Once upon a time, HTC was synonymous with high-end Android phones. In those days, the body design, Sense UI, etc. were fascinating. Now, HTC only has high-end prices, and its former glory is no longer there.
Users（ Including the author ）When purchasing flagship phones, Samsung, iPhone and Sony are often given priority（ Dafa, good! ）HTC seems to have fallen into the second echelon. As the first annual flagship in 2017, HTC U11, with good quality, can it help this Taiwanese company regain its glory? Although this is difficult.
key parameter
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
Memory&storage: 4GB LPDDR4x, 64GB UFS 2.1, support up to 2TB MicroSD card expansion
Screen: 5.5 inch 2560 x 1440 resolution, Super LCD 5
Camera: 12 million pixels, f/1.7 aperture, optical anti shake; 16 megapixel front camera, f/2.0
Body size: 153.9 x 75.9 x 7.9mm, 169g
Battery capacity: 3000 mAh
System: HTC Sense based on Android 7.1.1
Others: Edge Sense smart grip, IP67 waterproof and dust-proof, USB Type-C 3.1 interface, BoomSound dual speakers and missing 3.5mm headphone jack
Better looking than ever
U11 and previous Similarly, the water drop type double-sided 3D glass is adopted, which has a very beautiful appearance design. Different from the robust style of last year's HTC 10, the U11 will look a little more rounded, belonging to the plump and lovely type.
I also showed this mobile phone to my relatives and friends around me, and almost all of them praised it. Although everyone has different views on aesthetics, U11 is relatively successful in general. Those who are used to seeing pictures taken in the studio, now let's enjoy a group of photos with natural style:
Some details
（ Charging and listening to music depend on Type-C ）
（ There is no 3.5mm headphone connector. It is so thick. Why~ ）
（ The textured power button is very comfortable to touch, and the touch of the button is also good ）
However, the thickness of 7.9mm and the weight of 169g are inferior to other mobile phones. It would be better if they could be made thinner. Another good improvement is that the camera is not as abrupt as HTC 10.
The feeling of holding on the hand is very thick. The feeling of holding varies from person to person. The palm of my hand has grown with the increase of the mobile phone screen* People are adaptable to the environment:- D So we can control the larger U11（ Slight size Plus version close to iPhone ）There is still no problem. By the way, the U11 is a bit slippery. I have tried to put it on the table more than once, and then it automatically falls to the ground, so I should pay a little attention when using it.
We（ Official number: Love to play computer games ）There are two colors: black and silver. The latter is more beautiful, because it can show different visual perception from different angles. Black can also look like dark green sometimes. It can be said that the appearance design of the U11 is very good. It is very recognizable among many mobile phones. For users who are tired of seeing ordinary mobile phones, the U11 is a good choice* Of course, and S8:- D
screen
For the flagship, 2K screen seems very necessary（ XZP : I have 4K! ）The U11 5.5 inch display screen also has this resolution, and the fifth generation gorilla glass is not absent. In general, the book parameters are very beautiful.
Starting from the subjective feelings, the U11 screen still left a good impression on me. The color is bright and can please the eyeballs. In addition, 560 nits（ Automatic brightness ）The maximum brightness of, and the minimum brightness of 6 nits, whether indoor or outdoor, day or night, can get a better experience.
Then look at the data detected by professional instruments: color temperature 7350K, covering 130.7% of sRGB color gamut, contrast 1797:1; In terms of color standard: the average deltaE is 4.8, and the maximum deltaE is 10.3. For a flagship machine that sells for 4000 yuan, this color standard is too general. Some phones that sell more than 2K（ as Xiaomi 6 : But I don't have 2K resolution ）They are better than U11.
performance
U11 is equipped with Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor（ 4 x 2.45GHz + 4 x 1.9GHz ）The author obtained the Bank of China version of 4GB memory+64GB storage space.
In daily use, the small core can reach the highest frequency, while the large core can reach 2.45GHz only when the camera app is opened, and usually it will be 2.36GHz. Since it is the flagship, U11 feels naturally silky and smooth, and can open various apps quickly.
A small regret: It would be great if we could use 6GB of memory as the standard version. Although 4GB is not bad, it's just that in this age of 6GB and 8GB of unhappiness, small memory will inevitably be stretched to the limit. If there are many applications open in the background, it will occasionally need to reload the app.
