Category: HTC

Mid-Range Variant Of The HTC U11+ To Be Launched In January

Ever since the co-operative agreement between Google and HTC, it has been rumoured that HTC will slowly shift its prime focus to its other businesses like virtual reality. However, that doesn’t mean that HTC smartphones will be completely phased out. The company recently launched the HTC U11+ and HTC U11 Life. A new report claims that a mid-range variant of the HTC U11+ will be launched in January of 2018, possibly at CES.

HTC U11 +

A few weeks ago, the specifications of an HTC phone codenamed Ocean Harmony were revealed. According to the specs listed, the device will have a 5.99-inch display with an 18:9 aspect ratio and a possible 2160 x 1080 px resolution.

Leaked Specs

Under the hood, the device will have the Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 chipset, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage which will be expandable via microSD card.

The specifications hinted towards a toned down variant of the HTC U11+ and the new report appears to corroborate with the previous leak.

The report further claims that the next HTC device to launch in 2018 will be the HTC U12. Although no timeline is mentioned for the U12, it could be powered by the Snapdragon 845 chipset and have a tall display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. Similar to the HTC U11+, the HTC U12 could also skip the 3.5mm headphone jack.

December 28, 2017
Top Phones To Go On Sale In India In The Next Two Months

2017 has been a great year for a smartphone enthusiast. From the increasing craze for dual-cameras to constantly shrinking bezels, the smartphones launched in 2017 so far have seen it all. However, as we reach the end of 2017, there are few exciting phones that have not yet hit the shelves in the Indian market. Let’s take a look at the top phones that will go on sale in India in the nest two months:

Moto X4

The much-awaited smartphone from Motorola will be launched in India on the 13th of November and subsequently go on sale via Flipkart. The phone is expected to be priced between Rs 20000 – Rs 25000.

The Moto X4 has a 5.2 inch 1920 x 1080 px IPS LCD display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on top for protection.

The Moto X4 has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, 2.2 GHz octa-core processor and Adreno 508 GPU, along with 3GB or 4GB of RAM and 32GB or 64GB of onboard storage which can be expanded up to 2TB via microSD card. The phone has an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance.

The fingerprint sensor is housed inside the home button which also doubles up as a single navigation button. The Moto X4 is powered by a 3000 mAh battery with TurboCharge capabilities. The company claims that the 15 mins of charge can give up to 6 hours of talk time.

Like every Motorola phone, the Moto X4 runs stock Android 7.1.1 Nougat. Motorola recently announced that the Moto X4 will receive an update to Android 8.0 Oreo by the end of the year.

The new smartphone will also feature Alexa, the Amazon AI voice assistant. This isn’t the first time that Alexa has made its way onto a smartphone, the Huawei Mate 9 was the first smartphone to feature the voice assistant. Since then, we have also seen Alexa make its way to the HTC U11.The 4 in Moto X4 signifies that the new smartphone will be able to share the sound with up to 4 devices, thanks to the presence of Bluetooth 5.0.

The Moto X4 has a dual-camera setup at the back. The main camera is a 12MP sensor with an f/2.0 aperture, and the 8MP secondary camera with an f/2.2 aperture is equipped with a wide-angle lens. The dual-cameras allow users to have depth effect shots, bokeh effect shots, ultra-wide angle shots, and selective focus shots. On the front of the device is a 16MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture and an LED flash. The cameras record 4K videos at 30 FPS.

OnePlus 5T

OnePlus burst on to the scene with the OnePlus One which claimed to be flagship killer with premium specifications at an affordable price. OnePlus continued to do so with its 2, 3 and 3T devices. In June of 2017, OnePlus unveiled the OnePlus 5 with top-notch specifications and dual cameras at the back but, failed to capture the imagination of its loyalists with an “outdated” design.

The phone had thick bezels and didn’t look close to competing with the LG G6 or the Galaxy S8 at that time. With a lot of design elements “inspired” from the iPhone 7 Plus, the OnePlus 5 failed to attract the consumers like its predecessors did. The company recently confirmed that the OnePlus 5T will be launched on the 16th of November and go on sale in India on the 21st of November.

