Would you recommend the U11?

[CTalman]

Hi guys,

I'm going to be purchasing a new phone soon (not through necessity, I just want to try something different!) and the HTC U11 is one of my options.

Would you guys recommend buying the this phone? And what are the main plus points and/or drawbacks to owning this device?

Thanks,
Chris.

 

[Morty2264]

Hi Chris!

Yes, I would absolutely recommend the HTC U11. I've done a lot of research on it and I must say that it's one of the best flagship devices out there - in my opinion, of course. It sports a great camera, Sense UI (the squeeze option does sound like a gimmick to some, but it could come in handy if you set to, say, launch your camera app or messaging app, etc); a great camera; good battery; water resistance; and a beautiful design. Plus the audio experience is top notch! Apparently its audio and headphones somehow adapt to your specific needs and the experience is really great. Not exactly sure how they do that but that's what I read! Haha.

There are only two drawbacks to the U11, in my opinion: price and the material it's made out of. The U11 costs $900 CAD, and is still expensive in the States. However, it's not nearly as expensive as other flagships; and it *is* a flagship, so I can sort of understand its price point. With regards to the material, though the glass design makes it so beautiful, it's also more prone to breaks and scratches, etc, because it's glass.

I one hundred percent recommend the HTC U11!

 

[GibMcFragger]

I just picked one up (on sale for $829cdn directly from HTC).

I replaced my LG G6, which was a good phone. I just wasn't that impressed with the cameras. LG is really heavy handed with their noise reduction and sharpening, and the camera was slow for any action shot.

On to the U11. I'll get this out of the way now. I love it.
It's blazing fast (much faster than the G6), due to the almost stock Android it runs. SenseUI is basically just a few enhancements now, instead of a heavy UI.

The camera is awesome. It's as good or better than the Pixel XL (I used to have one).

The audio through the included earphones is amazing, and because they include a USB-C to headphone jack adapter with a built in DAC, it increases the sound quality on any set of headphones/earphones you use.

Battery life also seems better so far than my G6.

You can't go wrong, especially if you can get it on sale.

 

[CTalman]

Thanks for the feedback guys!

I do wonder if the speed of the phone will remain 6 months or a year down the line?

I'm in the UK and the cheapest I can get it for at the moment is £589 ($975cdn)! That's kinda typical for us in the UK though!

I was thinking between the U11, the Pixel XL or the Huawei P10 plus....

Thanks again for your input.

 

[NEXUS_HTC_PS]

Thanks for the feedback guys!

I do wonder if the speed of the phone will remain 6 months or a year down the line?

I'm in the UK and the cheapest I can get it for at the moment is £589 ($975cdn)! That's kinda typical for us in the UK though!

I was thinking between the U11, the Pixel XL or the Huawei P10 plus....

Thanks again for your input.

Given that I've had every HTC flagship since the Desire HD, I can honestly tell you that there isn't a flagship out there that ages as well as HTC flagships.

 

[isdaako]

If you can get some hands on time with one, do that. About the speed holding up; it's so easy to wipe and re-install on Android phones nowadays that should you ever experience some sluggishness it's easy fixed. Also, HTC has some features that keep it uncluttered.
I purchase a new phone yearly, but with the U11 I think my cycle will be disrupted. It's that good.

 

[DominionRoofs]

I have really enjoyed the U11. Couple of things I don't like are the size.. It's a little thick and taller compared to other bezel-less phones. Also, the display, while very nice, does not get bright enough for me outside. I'm looking at the new pixels and the Mate 10. I actually really like Sony phones even though they have big bezels, they are super thin which I like. I'll wait for reviews on the above phones and the Sony xz1

 

[Morty2264]

Thanks for the feedback guys!

I do wonder if the speed of the phone will remain 6 months or a year down the line?

I'm in the UK and the cheapest I can get it for at the moment is £589 ($975cdn)! That's kinda typical for us in the UK though!

I was thinking between the U11, the Pixel XL or the Huawei P10 plus....

Thanks again for your input.

