HTC may not be the force it once was in the Android smartphone market, particularly after selling off a chunk of its hardware unit to Google, but it's still capable of producing a compelling phone. Last year, the Taiwanese OEM returned to form somewhat with the U11, before following it up with a plus model that better aligned with some 2017 smartphone trends. The U11+ bumped the display up to an 18:9 (6" instead of 5.5") panel, moved the fingerprint sensor to the rear, and shaved off some bezel all around.You'd be forgiven for expecting to see both a U12 and U12+ launch this year, but you'd be wrong. HTC is skipping the non-plus variant altogether, focussing only on the one high-end device (which had already been leaked here and there). It would appear to be a rather incremental update to last year's phone, albeit with some important distinctions that give it at least some chance against other current flagships.

SPECS

OS

Android 8.0 Oreo with HTC Sense (upgradeable to P)

Display

6-inch, Quad HD+ (2880 x 1440) Super LCD 6, Corning Gorilla Glass 5, DCI-P3, HDR10

Processor

Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, 64-bit octa-core, up to 2.8GHz

RAM / Storage

6GB / 64GB (microSD expandable up to 2TB with Flex Storage)

Rear Cameras

Primary - 12MP wide-angle, HTC UltraPixel 4  (1.4µm pixels, f/1.75), Secondary - 16MP telephoto (1µm pixels, f/2.6 aperture), UltraSpeed Autofocus 2, OIS, EIS, dual LED flash

Front Cameras

Dual 8MP cameras, 84° field of view (1.12µm pixels, f/2.0 aperture)

Video Recording

4K, 60fps with Hi-Res Audio/3D Audio recording with 4 microphones, OIS, 1080p video recording on the front

Audio

HTC USonic with Active Noise Cancellation, HTC BoomSound Hi-Fi edition, Hi-Res Audio stereo recording, Hi-Res audio certified, Qualcomm aptX HD, LDAC up to 32-bit high-resolution wireless audio via Bluetooth

Connectivity

USB-C 3.1 Gen 1, Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi - 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 & 5GHz), NFC, HTC Connect, AirPlay, Chromecast, DLNA, and Miracast compatible

Battery

3,500mAh, QuickCharge 3.0

Other

IP68 rating, rear fingerprint scanner

Headphone Jack

Nope

Dimensions

156.6 x 73.9 x 8.7-9.7mm

Weight

188g

At first glance, it looks a lot like its predecessor. The "liquid surface" effect returns on the back glass, in either Ceramic Black or Flame Red, and there's once again an eye-catching translucent version. HTC promises it will be easier to buy than its last see-through phone, which was far too hard to get hold of outside Asia.

One of the main changes to this year's model is the addition of two extra cameras. Dual rear cameras are practically the norm for flagship phones right now, so it's not surprising to see HTC jump on the bandwagon. Perhaps its real-time bokeh mode and lossless digital zoom (2x) can set it apart. Having two on the front is a bolder move, though, which could prove wise if it allows people to take amazing portrait selfies — there are plenty out there for whom that would be a good selling point. We may not especially care about such awards, but the U12+ goes straight in at second on the DxOMark leaderboard with a score of 103 — only the Huawei P20 Pro, with its triple cameras, beats it.

The 6-inch QHD+ (2880 x 1440) Super LCD display returns and the latest top-tier Snapdragon 845 chip is on board. There appears to be just one memory/storage configuration for Europe this time around, with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, although the US will also get a 128GB version.

Sound was something the U11+ did very well, and the U12+ offers all of the same audio specs — such as BoomSound, and 3D Audio — along with the USonic active noise canceling USB-C headphones once more. They'll come in handy, too, as this phone doesn't have a headphone jack (again) and there's no dongle included. The Google Assistant is naturally supported, but you can also use Alexa on the U12+ if you so wish.

Perhaps one of the most divisive smartphone features in recent memory is back and improved. Edge Sense 2 comes with even more ways to interact with either side of the phone, on top of the squeeze function that was borrowed by Google's Pixels. You can now double-tap one side to make the screen shrink for easier access or hold it to stop the device from rotating or dimming. They may sound underwhelming, but these input methods are fully customizable and you can set them up to work with almost any app.

Other miscellaneous items include an IP68 rating, pressure-sensitive power and volume buttons with fake feedback (not unlike ForceTouch), and face unlock. The battery is smaller than that on the U11+, at 3,500mAh, but it does offer Quick Charge 3.0 for up to 50% power in 35 mins. Although it ships with Android 8.0, the groundwork has been laid for P. Project Treble and seamless update support should speed up the process.

The HTC U12+ will be available to pre-order from today in certain colors and in certain regions. In the UK and Europe, it'll cost £699 and €799, respectively, for the 64GB model. In the US, you'll pay $799 USD for the 64GB (Black or Blue) and $849 USD for the 128GB variant (Blue only). Financing will be available through HTC directly. In Canada, Translucent Blue will set you back $1,099 CAD (64GB) or $1,169 CAD (128GB), and Ceramic Black will be $1,099 CAD (64GB).

Availability for the Flame Red will be announced in due course. To pre-order, head to HTC's website or Amazon.

To find out more about the U12+ and what we make of it, check out Stephen's hands-on post.

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