The OnePlus 5T will have a 6 inch AMOLED display with a 2160 x 1080 x resolution which translates to an 18:9 aspect ratio.

Just like the OnePlus 3T, the OnePlus 5T is expected to be an incremental update rather than a drastic new upgrade in terms of hardware. The 5T is expected to have the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset as it is the current flagship chipset. The dual cameras at the back are also expected to be the same as found on the OnePlus 5. The smartphone will come in two variants, one with 6GB RAM/64GB storage and the other with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage.

The smartphone will run Android 7.1.1 Nougat with OnePlus’ Oxygen OS on top.

The OnePlus 5T is also expected to have dual cameras on the back, one of the main cameras is a 20 MP sensor with an f/2.6 aperture, while the other is a 16 MP camera with an aperture of F/1.7 . The secondary telephoto lens is used for 2X lossless optical zoom and a ‘portrait mode’ for blurred background images.

Nokia 7

HMD Global launched the Nokia 7 in China in mid-October at a price similar to the Moto X4. Nokia’s resurgence in the smartphone market has been credited mainly to its phones’ stock Android OS and build quality. The Nokia 8, company’s first ever Android powered flagship device has been well-received and competitively priced in a lot of markets like India. The Nokia 7 takes a lot from the Nokia 8 and will enter the market at a more budget oriented price than the Nokia 8.

The Nokia 7 has a 5.2 inch IPS LCD display with a 1920 x 1080 px resolution and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on top for protection.

Under the hood, the device has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 chipset, octa-core 2.2 GHz Cortex-A53 processor, 4GB or 6GB of RAM and 64GB onboard storage which can be expanded up to 256GB via microSD card. Unlike the Nokia 8, and all previous Nokia Android phones, there is no physical home button on the front of the device. The fingerprint sensor is placed at the back of the phone just below the camera.

Powering the smartphone is a 3000 mAh battery and it runs Android 7.1 Nougat out of the box.

Similar to the Nokia 8, the Nokia 7 also comes with all the bells and whistles. One such feature is “Bothie.” It allows you to use the front and rear camera at the same time in a split screen view. Another feature that the smartphone boasts is called OZO Audio in which the smartphone’s three microphones and Nokia’s acoustic algorithms allow you to capture 360-degree spatial surround sound.

The Nokia 7, unlike the Nokia 8 has a single camera at the back. The Nokia 7 has a 16MP camera at the back with an f/1.8 aperture, 1.12-micron pixel size and Carl Zeiss optics. The primary camera records 3840 x 2160 px (4K) videos at 30fps. On the front of the device is a 5MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture and autofocus.

HTC U11+

After the infamous deal between Google and HTC which meant that HTC’s whole smartphone personnel will now work for Google, it was exptected that HTC would not launch a new phone. However, in a press release right after the deal was announced, it was confirmed that HTC will continue making smartphones.

The Taiwanese tech giant delivered on that statement when it launchd its new flagship device, the HTC U11+.

The HTC U11+ has a new 6-inch IPS LCD display with a 2880 x 1440 px resolution and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on top of the display and at the back. The tall display means the bezels on the HTC U11+ are thinner than the ones found on the HTC U11.

The smartphone is powered by a 3930 mAh battery with QuickCharge 3.0. Similar to the HTC U11, HTC U11+ has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset, an octa-core processor, and Adreno 540 GPU. The HTC u11+ further has 6GB of RAM and 128GB onboard storage which can be further expanded up to 2TB. The HTC U11+ is IP68 rated water and dust resistant and due to the thin bezels, the fingerprint sensor is now placed below the rear-mounted camera.

The HTC U11+ has a 12.2MP rear-mounted camera with an f/1.7 aperture with optical image stabilisation and electronic image stabilisation. The camera can record 4K videos at 30fps and slo-mo 1080P videos at 120fps. On the front of the phone is an 8MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture and fixed focus. The front-facing camera can record 1080P videos at 30fps.

LG V30

LG phones have traditionally been underrated, partly because of the competitors and the rest because of LG itself. LG ventured into making smartphones and the initial response wasn’t great. With time however, LG honed the skills of smartphone making and introduced some great and revolutionary phones over the years.

