This has been a big week for HTC. First, we got word about the upcoming HTC Vive Focus VR headset which looks like it could turn the entire VR industry on its head. Then there were rumblings about a Google/HTC meger. That “merger” turned out to be more of a strategic partnership/employee swap/cash infusion. Now, the internet is talking about HTC’s upcoming smartphone and the HTC U11 Plus release date. I seriously don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say this has been the biggest week for HTC in the entire history of the company unless there is a really legendary staff Christmas party I’m not aware of.
The HTC U11 Plus is obviously a step forward from the HTC U11 which is, in my opinion, the most underrated phone of this year if we only base things on appearance. I mean, just look at it:
It’s got color. It’s got shine. The bezels are a little dated at this point in the year but no one is perfect. If the HTC U11 Plus is anything like its older brother then we could have a very intriguing device on our hands. So, what is rumored to be in store for the HTC U11 Plus release date?
According to rumors, the HTC U11 Plus will go with a bezel-less display; much like most flagship smartphones these days. The display size will be 5.99-inches which puts the HTC U11 Plus right between the very popular Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ in terms of display size.
Of course, looks aren’t everything. What is HTC rumored to be putting underneath that big, sexy, bezel-less display? The HTC U11 Plus will most likely be running a Snapdragon 835 processor with either 4GB or 6GB of RAM and 64GB or 128GB of onboard storage. All of that is pretty much in line with other Android flagships including the Galaxy S8, Galaxy Note 8, LG V30, and rumored Pixel 2 XL.
Another great feature we are seeing in flagship smartphones these days is water and dust resistance. The HTC U11 Plus will reportedly come with an IP68 water and dust resistance rating which means it can go for a shallow swim up to 30 minutes long without requiring you to shell out money for a brand new smartphone. With devices coming in at $700+ it’s nice to at least know that getting a few drops of water on your smartphone won’t be the same as lighting a pile of money on fire.
The one rumor about the HTC U11 Plus that concerns me is the camera sensor. There is only rumored to be a single 12-megapixel sensor on the back of the device. While that is good for a lot of people, it falls short of other flagship devices like the Galaxy Note 8 and iPhone 8. If HTC wants to play with the big boys then it either needs to make the price of the U11 Plus reflective of its shortcomings or show up to the party with similar hardware capabilities.
Personally, I wouldn’t mind seeing HTC undercut the price of other smartphones even if it does mean compromising a little bit on a few features. Flagship smartphone prices are starting to get a little crazy and it would be nice to have an option out there that costs less than my bi-weekly mortgage payment but still provides flagship-like specs.
So, when can we expect the HTC U11 Plus release date? Rumors suggest that the device will be revealed on November 11th and released for sale sometime after that. I would imagine that HTC doesn’t want to miss the holiday shopping season and, with that in mind, my guess is we can expect an HTC U11 Plus release date of late November or early December. What do you think about the week that HTC is having? Are you taking more interest in what they’re doing or are they still too far down the list of Android device manufacturers to earn your business?
