HTC U12+

The HTC U12+ is an Android smartphone manufactured and sold by HTC as part of the HTC U series. It was announced on 23 May 2018 and succeeds the HTC U11 and HTC U11+ smartphones.

HTC U12+

Manufacturer	HTC
Slogan	"Live on the Edge"
Series	HTC U
Predecessor	HTC U11 HTC U11+
Successor	HTC U19e
Type	Smartphone
Dimensions	156.6 mm (6.17 in) H 73.9 mm (2.91 in) W 8.7 mm (0.34 in) D
Mass	188 g (6.6 oz)
Operating system	Original: Android 8.0 "Oreo" with HTC Sense 10 (with Treble) Current: Android 9.0 "Pie"
System on chip	Qualcomm Snapdragon 845
CPU	Octa-core (4×2.8 GHz & 4×1.7 GHz) Kryo
GPU	Adreno 630
Memory	6 GB LPDDR4X RAM
Storage	64 or 128 GB
Removable storage	microSD up to 2 TB
Battery	3,500 mAh Li-ion
Data inputs	Capacitive touch screen Edge Sense 2
Display	6 in (150 mm) Super LCD6 capacitive touchscreen with Corning Gorilla Glass 5, 2880×1440 resolution (~537 ppi pixel density)
Other	IP68 protection
Website	Official website
References	sources

Specifications

Hardware

The HTC U12+ has 6 GB of RAM and runs on a 2.8 GHz Snapdragon 845 SoC,[1] the latest and highest-end chip available from Qualcomm at the time. It comes with the option of 64 or 128 GB of internal UFS 2.1 storage, and a hybrid dual SIM system in which one slot can also be used for microSD storage[2] of up to 2 TB. The screen is a 6-inch Super LCD 6 panel at Quad HD+ (2880×1440) resolution[1] (573 ppi)[3] with an 18:9 screen ration,[4] covered with Gorilla Glass 5. The device is Quick Charge 4.0-compatible, and comes with a Quick Charge 3.0 charger.[1]

HTC's BoomSound dual-speaker technology features on the device; it uses the earpiece as a tweeter and a bottom-firing speaker as a subwoofer.[1] The phone uses four microphones that can isolate subjects in videos and that can automatically zoom up to 4×.[5] As with the U11, a pair of USonic earbuds are included that connect via USB-C[3] and incorporate a DAC and active noise cancellation.[5] The U12+ can transmit 24-bit audio files via Bluetooth with aptX-HD.[3]

The U12+ features the Edge Sense pressure-sensitive sides that debuted on the U11 and Pixel 2, which allow it to perform various functions when squeezed.[2] Edge Sense also features in pressure-sensitive technology in place of physical volume and other buttons,[6] similar to Apple's Force Touch. When touched or tapped, the unmoving button-like protrusions give haptic feedback, and react in different ways to the level of pressure applied to them.[1] There is a fingerprint scanner on the rear and facial recognition.[3]

The U12+ continues with the Liquid Surface design the U Ultra introduced the previous year.[4] The front and back are both glass, with an arched back and rounded corners. The lack of physical buttons helps the U12+ achieve a water- and dust-tight IP68 rating.[1] Ceramic Black and Translucent Blue were the colours at launch; internal parts such as the camera sensor are visible through the back on the Translucent Blue version.[4] A Flame Red[1] (or Solar Red) was announced for later in the year.[4]

The smartphone has both rear- and front-facing dual cameras. The rear has a 12 MP main camera with a 1.4 μm HTC UltraPixel image sensor an ƒ/1.75 aperture; a 1.0 μm 16 MB secondary camera accompanies it, with an ƒ/2.0 aperture. Features include a telephoto lens with 2× optical zoom and 10× digital zoom; OIS and EIS image stabilization; and HTC's UltraSpeed Autofocus 2 phase-detection and laser autofocus. The camera achieved a DxOMark score of 103, placing it second highest amongst smartphone cameras after the Huawei P20 Pro at the time of its launch.[lower-alpha 1][1] Video can be shot at up to 4K resolution (3840×2160) at up to 60 fps in h.265 format, or slow motion at 240 fps at 1080p (1920×1080). When zooming, HTC's Sonic Zoom technology focuses the device's four microphones on the area zoomed in on.[lower-alpha 2][1] The front-facing cameras both have 1.12 μm 8MP sensors with ƒ/2.0 apertures and have an 84° wide-angle field of view (FOV).[2] They have EIS but not OIS. Both sets of cameras enable altering the point of focus after the image has been shot[1] to achieve a bokeh effect. HDR Boost 2 improves image quality under low-lighting conditions.[3]

It has no 3.5 mm jack; earphones are connected to the USB-C port. It has no notch around the front-facing camera, and no wireless charging.[1]

Software

The HTC U12+ ships with Android 8.0 with an overlay of HTC Sense UI.[1] It features Project Treble, which allows for faster updates after new versions of Android appear.[2] Both the Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant virtual assistants come pre-installed.[lower-alpha 3][1]

The device's Edge Sense 2 software controls its pressure-sensitive hardware features. It recognizes squeezes and taps of different pressures The actions are configurable; default actions include shrinking the screen on double-tap for one-handed operation. Smart Rotate suppresses auto-rotate when it detects the user's hand positions have not changed, such as when they lie down in bed. There are no gestures available for the fingerprint sensor.[1]

History

Most of the U12+'s specifications were leaked before its official launch on 23 May 2018.[6] Though it bears a "+" in its name, suggesting it is a larger-size model as the U11+ was a larger version of the U11, HTC did not announce a "U12."[1] The slogan for the U12+ is "Live on the Edge".[6]

Notes

1. The Huawei P20 Pro had a DxOMark score of 109.[1]
2. HTC called this technology Acoustic Focus on previous devices.[1]
3. In China, both are replaced with Baidu Assistant.[6]

References

1. Huseman 2018.
2. Bader 2018.
3. White 2018.
4. Simon 2018.
5. Orlowski 2018, p. 1.
6. Savov 2018.

Sources cited

• Bader, Daniel (23 May 2018). "HTC U12+ Specifications: Dual Cameras, BoomSound, Edge Sense 2 for $800". Android Central. Archived from the original on 23 May 2018. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
• Huseman, Hayato (23 May 2018). "HTC U12+ Hands-On Preview". Android Central. Archived from the original on 23 May 2018. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
• Orlowski, Andrew (23 May 2018). "HTC U12+: Like a Pixel Without the Pratfalls, or Eye-Watering Price Tag". The Register. Archived from the original on 23 May 2018. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
• Savov, Vlad (23 May 2018). "HTC U12 Plus Hands-On: Four Cameras, One Phone". The Verge. Archived from the original on 23 May 2018. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
• Simon, Michael (23 May 2018). "HTC U12+ Hands-On: No Notch, Smarter Edges, and Real Selfie Portraits". PCWorld. Archived from the original on 24 May 2018. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
• White, Jeremy (23 May 2018). "HTC's U12+ is a Big-Screen Android Phone and it Doesn't Have a Notch". Wired. Archived from the original on 24 May 2018. Retrieved 24 May 2018.