What it didn’t do, was go all out in marketing their phones. The likes of Apple and Samsung tend to overshadow the LG phones because of their over-the-top marketing and flashy features. LG does the basics right and continues to do so. With the LG V30, LG nails more than just the basics and draws the media consumption junkies towards it. The phone is expected to go on sale in India near the Rs 50000 price bracket.

The LG V30 has a 6 inch 2880 x 1440 px OLED FullVision display, LG’s first, with an 18:9 aspect ratio and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 for protection. LG’s nearly edge-to-edge OLED display has HDR 10 format for high level of colour contrast and the smartphone will be Daydream compatible. Unlike the previous V series devices from LG, the V30 does not have a secondary display and instead features a floating bar which can be disabled if not needed.

The LG V30 has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset, 2.4GHz octa-core processor, 4 GB RAM and 64GB/128GB onboard storage with up to 2TB of expandable storage via a microSD card. The V30 has IP68 rating for water and dust resistance and MIL-STD 810G rating for durability. The LG V30 is powered by a 3300mAh battery with wireless fast charging which supports 3.0 quick charge.

The smartphone runs Android 7.1.2 with LG’s UX 6.0+ on top which offers a few customisation options.

The LG V30 features a dual-camera setup at the back. As LG had announced, this smartphone has the first ever inbuilt camera unit to feature a 16MP crystal clear lens made of glass with an f/1.6 aperture and another 13MP wide angle lens with an f/1.9 aperture. Compared to the f/1.8 aperture cameras on the iPhone 7Plus and the Samsung Galaxy S8+, the camera on the LG V30 will let 25% more light to pass through. The camera will feature laser detection AF, optical image stabilisation and electronic image stabilisation. On the front side, the LG V30 has a 5MP wide-angle camera with an aperture f/2.2.

Which phone are you looking forward to? Let us know in the comments below!

November 11, 2017
HTC U11 Life

HTC has launched the HTC U11 Life in two variants, one variant running Android 7.1 Nougat with Sense UI and an Android One variant running Android 8.0 Oreo. The HTC U11 Life is priced at US $349 (Rs 22500 approx.) for the unlocked version in the US. There is no official word on its availability in India as of now.

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Latest News For HTC U11 Life

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November 8, 2017
HTC U11+

HTC has launched the HTC U11+ at a price of £699 (Rs 59800 approx.) in the UK. There is no official word on the phone’s availability in India as of now. There were multiple leaks leading up to the launch of the phone and most of them have turned out to be accurate. HTC U11+ will succeed the HTC U11 which was launched back in March 2017. Along with the HTC U11+, the HTC U11 Life was also launched, which is a mid-range device with design aesthetics similar to the HTC U11.

You can buy the HTC U11+ here

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Latest News For HTC U11+

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November 8, 2017
HTC U11 Life Launched In Two Variants

HTC has launched the HTC U11 Life in two variants, one variant running Android 7.1 Nougat with Sense UI and an Android One variant running Android 8.0 Oreo. The HTC U11 Life is priced at US $349 (Rs 22500 approx.) for the unlocked version in the US. There is no official word on its availability in India as of now.

Following up the launch of the flagship phone, the HTC U11+, the HTC U11 Life will be a part of the ‘U’ lineup from HTC and pegged as a mid-range device. The HTC U11 Life will offer the consumers a choice between custom skin and pure stock Android OS without compromising on any other aspect. The HTC U11 Life has HTC’s new “liquid surface” design language with two glossy panels that meld into a metal frame.

The HTC U11 Life has a 5.2 inch IPS LCD display with a 1920 x 1080 px resolution which translates to a 16:9 aspect ratio. The HTC U11+ also has Corning Gorilla Glass on top of the display.

Under the hood, the device has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 chipset, 3GB or 4GB of RAM, 32GB or 64GB of onboard storage which can be expanded via microSD card. The fingerprint sensor is housed inside the home button that is placed below the 5.2 inch display. The 3.5mm headphone jack is missing on the U11 Life but, the box will include a pair of USB C earphones with active noise canceling. Powering the device is a small 2600 mAh battery.

