HTC U Ultra Review

The name HTC was synonymous with solid smartphones.If you bought a high-end HTC, you knew you were getting a classy metal chassis,slick and sporty software,and better audio than any other smartphone.But the company's reward for all that quiet consistency was a customer base that slowly evaporated as its competitors cleaned up So last year, it shook things up a little with the well received HTC 10 and this year everything's different, except the price tag that is. I'm Mr. Mobile and this is the HTC U review. Real quick folks. If phones like this are your bag,do us both a favor,subscribe to Mr. Mobile on YouTubeso you see more of them every week.This isn't just the U.It's the U Ultra,the better equipped of the two launch devices in the series. The Ultra really earns its name with a 5.7 inch super LCD, topped off by an additional secondary screen, and it's anchored at bottom by the fingerprint sensor home key and navigation buttons. That's a lot of display space,which is ably leveraged by Android N and its multi-screen capability. But ti's also a lot of freeboard. And it makes the U Ultra seem even more ponderous than it is. This is a two handed phone. A phone, you're gonna feel when you drop it on your face reading in bed. So maybe clip on the case that's bundled in the box, because this slippery finish is something you'll want to protect. The glass backplate is what really makes the U series with its liquid finish.And as smudge prone as it is and scratchtastic as I expect it to be, I'm glad it's here. HTC needed a phone that stood out.

Let's talk about that secondary screen.

And let's start by keeping it real. Yes, it's a shameless ripoff of LG's V20. And it kind of seems like a solution in search of a problem. But living with it for a week, I have to say it's grown on me. It's cool to pick up the phoneand see only the secondary display wake up, so you can easily check the time and notifications. And the idea of a tiny screen with intentionally limited functionality is a good one. I usually have mine set to show me my next appointment so I always know what's coming up. During last week's blizzard, I had it set to show me the hourly forecast. And you can keep quick shortcuts to people,or apps, or utilities up there if you want. I wouldn't call it essential and it does feel undercooked at points. But I came away liking it more than I expected to. Here's where I warn you that the software on my devicediffers a little from what you'll be seeing when it launches in the states. I imported this phone from Taiwan,with the help of some local friends, and some of the features HTC teased at the announcement, like rich voice commands, and AI assistance, aren't yet available. Also, some no-brainers are still missing, like notification shade shortcut. And the aesthetics of HTC sense are starting to feel a little dated. These aren't the kind of things that'll make or break a phone. I doubt the AI and voice control stuff will have an impact on the verdict I render later. And the foundations of Sense are solid. But in a post pixel world, it's becoming harder to justify laying out the cash for a phone that doesn't have that straight from Google speed and polish. Android, in many ways, has outgrown the need for skins, Sense included.
I'm gonna come back to the point about laying out cashbut first let's talk cameras. The U Ultra has a 16 megapixel selfie shooter up front that packs at least seven different modes, so you can snap a photo no matter what kind of lighting you're in,not to mention a panorama mode that really let's you pack in the friends, if you have any. On the back side, the camera is 12 megapixels, optically stabilized, with a large aperture and a mixture of laser and phase detection auto-focus. Now despite that one two punch, I found the Ultra prone to wandering focus when shooting video. This might be an overreaction to a moving subject. I found the problem more pervasive in dynamic environments with a lot of motion.If I kept my subject at a consistent distance, the camera had an easier time. And the 3D audio effects are just as impressive as they were on the 10.- Back to work.
 In still mode, the camera is capable of nice work. I shot alongside a Google Pixel, and the two phones basically went one for one.Sometimes I preferred the Pixel's take, other times the U took the gold. While the Ultra does offer a host of features,including a full manual mode, most of these shots were taken with automatic settings. I'll take a little vocal break so you can evaluate them for yourself. That solid camera showing dulls the sting of the death of BoomSound but it also opens up a can of questions on compromise. For a device this beefy, it seems like squeezing in those iconic speakerswould have been trivial. Instead what we get are a set of speakers that are just okay. 
HTC does have a little consolation prize in the box.A set of earbuds that kick out great sound. And software on the phone that customizes the audio profile based on ambient noise around you. That's really neat. But you need to plug those buds into the USB port because there's no headphone jack. My objection to that isn't utilitarian, I usually use wireless headphones, but practical.The Ultra has plenty of room for a headphone jack. In the same vein, the included battery is the same capacity as the one in last years flagship. And it's a lower capacity pack than the one crammed into the Pixel XL,which HTC also built. Now, the use endurance is fine. Just like most phones in its class, I can get through a full day of moderate use, and there's quick charge 3.0 for fast top ups. But a sizeable phone like this could be made to last up to two days given a big enough battery.

Why not make better use of all that volume?

If the intent was to make a less expensive product I'd be all for it. Last year saw many competitive phones in the four to five hundred dollar segment. And it's a space I'd love to see HTC play in with truly beautiful devices like this. Maybe the U Play, with its downgraded internals, is the first indication of a new strategy here. But when the U Ultra goes on sale in the U.S., it'll cost $749. If you're gonna spend that much money in 2017,you might as well drop the extra Jackson and get a Pixel XL.With its faster software updates and cleaner Android experience, or wait for the LG G6, or Samsung Galaxy S8.But you're all but certain to include perks like waterproofing, and or newer generation processors, neither of which is included on the U. To close, let me make it clear that the U Ultra is not a bad smartphone. It's actually a very good onewrapped in an utterly gorgeous shell.This device will please some fans of the company and some phone geeks too. I'd be quite happy carrying this phone. But it's the broad audience that matters when it comes to shipping smartphones en masse.And I fear that the U Ultra is yet another HTC offering that brings a few too many compromises for a few too many dollars.Would you buy it?Share your thoughts or your fond memories of past HTC phones in the comments.And remember to subscribe