Now let's see a run of points
Compared with the engineering machine version, the retail version of the U11 has a small improvement in some aspects, but the RAR, Pi and other aspects are not as good as the former. In addition, in the process of cooperation with active flagship such as Sony Xperia XZ Premium 、 S8+、 Xiaomi 6 When compared with other models, the U11 shows a medium to high performance. Anyway, this is a normal Snapdragon 835.
However, half a year has passed in 2017, and I would recommend choosing the 6GB version. At least this configuration will not be too outdated next year.
Although the file system of U11 is EXT4, in the random write test, it is surprisingly fast. In addition, fingerprint recognition is fast, but after experiencing R11 and one plus five, I feel that other phones are not so fast~
Differences between versions
In addition, we（ Public account: Aiganji ）We also got the top U11 of the Hong Kong version, that is, 6GB memory+128GB storage space.
After inquiry, it is found that the UFS 2.1 flash memory used by the Hong Kong version is H28U88301AMR from Hynix, while the 64GB version of the Bank of China is Samsung's KLUCG4J1ED-BOC1. Let's see the difference between the two:
It can be seen that even with a capacity of 128GB, the top configuration of the port version has a good storage performance（ Except random write ）On the other hand, the 64GB version of the Bank of China still cannot be beat. In addition, when testing the speed of software installation, the 64G version is also in the lead.
Many other users are also concerned about the difference between 4GB memory and 6GB memory. So we have installed 12 apps on both phones, including ordinary apps and large games, and opened each app one by one. After one round of opening, we continue to reopen them to check whether there is application reload.
After two rounds of testing, it was found that only one app in the 6GB version needed to be reloaded, while four to six apps in the 4GB version hung up.
Sense UI
I still remember that the Sense UI in high school was very cool. The unlock animation and weather widgets were very handsome. But now everyone is gradually approaching native Android, and HTC is no exception. Of course, this is actually a good thing, but I will still miss HTC Sense at that time.
U11 runs Sense UI based on Android 7.1.1, and the interface is very clean. This is good news for users who like native Android. After careful play, we will find that HTC Sense still has many customized functions.
Although most people can't use Google Assistant（ Users with ladders ignore ）, but HTC has pre installed the system for you in the Bank of China Small assistant , and the author has also written an article about its experience before. If you are interested, you can click to read it:《 HTC U11 Small Smart Assistant Experience 》On the whole, small assistants are more grounded and conform to the use habits of Chinese people.
Key points
In fact, for most people, the most influential aspects of mobile phones are the most basic functions, such as fingerprint identification, app response speed, focusing and imaging speed. U11 performs well in these aspects. In addition, the relatively lightweight Sense UI, the excellent performance of Snapdragon 835, and the flash memory of UFS 2.1 make a good overall impression.
The BoomSound dual speakers, as the trademark operation of HTC, are naturally not absent. In addition to the bottom, there is also a speaker integrated into the earpiece. Whether you watch movies or listen to music, it is much better than a mobile phone with only one speaker.
However, the disappearance of a small 3.5mm headphone connector will also cause some inconvenience. Many times I forget to bring Type-C headphones or adapter connectors when I go out（ all With bonus √ ）Will lead to a long way to work without listening to music, even if you have ordinary earphones on your body, you will miss that little hole（ Blame the iPhone 7) 。
The good news is that the Cirrus Logic Codec CS42L42 is built into the official USB Type-C to 3.5mm adapter cable, which works well with U11. What's more, after connecting the cable to the mobile phone, the firmware in the adapter cable can also be upgraded. This is a good operation. p. S. Used in Xiaomi 6 It will also be very good.
It's beyond my imagination.
Edge Sense， It is also called "Smart Grasp", which is a "special operation" on U11. It can achieve special functions by squeezing the two sides of the screen. Personally, it is quite innovative. For example, I can choose to press for a short time to take a screenshot, or press for a long time to start apps such as Small Assistant. This function is intended to reduce the steps of operation. Is it a practical function or a chicken rib?
After two weeks of experience, the author found that in fact, the number of times to use this function would be relatively small, and that there would be false triggering from time to time. In the end, I chose to turn off Edge Sense.
The author can see on the Internet that many users have given Edge Sense bad reviews, and they think it is very useless. To be honest, there is some practicability, but it is not so high. Personally, I think the key point is that the false touch rate is slightly higher. If you increase the trigger force, you will feel very bored~
Edge Sense is very similar to the 3D Touch on the iPhone, that is, people who like it love it, and people who don't like it think it is a chicken bone function. Therefore, the author does not comment on this special operation of U11, because people who are used to it may not be able to leave it, and Edge Sense is also suitable for showing off their skills in front of friends and relatives.