The HTC U11 Life has a 16MP rear-mounted camera with an f/2.0 aperture and PDAF. Similar to the HTC U11+, the camera records 4K and slo-mo videos as well. On the front of the device is a 16 MP fixed focus sensor with an f/2.0 aperture which records 1080P videos.

The Edge Sense feature from the U11 retains its place with new features and more customisability. With the HTC U11 Life, you can assign a light squeeze to access Google Assistant, and a hard squeeze to access the Amazon Alexa and vice versa. The squeeze feature is now a remappable button and can perform specific tasks depending on which app you’re in. If you have the YouTube app, you can remap the squeeze to take you to the subscriptions window or if you are in Google Maps, you squeeze to zoom in or zoom out. HTC has also added a new radial menu which can be accessed with a squeeze. It is a round shaped menu which customises on the basis of your usage.

November 2, 2017
HTC U11+ Launched At A Price Of EUR 699

HTC has launched the HTC U11+ at a price of £699 (Rs 59800 approx.) in the UK. There is no official word on the phone’s availability in India as of now. There were multiple leaks leading up to the launch of the phone and most of them have turned out to be accurate. HTC U11+ will succeed the HTC U11 which was launched back in March 2017. Along with the HTC U11+, the HTC U11 Life was also launched, which is a mid-range device with design aesthetics similar to the HTC U11.

HTC U11

HTC seems to have finally caught up with 2017 flagships by offering a phone with an 18:9 aspect ratio. The HTC U11+ has a new 6-inch IPS LCD display with a 2880 x 1440 px resolution and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on top of the display and at the back. The tall display means the bezels on the HTC U11+ are thinner than the ones found on the HTC U11.

The smartphone is powered by a 3930 mAh battery with QuickCharge 3.0. Similar to the HTC U11, HTC U11+ has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset, an octa-core processor, and Adreno 540 GPU. The HTC u11+ further has 6GB of RAM and 128GB onboard storage which can be further expanded up to 2TB. The HTC U11+ is IP68 rated water and dust resistant and due to the thin bezels, the fingerprint sensor is now placed below the rear-mounted camera.

The HTC U11+ has a 12.2MP rear-mounted camera with an f/1.7 aperture with optical image stabilisation and electronic image stabilisation. The camera can record 4K videos at 30fps and slo-mo 1080P videos at 120fps. On the front of the phone is an 8MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture and fixed focus. The front-facing camera can record 1080P videos at 30fps.via microSD card.

The HTC U11+ runs Android 8.0 Oreo with HTC’s Sense UI on top.

The Edge Sense feature from the HTC U11 retains its place albeit new features and customisability. With AI’s gaining more prominence, HTC has provided both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa to give people the flexibility and choose which AI assistant they prefer. You can assign a light squeeze to access Google Assistant, and a hard squeeze to access the Amazon Alexa and vice versa. The squeeze feature is now a remappable button and can perform specific tasks depending on which app you’re in. If you have the YouTube app, you can remap the squeeze to take you to the subscriptions window or if you are in Google Maps, you squeeze to zoom in or zoom out. HTC has also added a new radial menu which can be accessed with a squeeze. It is a round shaped menu which customises on the basis of your usage.

HTC cleared the air of scepticism surrounding its smartphone business after the co operative agreement with Google, which saw its smartphone division’s personnel moving to work with Google. HTC announced in the press release after the agreement that it will continue making smartphones and with the launch of two new smartphones, it appears that HTC still has the desire to compete for smartphone supremacy with the likes of Samsung, LG and Apple. How the phones perform in the market is yet to be seen but, on paper at least, the HTC U11+ has all the specifications of a successful 2017 flagship phone.

November 2, 2017
HTC U11 Plus Leaked In Images Ahead Of 2nd November Launch

HTC will be launching a new, or two new smartphones on the 2nd of November at an event in Taiwan. The main attraction will be the launch of the new flagship smartphone, the HTC U11 Plus. HTC has been hard at work on social media by teasing key components of the upcoming phone. New leaks reveal what the HTC U11 Plus what might look like when it is unveiled on the 2nd of November.

