Introducing The U11: HTC’s New Squeezable Smartphone

HTC has unveiled its newest flagship offering, and it is called the HTC U11. This handset combines a stylish design with some high end specifications, including pressure sensors that allow mobile users to squeeze the device to control it (as rumored nearly a month ago). But wait -- didn’t the Taiwanese phone maker just recently release a flagship smartphone, the U Ultra? Well, the answer to that question is not that simple. When the company first introduced a couple of devices belonging to the U lineup of smartphones (the aforementioned U Ultra phablet and the U Play), the move was meant to trigger a new series that offers handsets employing a shiny glass aesthetic. As for the U11, it appears to be part of the new U series, but HTC apparently wants a connection with the HTC 10 from last year, so it decided to attach the “11” on the device’s name.

Naming conventions notwithstanding, HTC is looking to position the new U11 as something that should compete with this year’s other high profile smartphone releases. The device features a 5.5 inch 2K LCD screen beneath curved glass courtesy of Gorilla Glass 5. Camera wise, it is equipped with a 12 megapixel camera on the rear side, as well as a 16 megapixel selfie shooter on the front side. 

Inside its sleek frame, HTC’s U11 packs an eight core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chip set, aided by 4 gigabytes of random access memory (RAM) and 64 gigabytes of built in memory (this is for the US edition; a global edition will feature 6 gigabytes of RAM plus 128 gigabytes of onboard storage). Other notable features include a USB-C port, an IP67 water resistance and dust proofing rating, a 3,000 mAh battery, and Google’s Android 7.0 Nougat mobile operating system. With regards to software, the U11 will come preloaded with Google’s Assistant, and shortly after it launches, Alexa through a later update roll out. 

And of course, there is that squeezability thing. This is made possible through a feature called Edge Sense, which basically works by collecting pressure information by way of pressure sensors fitted on the sides of the handset. Depending on how much pressure is applied by the fingers of the user, the device can respond directly, allowing for basic interactions such as launching shortcuts or even opening mobile apps. The feature even has an advanced mode, wherein users can set up different shortcuts for quicker or longer squeeze gestures.

Want to compare the U11 to other devices? Start by browsing phones and plans from HTC at Wirefly now.