Sure, HTC had to let go of some of its best crew (specifically those who worked on the Pixel smartphones) to Google back in January early this year, but that does not mean it does not have the resources left to continue offering new flagship devices. True enough, making good on a promise that it had tweeted nearly three weeks ago, the Taiwanese phone maker is now formally unveiling the latest addition to its growing U lineup of handsets (which had kicked off last year with the release of the squeezable U11).
Meet the HTC U12 Plus phablet -- which HTC claims is its largest and most innovative flagship offering yet. As far as size is concerned, the handset’s 6 inch display indeed delivers some generous screen real estate, helped immensely by a widescreen 18 to 9 ratio that should please cinephiles. And when used with the company’s own Edge Sense 2 touch feedback interface, the HTC U12 Plus promises a more intuitive experience for users.
But first, the basic specs -- the aforementioned 6 inch screen is a Quad HD+ display, flanked by a twin camera set up on the rear side (a 12 megapixel camera and a 16 megapixel camera with high quality zoom) and another dual camera configuration on the front side (a couple of 8 megapixel shooters with natural bokeh).
The U12 Plus’ camera specs actually garnered a score of 103 from DxOMark, which HTC says is the highest graded camera in the smartphone industry among handsets with dual camera configurations. Apart from the device’s image capturing capabilities, it also comes with full support for 4K video recording (at 60 frames per second), as well as 3D audio recording quality and Sonic Zoom with Audio Boost.
Inside, the phablet offers Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845 chip set, backed by 6 gigabytes of random access memory (RAM) and at least 64 gigabytes of built in storage. Some of the features to watch out for include an IP68 rating for water proofing and dust resistance, a 3,500 mAh battery, and Google’s Android 8.0 Oreo mobile operating system (but should upgrade to Android P).
In terms of looks, the HTC U12 Plus employs a super thin screen border design, and the device is made available in three color options -- namely Ceramic Black, Flame Red, and Translucent Blue. With regards to sound, the flagship claims to have the best ever HTC BoomSound, USonic, and Qualcomm aptX HD audio.
Interested parties can now preorder the phablet at a starting price of $799 from HTC’s official website or from Amazon. Want to compare the U12 Plus to other devices? Explore more phones and plans from HTC at Wirefly now.
