HTC U Ultra Review

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3.5/ 5

HTC U Ultra review: stylish and loaded, but pricey

The U Ultra is a loaded smartphone on paper, but how does it fare in real life?

Apr 17 2017 By Deepak Dhingra

PROS

Stylish looks
Smooth performance and good battery life
Capable selfie camera
Loaded with features

CONS

Primary camera performance could be better
Lacks 3.5mm audio socket
Fingerprint magnet
Bulky

Verdict

It’s clear that the HTC U Ultra has a lot going for it - it looks nice, performs smoothly, offers good battery life, and is loaded up with enough features to distinguish itself from the herd. The phone was launched at a steep cost of Rs 59,990, but thankfully, the sticker price has now been reduced to a slightly more digestible Rs 52,990. Notwithstanding that significant price drop though, it still needs to beat some serious competition in the form of the LG V20 (review) and older flagships like the Google Pixel XL (review) and Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (review) to be able to come across as a worthy buy. More competition is incoming, as the likes of the LG G6 (first impressions) and the Samsung Galaxy S8 are due to land in the country very soon. The price drop will help its cause, but it’d be great if HTC can use some software wizardry (read updates) to improve the U Ultra’s camera results and make it a compelling option, and one we can recommend wholeheartedly.

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HTC U Ultra Specifications

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Key Specs

RAM	4 GB
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 MSM8996 Pro
Rear Camera	12 MP
Front Camera	16 MP
Battery	3000 mAh
Display	5.7 inches (14.48 cm)

General

View OS ScreenShots

Launch Date	March 6, 2017 (Official)
Operating System	Android v7.0 (Nougat)
Custom UI	HTC Sense

Performance

Good ▾

View All Benchmarks

Chipset	Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 MSM8996 Pro
CPU	Quad core (2.15 GHz, Dual core, Kryo + 1.6 GHz, Dual core, Kryo)
Architecture	64 bit
Graphics	Adreno 530
RAM	4 GB Excellent ▾

Display

Very Good ▾

Main Display
Display Type	S-LCD 5
Screen Size	5.7 inches (14.48 cm)
Resolution	1440x2560 px (QHD+)
Pixel Density	515 ppi
Screen to Body Ratio (calculated)	69.04 %
Screen Protection	Corning Gorilla Glass v5
Touch Screen	Yes, Capacitive Touchscreen, Multi-touch
Cover Display
Display Type	S-LCD
Screen Size	2.0 inches (5.08 cm)
Resolution	160x1040 px

Design

Height	162.4 mm Compare Size
Width	79.7 mm
Thickness	7.9 mm Very Good ▾
Weight	161 grams Good ▾
Build Material	Case: Metal
Colours	Sapphire Blue, Brilliant Black, Cosmetic Pink

Camera

Very Good ▾

View All Camera Samples

Main Camera
Camera Setup	Single
Resolution	12 MP f/1.8, Wide Angle, Primary Camera(26 mm focal length, 2.3" sensor size, 1.55µm pixel size)
Sensor	Back-illuminated sensor (BSI)
Autofocus	Yes, Phase Detection autofocus, Laser autofocus
OIS	Yes
Flash	Yes, Dual-color LED Flash
Image Resolution	4000 x 3000 Pixels
Settings	Exposure compensation, ISO control
Shooting Modes	Continuous Shooting High Dynamic Range mode (HDR)
Camera Features	Digital Zoom Auto Flash Face detection Touch to focus
Video Recording	3840x2160 @ 30 fps 1280x720 @ 120 fps
Front Camera
Camera Setup	Single
Resolution	16 MP f/2.0, Primary Camera
Sensor	BSI Sensor
Flash	No
Camera Features	Selfie Voice command
Video Recording	1920x1080 @ 30 fps

Battery

Average ▾

Capacity	3000 mAh
Type	Li-ion
Removable	No
TalkTime	Up to 26 Hours(4G) / Up to 26 Hours(3G)
Standby time	Up to 72 Hours(4G) / Up to 72 Hours(3G)
Quick Charging	Yes, Quick, v3.0
USB Type-C	Yes

Storage

Best in Class ▾

Internal Memory	64 GB Best in Class ▾
Expandable Memory	Yes, Up to 2 TB
USB OTG	Yes

Network & Connectivity

SIM Slot(s)	Dual SIM, GSM+GSM
SIM Size	SIM1: Nano, SIM2: Nano (Hybrid)
Network Support	5G Not Supported in India, 4G Supported in India, 3G, 2G
VoLTE	Yes
SIM 1	4G Bands: TD-LTE 2600(band 38) / 2300(band 40) / 2500(band 41) / 1900(band 39) FD-LTE 2100(band 1) / 1800(band 3) / 2600(band 7) / 900(band 8) / 700(band 28) / 1900(band 2) / 1700(band 4) / 850(band 5) / 700(band 17) / 800(band 20) 3G Bands: UMTS 1900 / 2100 / 850 / 900 MHz 2G Bands: GSM 1800 / 1900 / 850 / 900 MHz 4G Speed: 50 Mbit/s ↑ 600 Mbit/s ↓ (LTE category 11) 3G Speed: HSDPA 42 Mbit/s ↓, HSUPA 5.76 Mbit/s ↑ GPRS: Available EDGE: Available
SIM 2	4G Bands: TD-LTE 2600(band 38) / 2300(band 40) / 2500(band 41) / 1900(band 39) FD-LTE 2100(band 1) / 1800(band 3) / 2600(band 7) / 900(band 8) / 700(band 28) / 1900(band 2) / 1700(band 4) / 850(band 5) / 700(band 17) / 800(band 20) 3G Bands: UMTS 1900 / 2100 / 850 / 900 MHz 2G Bands: GSM 1800 / 1900 / 850 / 900 MHz 4G Speed: 50 Mbit/s ↑ 600 Mbit/s ↓ (LTE category 11) 3G Speed: HSDPA 42 Mbit/s ↓ GPRS: Available EDGE: Available
Wi-Fi	Yes, Wi-Fi 5 (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac) 5GHz
Wi-Fi Features	Mobile Hotspot
Bluetooth	Yes, v4.2
GPS	Yes with A-GPS, Glonass
NFC	Yes
USB Connectivity	Mass storage device, USB charging

Multimedia

Loudspeaker	Yes
Audio Jack	USB Type-C

Sensors

Fingerprint Sensor	Yes
Fingerprint Sensor Position	Front
Other Sensors	Light sensor, Proximity sensor, Accelerometer, Compass, Gyroscope

Disclaimer: The price & specs shown may be different from actual. Please confirm on the retailer site before purchasing. Error? Report to us

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