The development of smart phones is changing with each passing day. We all like those popular, powerful and very fashionable flagship models, but considering their prices, not everyone can accept them. Therefore, for most people, the low-end models with a slightly lower configuration are more in line with the actual needs. At the same time, with the development of science and technology, the features of many flagship models are also transferred to the low-end models, such as the HTC U11 life this time.

HTC U11 life belongs to the U series like the latest flagship HTC U11+and U11, and HTC has brought many unique features of U11+and U11 to U11 life. Can this more affordable device meet your expectations?

Design of Class flagship

HTC is very clear about the design language of U11 life, which is to make a smaller version of U11 as far as possible. The overall appearance can be said to be a very obvious family style design language. However, the appearance is very similar, but the material is naturally different: the U11 life does not use the metal middle frame and glass back cover similar to the U11, but instead uses the full plastic body.

Although it is made of plastic, HTC also tries to restore the different refraction effects of U11 in different light through the acrylic backplane. Of course, it is a little far away from the glass of U11. It must be noted that although HTC U11 life is not so amazing compared with U11, the slight color difference can be almost ignored when viewed alone, and it is difficult to distinguish when placed flat on the desktop. HTC has been successfully done on U11 life. The interface layout of U11 life is not different from that of U11. It also supports IP67 level waterproof and dustproof.

Typical screen configuration

The U11 is equipped with a 5.5 inch QHD screen. The U11 life is naturally not so high in size, and is reduced to a 5.2 inch FHD (1920x1080) screen. The test results show that the screen U11 life has sufficient brightness, but the maximum brightness is lower than that of U11; The color accuracy is above the average level, but not very excellent; On the whole, the U11 life screen is in line with the price.

System and characteristics

On the system, HTC U11 life is consistent with U11, based on Android 7.1.1, lightweight customized design, and HTC's BlinkFeed. As mentioned earlier, HTC has also released many features to U11 life. Edge Sense is one of them, and it supports personalized settings. There is no such thing as Pixel 2, which can only be used as a shortcut to activate Assistant (according to HTC's official instructions, machines in Europe have joined the Android One program).

Expected performance

Unlike the flagship U11, which uses the top processor of the Snapdragon 835, U11 life uses the newer Snapdragon 630. Like its predecessor, the Snapdragon 625/626, as a low-end model, it is a reasonable choice: it provides sufficient performance and performs well in power consumption.

From the score, the performance of the Snapdragon 630 equipped with U11 life is very close to that of the 626. It can meet the requirements in daily social networking, multimedia, web browsing and other operations. The 3GB memory specification is average, but the general use pressure is not great. The 32GB storage configuration can basically meet the demand. After all, there are not many models at this price point that offer the option of 64GB. Supporting microSD card expansion can also solve the storage problem of most users.

Camera slightly surprised

The HTC U11 life camera is equipped with a 16 million main camera, and the front camera is also the same 16 million. The aperture of both cameras is f/2.0. The main camera supports phase focusing, but without laser focusing assistance, OIS and other components, it is very simple. What is the actual shooting ability of U11 life?

For a medium and low-end product, it can be said that the expectation is not so high, but the actual performance is slightly surprising: many times I think that the photos taken will be underexposed or lose details, but the HDR algorithm performs very well, and finally I will get a good photo. It's just that it will sacrifice a little time for taking photos, but it's worth it in exchange for the quality of photos. This performance also makes U11 Life more confident when taking photos. Even in the low light environment, the performance of U11 life is satisfactory. Sometimes shooting too far away will lead to a lot of noise. In general, U11 life can cope with daily use.

The following is a sample of U11 life (more can go to View):

In addition, Edge Sense can be used to quickly start the camera, which is quite convenient after getting used to, but it should be pointed out that it is OK to enable the camera by using Edge Sense at the beginning. However, it was later found that the camera app would crash and affect the stability of the system, The phone needs to be reset before it can be recovered (this problem has been reported to HTC, and it is not sure whether it is a problem with the evaluation machine).

Affordable endurance

The HTC U11 life had a large slot when it was announced, that is, its battery capacity: 2600mAh. After all, it is equipped with the successor 630 of Snapdragon 625, which has a great advantage in power consumption. Theoretically, it should have a strong endurance, but this battery smaller than Pixel 2 really limits its performance.

Fortunately, in the actual test, the HTC U11 life can last for nearly 8 hours, and it only takes 101 minutes to recharge, so the performance is acceptable. However, considering the gear position of U11 life, it is not uncommon for a machine to last more than 10 hours. Its performance is not excellent, but it is not embarrassing.

summary

Our first impression of U11 life is not good: the body is too light and full of plastic, and the shape design imitates the flagship too hard. But the performance is good enough and the endurance is passable. There is also a camera whose hardware looks not so good but is actually good. The HTC U11 life performs well at its price, but if you are willing to spend some time trying, you can find many similar midrange models at this price, as well as some sub flagship machines.

HTC priced U11 life at $350 (about 2300 yuan), which would be lower if purchased through T-Mobile operator contract. If you want a colorful machine that can be operated by touch pressure, although we will not recommend U11 life, it is worth being included in your candidate list.

Translation and arrangement of articles

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