As of this week, you’ve probably seen unboxing and first impression videos of the HTC U Ultra. The unlocked, US version became available to buy last week. Price? $749. Yes, it’s up there in the iPhone Plus, Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy stratosphere. Is it worth the price tag? That’s where you’ll get a lot of argument.
So far, I’ve seen and read reviews that like the device and some that think, it’s just not worth the asking price for what you get. What’s causing the controversies? Battery life, secondary display, glass back and removal of the head phone jack.
As far as I can tell, the battery (3,000 mAh) is causing the biggest disagreements. Many are questioning why HTC put this size battery in a Quad HD display that is also pushing a secondary screen (a la the LG V20). Some say they can barely get 2 – 2 ½ hours of screen on time, while others say they’re getting 5 hours. Yes, SOT is very much dependent upon the individual user, but that’s quite a discrepancy.
Others wonder why HTC decided to leave their all metal design and install a glass back. Many say they simply copied Samsung, due to the success the worldwide dominant, Galaxy manufacturer has had with that design. And, when it comes to plagiarizing design, some feel that HTC just made a carbon copy of the LG V20 secondary display.
Then, there’s the lack of a head phone jack. Plagiarism again? “Well, Apple forced it down their throats with the iPhone, so we can do it too.” Except HTC is NOT Apple and has not been in a position of any type of smartphone dominance for a very long time. Many, if not most consumers absolutely hate that Apple made the move, so does HTC think it will endear them all the more to their diminished customer base? Finally, when it comes to glass on the back, some folks like it and others despise it. Same with the secondary display. Some want it, others don’t.
The general specs look fine to me:
Platform: Android 7.0 Nougat
Display: 5.7-inch 1440 x 2560 LCD main screen, 2-inch 160 x 1040 secondary screen
Processor: Snapdragon 821 with 4GB of RAM
Storage: 64GB, expandable with microSD card
Camera: 12MP rear cam with PDAF, laser AF and OIS, 16MP UltraPixel front camera
Battery: 3,000 mAh
Other features: HTC USonic headphones, USB-C, no 3.5mm jack, 4 hi-quality mics.
Specs aside, this phone seems to be causing more controversy than most and many think HTC simply looked at what others were doing and did an awful lot of imitating with this particular device.
I don’t think that I’ll be buying the HTC U Ultra. From day one, it just did not strike me as a phone that I would want. Might that change in the future? Sure. But, for right now, I’m anticipating the LG G6 and the Moto G5 Plus. What about you? Does the U Ultra seem like a device for you? Let us know in the comments.
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Began writing for Bane-Tech August 2014, due to an ever-growing passion for mobile and Android in particular.
Computer programmer 1981 to 2015. Currently retired. Active You Tuber (Mobile Geezer:
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Sax player and singer in various bands (rock and R&R) since the mid 60's. Avid motorcycle rider (Gold Wing), bicyclist and exercise enthusiast. Extreme lover of driving and biking (motorcycle). The more thousand miles the trip, the happier I am as the driver.
Dedicated, Bible-believing Christian who makes no judgments on others .
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