With regards to speed, the U11 has the latest version of Snapdragon installed; so it's already super fast. So I'm sure it will retain its speed well, and like other users have said, you can always tweak the phone to get rid of lag. Plus, if you buy the U11 unlocked through HTC's website, then it will already come with less bloatware that carriers slap on their phones. I'm sure you'll love it!

 

[GibMcFragger]

If you are considering the Pixel XL, and you want the fastest updates, then jump on it. I had one. The camera quality is identical to the U11, and being it's stock Android, it's fast.

You lose the superb audio quality that the U11 offers, as well as the squeeze functions. If they aren't a deal breaker, then you can't do wrong with the Pixel.

 

[Morty2264]

If you are considering the Pixel XL, and you want the fastest updates, then jump on it. I had one. The camera quality is identical to the U11, and being it's stock Android, it's fast.

You lose the superb audio quality that the U11 offers, as well as the squeeze functions. If they aren't a deal breaker, then you can't do wrong with the Pixel.

Agreed: any Google/Nexus device will you give the latest updates ASAP and a great stock Android experience.

 

[CTalman]

Thanks again for all the input guys.

Audio is a main factor for me and although I had a few reservations about the absence of the 3.5mm jack it'll be worth it for the quality sound.

I've pulled the trigger and just ordered a black U11 direct from HTC.



Can't wait.

 

[Morty2264]

Thanks again for all the input guys.

Audio is a main factor for me and although I had a few reservations about the absence of the 3.5mm jack it'll be worth it for the quality sound.

I've pulled the trigger and just ordered a black U11 direct from HTC.



Can't wait.

Congratulations, and Happy Phone Ordering Day! Great choice with the black, too! Let us know when it arrives, and how you like it!

 

[GibMcFragger]

Thanks again for all the input guys.

Audio is a main factor for me and although I had a few reservations about the absence of the 3.5mm jack it'll be worth it for the quality sound.

I've pulled the trigger and just ordered a black U11 direct from HTC.

������������

Can't wait.

Awesome! I'm loving mine so far. I never realized how slow my LG G6 was until I got this phone. It's lightning fast at everything. The only issue I have noticed is that AC wireless seems to be broken. My speeds would randomly stall off to nothing. Turning WiFi off and on again would temporarily fix it, but it always comes back. Setting my router to N instead fixed it.

I googled it, and it looks to be a common issue. Hopefully the next update fixes it.

 

[CTalman]

What I didn't tell you guys is that I'm.coming from the Galaxy S8 + so it'll be interesting to compare the phones.

I've enjoyed the S8+. Really good phone, has its pros and its cons. Only reason to change is curiosity. I've not had an HTC since Desire HD a long long time ago. From all the research I've done I've got no doubt I'll enjoy the U11 as much as the S8+. Will I enjoy it more though? We'll have to.wait and see!

 

[GibMcFragger]

I had the S8+ (two of them actually) briefly when it launched. I got two in a row with screwed pink displays, so I gave up on it and got the G6. This is faster than both. I also like the flat display and aspect ratio better in this vs the Samsung, but that's just personal preference.

 

[CTalman]

What's the battery life like? What is the usual screen on time you guys get from the u11?

is this one of the phones weak spots?

Thanks.

 

[davidtm]

I'm quite pleased with battery life, but then, I came from the One M9. According to GSam, I'm getting right at 6 hrs SOT (compared to 3 or less on my M9). I let Boost+ do its thing, use auto brightness, location at high accuracy, all mail and social media on push notifications.

 

[GibMcFragger]

Battery life has been great for me. Far better than my G6. I average 6+hrs of SoT.

 

[James E1]

On average I get about 6 hrs sot. I'm in the sun all day so brightness is always pretty high. I have got as high as 8 hrs 54 min and still had 19% battery left but that was indoors most of the day. Phone set to auto brightness. Also during the week I normally have about 2 hrs of talk time but didn't have much talk time on the 8+ hr day.

 

[CTalman]

Sounds great I'd be very happy with 6 hours sot on average per day.

Slight issue at the moment. U11 turned up today. Started it up this evening, entered all the usual bits to start with, all looked promising but then a text can in saying something about an error and have since been unable to find ANY WiFi networks and it won't connect to my phone network either?!
Have tried a factory reset but that didn't work either! ha ha! Typical!