Endurance and charging
The 3000 mAh battery is still a little small for a 5.5 inch 2K screen, but thanks to the optimization of Snapdragon 835, the battery life should not be too bad, and there is basically no problem after one day.
After the endurance test, it is concluded that 13% of the power is consumed in 30 minutes of playing NBA, 5% in 30 minutes of watching movies, 5% in 30 minutes of WiFi surfing, and 7% in 30 minutes of 4G surfing. After two hours, the remaining power is 70%, and the performance is relatively ordinary, BTW： During the test, the screen brightness of U11 is 100 nits.
If the original charger is used, the power is about 14.6W. In addition, U11 supports PD fast charging, and the power can reach about 15W. In the case of using original accessories, the charging time from 0% to 100% is 112 minutes. The charging speed will be faster in the early stage and slower later.
90 minutes of photography
U11 is equipped with 12 million pixel main camera, f/1.7 aperture, 1.4 μ m unit pixel area（ 1.55 μ m for HTC 10 ）, with UltraSpeed full pixel auto focus, of course, OIS optical anti shake is no less. The front camera has 16 million pixels, but compared with the predecessor HTC 10, U11 has less optical anti shake. Although there is no dual camera, the U11 has won 90 points on DxO, which also makes us feel extremely excited about it.
Now let's take a look at the photo interface, which is relatively simple, HDR、 The secondary menu and flash are placed on the top of the interface, while the lower part is for lens switching, video recording and shutter, which is very convenient to use.
Playability is not as high as Xiaomi's and Huawei's mobile phones, but it is actually enough. U11 has panorama, professional mode, code scanning, slow motion, etc., but it is quite strange that the camera does not have its own filter? It doesn't matter. In fact, how many people will use it, right? It's better to use Meitu and VSCO~
Proof sheet
Some comparisons: U11 on the left and iPhone 7 Plus on the right
Although the U11 is not as amazing as the legendary 90 points, it is also the first echelon of mobile phones today. The speed of focusing and imaging is fast enough, and the HDR imaging speed is also good. From the perspective of visual perception, U11's photos are also flattering in terms of color saturation. Even if it does not have dual photography, HTC, like the Galaxy S8/S8+, has spent a lot of effort on basic skills, while most users only need to be able to take a picture at random, and U11 can do it.
At night, f/1.7 aperture+1.4 μ m+optical anti shake, so it is not too difficult to deal with most scenes. In terms of proofs, U11 can provide a relatively high overall brightness, but the picture purity and noise control are relatively ordinary, with a slightly stronger sense of smearing. The iPhone proofs are not as bright as U11 in terms of brightness, but it ensures the overall purity.
On the whole, U11 has a strong ability to take photos. For many users, it can send friends when taking photos, and it also deserves 90 points of praise from DxO（ Although a little too high ）Sometimes even the writer, a fan of fruit, can't help sighing that it would be great if the iPhone had the same level.
More associations
《 S8+/HTC U11/XZ Premium/iPhone photo review 》
Some ideas
HTC's masterpiece U11 is a good flagship in all aspects. It has a good or even excellent body design, smooth user experience, Snapdragon 835 processor, excellent photo quality, etc. A well-balanced and comprehensive player also gives me a glimmer of hope as a former HTC fan.
But is that really the case? Yes, U11 is really excellent, but for this Taiwanese company, what they need is not only a "good" product, but also a product of explosive level, because today's market competition is becoming more intense than ever. Moreover, if U11 is put together with Samsung's flagship S8/S8+, the former seems to be more like last year's flagship.
In any case, HTC is on the right path. There are not too many fancy places. It is steady and there is no fatal injury. Maybe we can see the day when HTC rises in the future. In addition, 4599 yuan（ 4GB + 64GB ）The starting price of Guohang is also the cheapest among the flagship of these big factories. Of course, if you are a parallel player, let me say this:- D
（ Phoenix, the immortal bird, has been reborn after the baptism of fire, which describes an indomitable spirit. HTC has also had a hard journey but never stopped ）
excellent
√ Good looking fuselage design
√ Smooth experience
√ Good photos
√ IP67
√ The recording effect of photography is outstanding
groove
× Screen border is slightly wider
× A little thick
× Screen objective data is general
× Edge Sense is not very practical
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