So far, from what HTC has revealed, we know that the U11 Plus will have thinner bezels than the U11 and a single camera at the back. The new leaked images reveal a design on the lines of the images that HTC put out on social media.

You’ll see it all on 11.02.2017. pic.twitter.com/vzYtKVdjK5

— HTC (@htc) October 24, 2017

There isn’t much known about the U11 Plus yet. The device is expected have a 5.99-inch 2880 x 1440 px display translating to an 18:9 aspect ratio. The phone will have minimal bezels and a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. Like the HTC U11, the Plus variant of the phone will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset. The HTC U11 Plus is expected to come in two variants – one with 4GBR RAM/64GB storage and second variant which will be a top end version will come with 6GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage.

The smartphone is expected to have a 12MP rear-mounted camera. On the front, the U11 Plus is expected to have an 8MP sensor. HTC will not jump the dual-camera bandwagon just yet and continue with a single camera at the back just like the U11 (as is visible in the teaser). The U11 Plus is also expected to be IP68 certified water and dust resistant. It is also said to support Qualcomm QuickCharge 3.0 and also include the HTC U11 Active Edge feature.

With the launch just a few hours away, it is wise to take these leaks with a pinch of salt and wait till HTC officially launches the HTC U11 Plus.

November 1, 2017
HTC Teases U11 Plus On Twitter

HTC has been in the news for the better part of 2017 despite not having the best of financial years. Even though the HTC U11 was highly praised for its camera and overall performance, the company still managed to rake in the lowest profit in the past few years. Now, it looks like HTC is going to take another swing at the smartphone market with what looks like a flagship phone. For weeks, the mid-ranger HTC U11 Life and flagship phone U11 Plus have been leaked in certification and benchmark websites. Taking to Twitter, HTC has teased a phone launch on the 2nd of November and it might be the flagship phone U11 Plus that we get to see.

You’ll see it all on 11.02.2017. pic.twitter.com/vzYtKVdjK5

— HTC (@htc) October 24, 2017

In the teaser above, you can see a single camera setup and a rear mounted fingerprint sensor. The HTC U11 had a fingerprint sensor housed inside in the home button, this was possible because of the thick bezels around the display. Changing the position of the fingerpint sensor to the back might indicate that the upcoming device could have thin bezels and hence, the fingerprint sensor is placed at the back of the phone. It is worth noting however, that the last time HTC used a rear mounted fingerprint sensor was in 2013′ One Max, and that phone had bezels.

HTC U11 Plus

All of this however, is speculation and HTC might just end up launching the HTC U11 Life. Reports suggested that both the HTC U11 Life and Plus variant will be launched and it might be the case as HTC would rather flaunt the flagship phone in a teaser than both the phones.

https://twitter.com/evleaks/status/921835321167368192

There isn’t much known about the U11 Plus yet. The device is expected have a 5.99-inch 2880 x 1440 px display translating to an 18:9 aspect ratio. The phone will have minimal bezels and a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. Like the HTC U11, the Plus variant of the phone will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset. The HTC U11 Plus is expected to come in two variants – one with 4GBR RAM/64GB storage and second variant which will be a top end version will come with 6GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage.

The smartphone is expected to have a 12MP rear-mounted camera. On the front, the U11 Plus is expected to have an 8MP sensor. HTC will not jump the dual-camera bandwagon just yet and continue with a single camera at the back just like the U11 (as is visible in the teaser). The U11 Plus is also expected to be IP68 certified water and dust resistant. It is also said to support Qualcomm QuickCharge 3.0 and also include the HTC U11 Active Edge feature.

The phone(s) will be launched on the 2nd of November where its global availability and price will be officially revealed.

October 25, 2017
HTC U11 Life To Be Launched On 2nd November

HTC sent out invites for an event to be held on the 2nd of November in Taiwan. The event indicates that a new smartphone will be announced as a part of the ‘U’ lineup.

