make a difference.
The 7900X is still overkill for most users, but if you want one of the fastest Intel processors in the world without remortgaging your home, the 7900X is the best choice.
Buy one not from:
Amazon
Editors’ Recommendations
- These are the best processors for building a PC on any budget
- The best cheap laptop you can buy
- The magnificent seven: These awesome laptop deals can save you up to $710
- Dell Inspiron 13 7000 2-in-1 (late 2017) review
- 8th Gen Intel Core news: Mobile quad-cores confirmed, desktop rumors stay strong
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