![]() ![]() ![]() This is obviously done with speed in mind, but makes the interface feel less fluid and a bit… jittery, for a lack of a better word. To be precise, we should say that the animations that usually happen when you start an app simply happen at a much faster speed, so that it appears as if there are no animations. The curious thing about HTC Sense is that it almost completely lacks animations - that one element acting as the visual connection when you switch between screens. In the daily grind, HTC Sense feels fast and runs mostly smoothly. It might just be easier to turn the screen on rather than squinting to see the dim letters. The U11+ also has an always-on display feature that shows the time and missed notifications, but it is very dim and hard to see. We are also disappointed with the brightness and outdoor visibility: the screen is reflective and not bright enough, making it hard to see it on a sunny day out on the street. This might be an isolated issue with our unit, or it may be widespread, so be warned. What is bad, though, is the display on our particular U11+ unit: it had very noticeable difference in the backlight intensity, as if the screen was almost divided in two, with a brighter bottom half and a darker top half. Colors are generally well balanced, and while they lack the contrast and vivid look of an OLED screen, they are not bad either. A nice touch is that when you tap on each of these options, you have a toggle to control whether whites look colder or warmer (a color temperature slider, in other words). The DCI-P3 mode is the one with more lively colors that most users will prefer, while sRGB is more toned down. To choose between the two go into Settings > Display & Gestures > Advanced > Color Profile. The screen itself has two color options: sRGB and DCI-P3 (the second one enabled by default). The screen-to-body ratio on this U11+ is 78%, while the Galaxy series and others have the screen taking up nearly 85% of the front: a big difference. ![]() Technically, this is the first “edge-to-edge”, 2:1 screen in an HTC phone, but realistically, you still have plenty of bezel, and this phone does not quite feel “bezel-less” like the Galaxy S8/Note 8, the iPhone X, or the Essential Phone. The U11+ comes with a 6-inch LCD screen with a plenty sharp 1440 x 2880 pixel (Quad HD+) resolution. The great thing about the HTC U11+ is that it is water-resistant with an IP68 rating, meaning that it will survive drops in water up to 5 feet deep for as long as 30 minutes. Thankfully, there is a USB-C to 3.5mm audio dongle included in the box, in case you need to connect to non-wireless headphones or stereo. We make no mention of a 3.5mm headphone jack simply because HTC has decided to skip it. On the bottom we have a USB-C port and the loudspeaker. On the back you have a single camera that bulges out very slightly, and below it – a round fingerprint scanner. We like the way the power key is ridged, so we can very easily find and press it: a nice touch for such a commonly used button. So what else is there? On the front, you have the 2:1 display, the front camera and earpiece, and nothing else. When you hold it in the hand, though, it has a better grip than many metal phones and will not slip out that easily. The phone is also quite slippery, so if you use it without a case, be careful not to place it on angled surfaces as it may slip and fall. That's something you'll have to be willing to accept if you're eyeing the HTC U11+. It isn't the biggest phone in its size category, but it isn't the smallest, slimmest, or lightest either, presumably because of the hefty battery packed inside it. It still looks good, but lacks that cool visual effect. We did not get a chance to review that version and have the regular, non-translucent model instead. A geek’s dream? Yes, but one that is hard to get as in some markets you need to wait for weeks for this elusive version to ship. Both are black, but one is really unique: it has a see-through back that allows you to see the innards of the phone. ![]() Now you know why HTC includes a cleaning cloth in the box. Unfortunately, the very moment you pick the U11+ up, its pristinely clean glass back gets smudged with fingerprints. Attractive and visually outstanding, it is made of glass and looks as shiny as they get. The HTC U11+ is a phone that puts looks first and practicality second. Phone design is mostly about two things that are often in conflict: great looks and practicality. ![]()
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