Following the acquisition of HTC by Google, the smartphone making company just recently released its flagship for the year, the HTC U12 Plus. A feature packed device that deviates from the notched display most of the flagships are seen having. The smartphone is way more improvement compared to the HTC U11, its predecessor with a more enhanced squeeze function. Another highlight of the HTC U12 Plus smartphone is its quad camera featured on the smartphone including 2 dual rear and front camera.
HTC U12 Plus Key Specs and Features
- 6.0-inch, Super LCD capacitive touchscreen, 1440 X 2880 pixels (537 ppi)
- Android 8.0 (Oreo)
- Octa-core Qualcomm SDM845 Snapdragon 845 CPU with 6GB RAM
- 64GB/128GB built-in storage, up to 2TB with a memory card
- Dual 12MP + 16MP rear camera and Dual 8MP + 8MP front camera
- IP68 certification
- Fingerprint sensor (rear)
- 4G LTE
- 3, 500mAh non removable Li-ion battery
Design and Display
Glass is the way to go for premium smartphones in this era and the HTC U12 Plus also joins in the parade with a nice 3D glass build. HTC has always been known for its exquisitely designed smartphones and this one is not different.
Like some of the flagship on ground, the HTC U12 Plus does not come with an audio jack port and has minimal bezels. There are 3, colour options, a translucent blue which is very nice, flame red styling and a ceramic black option.
Visuals are quite impressive on the HTC U12 Plus with a Super LCD screen and has a fairly large size. However an OLED display would have been a better option, although, this appears crisp enough for a flagship smartphone accompanied by high pixel density of about 537 ppi.
It is also large enough to enjoy watching movies amongst other things going up to 6.0-inch and a 2880 X 1440 pixels resolution.
Battery and Camera
Inside, the battery power is just on average, although, not quite up to the likes of Huawei P20 Pro but is enough for a full day use. There is a 3, 500mAh Li-ion battery alongside fast charging capability that offers 50% under 35 minutes of charge.
On the flip side, the HTC U12 Plus does not come with Qi wireless charging like some other flagships.
Taking pictures on the HTC U12 Plus is something you would love doing as the smartphone offers a combination of dual cameras both front and back. The rear as 12MP primary camera assisted by wide angle 16MP sensor which records 2k videos at 60fps.
On the selfie side, there are two 8MP camera which is probably why there’s no notch on the smartphone. You also have a special feature called sonic zoom which focuses the audio when you zoom in on a subject during video recording.
Hardware and Software
Everything is quite impressive in the hardware section of the HTC U12 Plus had it has the latest chipset from tech giant Qualcomm. In light of this, Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor and an Adreno 630 GPU.
This is nothing short of a premium flagship quality as it is top notch in terms of speed and smoothness.
More so, there is 6GB RAM and two models of the HTC U12 Plus in terms of storage, one having 64GB internal storage and the other at 128GB. Expansion can go up to 2TB using an SD card and is also said to have a better haptic sensor which responds with customisable response when squeezed. Besides this, you also have Android 8.0 Oreo running from the box.
HTC U12 Plus Price and Availability
HTC U12 Plus price is yet to be official. When available, you can buy it at leading online stores in Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana. HTC U12 Plus price in Nigeria is expected at around 355, 000 Naira depending on your location and the deal.
HTC U12 Plus Specs
Here are a few specs of the HTC U12 Plus:
General Features
- Platform: Android 8.0 Oreo
- Processor: Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 845
- GPU: Adreno 630
- Memory: 6GB RAM
- Colours: Translucent Blue, Ceramic Black, Flame Red
- Dimension: 156.6 x 73.9 x 8.7 mm
- Weight: 188g
- SIM Type: Nano SIM
- SIM Count: Single SIM / Dual SIM
Display
- Display: 6.0-inch, Super LCD capacitive touchscreen,
2880 X 1440 pixels (537 ppi) - Screen Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass 5
Camera
- Rear Camera: Dual 12MP + 16MP camera, 2160p Video@60fps, 1080p Video@30/60/240fps, HDR, 24-bit/96kHz stereo sound rec.
- Rear Camera Features: Phase detection & laser autofocus, OIS, gyro-EIS, 2x optical zoom, dual-LED dual-tone flash, Geo-tagging, simultaneous 4K video and 8MP image recording, touch focus, face/smile detection, HDR (photo/panorama)
- Front Camera: Dual 8MP + 8MP camera, 1080p Video@30fps
Storage
- Built-in Storage: 64GB / 128GB
- Memory Card Support: Yes, up to 2TB
- Bundled Cloud Storage: –
Network Support
- 2G GSM: Yes
- 2G CDMA 1X: –
- 3G WCDMA: Yes
- 3G CDMA EVDO: –
- 4G LTE: LTE band 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(1700/2100), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 12(700), 13(700), 17(700), 20(800), 28(700), 32(1500), 38(2600), 39(1900), 49, 41(2500), 66(1700/2100)
Internet & Connectivity
- GPRS: Yes
- EDGE: Yes
- 3G/WCDMA/HSPA: Yes
- HSPA+: 42.2/5.76Mbps
- CDMA EVDO: –
- 4G LTE: LTE-A (5CA) Cat 18 1200/150Mbps
- WLAN: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA
- Wi-Fi Hotspot: Yes
- Bluetooth: Yes, v5.0 with A2DP LE aptX HD
- NFC: –
- Infrared Blaster: –
- USB Port: USB Type-C 3.1
Messaging
- SMS/MMS: Yes
- Instant Messaging: Yes
- Push Emails: Yes
- Email Protocol: –
Entertainment
- Music Player: MP3/eAAC+/WMA/WAV/FLAC player
- Video Player: XviD/MP4/H.265 player
- FM Radio: Yes
- Loudspeaker: Yes
- 3.5mm Jack: –
Navigation
- Navigation: Yee with A-GPS, GLONASS BDS GALILEO
- Maps: Yes
Sensors & Control
- Digital Compass: Yes
- Accelerometer: Yes
- Proximity Sensor: Yes
- Light Sensor: Yes
- Barometer: –
- SpO2: –
- Pedometer: –
- Heart Rate Monitor: –
- Gyroscope: Yes
- Fingerprint Scanner: Yes, (rear)
- Iris Scanner: –
- Face Unlock: Yes
- Intelligent Digital Assistant: –
- Motion Sensing / Gesture Control: Yes
- Voice Control: Yes
Other Features
- Video Streaming: Yes
- Active Noise Cancellation: Yes
- Wireless Charging: –
- Built-in Mobile Payment: –
- Water Resistant: Yes
- Dust Resistant: Yes
- Image Editor: Yes
- Video Editor: Yes
- Document Viewer: Yes
- Document Editor: Yes
Battery
- Battery: 3, 500 mAh non removable Li-ion battery
- Talktime: –
- Standby Time: –
- Fast Charging: Yes