It was speculated that two devices, a mid-range device, the U11 Life and a flagship smartphone, the U11 Plus will be announced at the event. However, it appears that just the budget oriented HTC U11 Life will be announced at the event.

https://twitter.com/evleaks/status/921835321167368192

The smartphone is expected to have a 5.2-inch display, a Snapdragon 630 chipset, and 16MP cameras on the front and back. It is expected to be launched in two variants, one with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage and another with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. Leaked images suggest the smartphone will have a shiny blue back which has become a HTC signature. The price is expected to be around US$400 (Rs 26000 approx.), which will be on par with another Android One device, the Moto X4.

HTC announcing a new smartphone may come as a surprise to a few people after a co operative agreement between Google and HTC was announced in September. As per the agreement, HTC’s smartphone division personnel will work for Google and Google will also get its hands on a few patents albeit non-exclusively. But, the air of uncertainty around the future of HTC smartphones was cleared in the post-agreement statement, Google said:

This agreement also supports HTC’s continued branded smartphone strategy, enabling a more streamlined product portfolio, greater operational efficiency and financial flexibility. HTC will continue to have best-in-class engineering talent, which is currently working on the next flagship phone, following the successful launch of the HTC U11 earlier this year.

The event is scheduled for the 2nd of November and iGyaan will bring you all the news from the event.

October 23, 2017
HTC To Announce New Smartphones On 2nd Of November

HTC is hosting an event on 2nd of November in Taiwan and sent out invitations to local media which might hint towards what is possibly coming.

As can be seen in the event invite, the large “U” at the top might be a hint towards new smartphones which could will be a part of HTC’s U lineup. Over the past few weeks, there have been several leaks suggesting that HTC is working on two smartphones: a mid-range device for Google’s Android One program, and a flagship device which will succeed the HTC U11. It is not clear whether both the phones will be unveiled on 2nd of November or not.

The mid-range Android One smartphone could be called the U11 Life. The smartphone will have a 5.2-inch display, a Snapdragon 630 chipset, and 16MP cameras on the front and back. It is expected to be launched in two variants, one with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage and another with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. Leaked images suggest the smartphone will have a shiny blue back which has become a HTC signature. The price is expected to be around US$400 (Rs 26000 approx.), which will be on par with another Android One device, the Moto X4.

The flagship smartphone is expected to be called the U11 Plus and will be the bigger and better version of the HTC U11. The smartphone is rumoured to have a 6-inch display, with a 2880 x 1440 resolution, and an 18:9 aspect radio. It is expected to have the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset, a 12MP rear camera, and IP68 water resistance. Just like the U11 Life, the U11 Plus will be launched in two variants, one with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage and another with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. The specifications do sound very similar to the Google Pixel 2 XL but, it is becoming harder to differentiate between flagship smartphones by looking at just the specifications. One huge difference between the two phones will obviously be the HTC Sense UI and stock Android OS.

In September, it was announced that a cooperation agreement between Google and HTC meant that HTC’s smartphone division was bought by Google for US$1.1 billion. iGyaan reported that despite the deal, HTC will continue making smartphones and the upcoming event will certainly lift the curtain over the next big thing in HTC’s portfolio.

October 17, 2017
HTC Is Working On U11 Plus, May Launch In November

Google and HTC announced a cooperative agreement on 21st September worth US$1.1 billion. According to the deal, HTC smartphone division personnel will start working for Google, giving it control over the hardware as well for upcoming Pixel devices. The statement released by both the companies revealed that the HTC U11 won;t be the last Android flagship by HTC, and iGyaan reported that a new flagship will be released in 2018. Now, a new report by GSM Arena from France reveals that HTC is working on HTC U11 Plus and may launch it in China on November 11.

There isn’t much known about the phone yet. The upcoming HTC U11 Plus will have a codename, Ocean Master. The device is expected have a 5.99-inch 2880 x 1440 px display translating to an 18:9 aspect ratio. The phone will have minimal bezels and look more like a new-age flagship device. Like the HTC U11, the Plus variant of the phone will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset. The HTC U11 Plus is expected to come in two variants – one with 4GBR RAM/64GB storage and second variant which will be a top end version will come with 6GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage.

