HTC U11+ hands-on review: A squeezable smartphone that’s much cheaper than its rivals

Edge Sense can solve lots of everyday problems

HTC has just unveiled the U11+, a high-end phone that’s designed to compete with the likes of the iPhone 8 Plus, Samsung Galaxy Note 8 and Pixel 2 XL.

However, despite being well-featured, it’s significantly cheaper than all of the above.

Here’s everything you need to know about the HTC U11+.

Design

The U11+ is a very smart-looking phone. It’s more attractive than the Pixel and iPhone, but not quite on the same level as the latest Note.

It features the same “liquid surface” glass body as the 5.5-inch HTC U11, which came out earlier this year.

It’s extremely glossy and eye-catching, and a little too showy for my liking, though I know that a lot of other people really like the look.

It’s also a magnet for greasy fingerprint marks, which show up very clearly against the shiny glass.

Where HTC has changed things is on the front. The U11+’s display is flanked by smaller bezels than the U11’s screen, and that’s a good thing.

While the handset is far from “all-screen” - which is what the iPhone X claims to be - the shrinking of the bezels results in a pleasingly modern appearance.

The HTC U11+ isn’t quite stunning, but it looks smart and very much up-to-date, something that can’t be said for the iPhone 8 and Pixel 2.

Screen

One of the handset’s key features is its 6-inch, 2,880 x 1,440 display. It’s large, sharp and built for watching TV shows and films on.

It’s protected by Gorilla Glass 5, which is said to be capable of surviving 1.6m drops onto “hard, rough surfaces” up to 80 per cent of the time. We wouldn’t recommend putting the claims to the test yourself.

HTC also says HDR 10 support will roll out to the U11+ before the end of the year, which should make videos look even better.

Software

The U11+ runs Android 8.0 Oreo, the latest version of Google’s mobile software.

Unfortunately though, it isn’t a pure version of Oreo. HTC has included HTC Sense too, a skin that changes the look of the home screen by adding media that HTC thinks you’re interested in to it.

Personally, I prefer, pure, stock Android, which is Android as Google intends it to be.

However, HTC has also added some clever tweaks that should make the U11+’s enormous screen easier to use one-handed.

Instead of having to reach up to the top of the screen to access your Notifications, you can swipe down from anywhere. The same goes for your apps library, which you can dive into by swiping up on any part of the screen.

There’s also something called the Edge Launcher, a wheel that pops onto the screen from either the left- or right-hand side, which places apps, contacts and quick settings within reach of your thumb.

The U11+ also comes pre-loaded with both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, two voice assistants.

You can use one of them, both of them or neither of them, though HTC recommends Assistant for when you’re out and about, and Alexa for when you’re at home.

Special features

Something that separates the U11+ from other handsets on the market is a feature called Edge Sense. Like the U11, it has sensors embedded into its frame, which you can activate with a squeeze.

It’s a fantastic addition, which feels surprisingly natural and solves common problems.

You can use it to launch apps, for instance, with long and short squeezes meaning different things.

My favourite use-case for it, however, is taking pictures. The soft camera shutter button can be tough to reach when you’re using your phone one-handed - Edge Sense is much less awkward to use.

Better still, it’s completely reprogrammable and HTC says you can use it on any app. The same can’t be said for Active Edge, the Google Pixel 2’s Edge Sense rip-off, which - infuriatingly - only lets you launch Google Assistant.

The U11+ is also IP68-rated, making it both water- and dust-resistant.

Camera

HTC has equipped the U11+ with a 12-megapixel rear camera with an f/1.7 aperture and optical image stabilisation.

It also offers Panorama and Hyperlapse mode, is capable of recording 4K video and can capture moving video pictures too.

We haven’t had the chance to test it yet, but HTC has its work cut out if it wants to match the performance of the Pixel 2’s outstanding camera.

One the front, meanwhile, is an 8-megapixel camera with a f/2.0 aperture and 85-degree field of view.

Battery

HTC has loaded the U11+ with an impressive-sounding 3,930mAh battery, which is claimed to offer up to 25 hours of talk time.

For context, the Note 8 (3,300mAh), iPhone 8 Plus (2,691mAh) and Pixel 2 XL (3,520mAh) all have smaller batteries.

We won’t know how good it is until we test it properly, but the signs are promising.

Price and release

HTC is yet to reveal an official release date, but you’ll be able to pre-order the U11+ from 20 November. While many of its rivals are edging ever closer to the £1,000 mark - or even beyond it - it’s refreshing to see HTC buck the trend.

The U11+ will cost £699, which will get you a “ceramic black” model with a Snapdragon 835 processor, 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage, which you can expand via the microSD slot.

While it may not be able to match the Pixel 2 XL’s camera or the Note 8’s looks, Edge Sense and very competitive pricing give the HTC U11+ an edge over its bigger-name rivals.