The smartphone is expected to have a 12MP rear-mounted camera. On the front, the U11 Plus is expected to have an 8MP sensor. HTC will not jump the dual-camera bandwagon just yet and continue with a single camera at the back just like the U11. The U11 Plus is also expected to be IP68 certified water and dust resistant. It is also said to support Qualcomm QuickCharge 3.0 and also include the HTC U11 Active Edge feature.

The new phone, whenever it does get launched, might one of the last few smartphones HTC makes as a complete smartphone division takeover by Google seems inevitable.

September 22, 2017
Despite The Billion-Dollar Deal With Google, There Will Be Another HTC Flagship Device

Google and HTC announced a Cooperative Agreement worth US$1.1 billion wherein HTC’s smartphone engineers will work for Google once the transaction is completed. While more details about the deal will be disclosed in the days to come, the press release promptly answered one question everybody had on their minds – Will there be more HTC Android phones? The answer is, yes there will be.

This agreement also supports HTC’s continued branded smartphone strategy, enabling a more streamlined product portfolio, greater operational efficiency and financial flexibility. HTC will continue to have best-in-class engineering talent, which is currently working on the next flagship phone, following the successful launch of the HTC U11 earlier this year.

What the statement means is that HTC will now focus on its most profitable product, which is the flagship smartphones. The HTC U11, though, not the most successful flagship of 2017, still received great reviews and HTC will benefit a lot if it manages to improve on the U11 and come up with a better flagship in 2018. Greater financial operational efficiency and financial flexibility refer to the deal. HTC has been incurring losses for a long time now and with most of its smartphone department personnel now moving to Google’s payroll and the US$1.1 billion from the deal, the company will definitely have more financial resources now to work with.

Considering HTC’s flailing sales numbers and decreasing popularity in the smartphone market, a full-fledged takeover of its smartphone division by Google might be on the periphery. And giving up on the smartphone market and concentrating all its energies on making the Vive VR platform a global success might be the best way forward for the Taiwan-based tech company, HTC. With Google now taking control over the hardware for its upcoming smartphones and companies like Samsung and Apple miles ahead in the smartphone game, the 2018 flagship device by HTC might as well be their last one.

September 22, 2017
Google and HTC Announce US$1.1 Billion Cooperation Agreement

After several reports that Google will take over HTC’s mobile division, Google has just announced a deal with HTC. In a statement released by the search engine giant, Google, the majority of the personnel working in HTC mobile division will now work for Google in a deal worth US$1.1 billion. Moreover, Google will, “receive a non-exclusive license for HTC intellectual property (IP).”

In a statement, Google has said

Google and HTC Corporation today announced a definitive agreement under which certain HTC employees – many of whom are already working with Google to develop Pixel smartphones – will join Google. HTC will receive US$1.1 billion in cash from Google as part of the transaction.

This deal doesn’t mean that HTC will shut shop in its smartphone department. HTC CEO Cher Wang said that this agreement will “ensure continued innovation within our HTC smartphone and Vive virtual reality business.” Google concedes that this deal is a testament “to the decade-long strategic relationship between HTC and Google around the development of premium smartphones.”

The transaction is expected to close by early 2018, subject to regulatory approvals.

This is not the first time that Google has taken charge of the hardware for its smartphone lineup. Six years ago, Google announced a US$12.5 billion buyout of Motorola Mobility. However, after opening a manufacturing plant in the United States, Google decided to sell Motorola Mobility to Lenovo for a fraction of the price it bought Moto for. The takeover made Motorola into an amazing smartphone manufacturer and has continued to thrive in the smartphone industry since then.

HTC’s flailing smartphone share and tumbling sales in the past few years made people talk about a possible takeover by Google of its smartphone department while HTC continues its work in the VR industry. In late August, reports emerged that a deal between Google and HTC will be announced by the end of 2017.

Rick Osterloh (Google) and Cher Wang (HTC)

This move by Google to buy off smartphone personnel from HTC could bring Google closer to achieving the hardware/software synergy that has worked so well for Apple and the iPhone. Although HTC and other Android smartphone makers still use off-the-shelf processors and other components in their handsets, Google snatched one of Apple’s chip architects earlier this year. This could be an attempt to evolve beyond that and design its own chip.

Meanwhile, Google’s two new flagship devices, the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are scheduled to be launched on October 4th. The Pixel 2 is made by HTC while the Pixel 2 XL with thin bezels and a tall display is made by LG.

September 21, 2017
Google Is On the Verge Of Taking Over HTC’s Mobile Division

HTC has reported a consolidated revenue of USD 99.69 million for the month of August, the Taiwanese giants’ lowest monthly figures in 13 years. The revenue for the month of August represents a 51.5% decline from the previous month and 54.4% from a year earlier. Also, HTC’s total sales in the first 8 months of 2017 were NT$39.86 billion, representing a 14.4% decline from last year. According to latest reports by The Commercial Times, Google is in the final stages of taking over HTC’s mobile division. This would either result in a complete takeover for HTC’s Mobile division or a partial investment from Google into HTC’s dimming business. According to the report, the deal could be announced by the end of the year.

The fact that HTC is producing the Pixel 2, launching this year on October 5 has further fueled these rumours that Google will outright buy the mobile division of HTC. The Pixel XL 2 is being made by LG this year, unlike last year when HTC made both the Pixel and Pixel XL.

This acquisition will help Google compete with the likes of Samsung and Apple in the smartphone market. The last year’s Pixel devices were well received but never challenged the dominance of the iPhone or Samsung’s flagship S series phones. Acquiring a smartphone company would make it possible for Google to invest in hardware research and come up with competitive smartphones at a consistent rate.

This is not the first time that Google will be acquiring a smartphone company. In 2012, it took over Motorola Mobility for USD 12.5 billion, only to sell it to Lenovo for USD 2.9 billion a couple of years later. Google then retained all the patents owned bay Motorola, to help defend the company from potential patent disputes from the likes of Apple and Samsung. HTC has a vast library of patents, if Google acquires HTC’s Mobility division, the company will own a large chunk of modern smartphone patents which can then help it design and sell technologies in the future. Google may also end up reselling HTC to a different buyer, like last time, however, the company seems keen on retaining a mobility division. Expertise from HTC will help Google in growing its own Pixel brand.

There were reports in late August that HTC was holding talks with companies like Google to potentially buy its virtual reality division or even the entire company. With the latest revenue reports representing plummeting sales of its devices, the deal looks more than certain to go through.

September 8, 2017
Solar Red HTC U11 Launched In India

HTC has launched the Solar Red colour variant of the HTC U11 in India. Previously, HTC had launched the U11 in India in the Blue Sapphire and Amazing Silver variants. The Solar Red colour was launched globally to great reviews for its reflective back panel finish. The smartphone is available on the company’s e-commerce website for Rs 51,990. The USP of this variant is that its rear shell shows different shades of colours – yellow, pink and several tones of orange when looked from different angles. It also comes with a distinctly darker shade of red frame around the corners.

The Solar Red HTC U11 comes in as a breath of fresh air among the same old black, blue and gold coloured smartphones. The design on the HTC U11 is thanks to the liquid glass surface, which is crafted using Optical Spectrum Hybrid Deposition tech which HTC has designed or mastered for use with the U11.

The U11 features a 5.5 inch 2560 x 1440 px Super LCD5 display with a pixel density of 534ppi. Powering the smartphone is a 3,000 mAh battery with QuickCharge 3.0 via the USB Type-C port. It runs on Android 7.1.1 with HTC’s SenseUI on top. Running all of it under the hood is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset, a 2.45GHz octa-core processor, the Adreno 540, 4GB RAM and 64GB onboard storage which is expandable via microSD card.

Another distinction for the HTC U11 apart from the colour changing rear panel is the Edge Sense technology. It basically allows you to squeeze the frame of your device to launch an action/app. For example, you can set the squeeze to open WhatsApp or take a picture. In the camera department, the U11 is also the first smartphone to score 90 on the DXOmark test, and all of it with a 2016-like single camera setup. It features a 12MP rear-facing camera with an f/1.7 aperture and optical image stabilisation and a 16MP front0facing camera with an f/2.0 aperture.

August 17, 2017