HTC U11 vs Samsung Galaxy S8 vs LG G6 vs Sony Xperia XZ Premium: Price in India, Specifications Compared

HTC launched the HTC U11 'squeezable' smartphone in India on Friday and interestingly, the company chose to skip the 4GB RAM/ 64GB storage variant for the country and introduced only the 6GB RAM/ 128GB storage variant. The smartphone has been priced at Rs. 51,990 and in this price range it will be competing against the likes of Samsung Galaxy S8, LG G6, and Sony Xperia XZ Premium. If you are confused whether HTC U11 is the right smartphone for you or another model is better, we will help you figure out how it compares against the competition.

HTC U11
The HTC U11 runs on Android 7.1 Nougat with the company's HTC Sense skin on top. It sports a 5.5-inch Quad HD (1440x2560 pixels) Super LCD display with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on top. Powering the HTC U11 is a 2.45GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC and, as mentioned earlier, the India variant gets 6GB of RAM. It is offered with 128GB of built-in storage, which is expandable via microSD card (up to 2TB).

The smartphone's unique feature is called Edge Sense, which allows users to launch apps, switch on flash light, or even take screenshots by simply squeezing the smartphone from its sides.

The HTC U11 features a 12-megapixel rear camera with 1.4-micron pixel, ultra spread autofocus, BSI sensor, OIS, f/1.7 aperture, dual-LED flash, slow-motion, and 4K video recording. Over on the front, you get a 16-megapixel camera with BSI sensor, full-HD recording.

HTC U11 First Impressions

Some of the camera features of the HTC U11 include Face Detection, Pro mode with manual control, 32-second long exposure, and RAW format support, HDR Boost, Panorama, and Hyperlapse. Additionally, the front camera gets live make-up, auto selfie, voice selfie, HDR Boost, and Selfie Panorama options. The company claims that the HTC U11 achieved that highest ever rating for a smartphone camera by independent metric DxOMark1 with a score of 90.

Samsung Galaxy S8
While the South Korean company launched the Galaxy S8 smartphone with Snapdragon 835 processor internationally, it launched the phone with Exynos 9985 processor variant in India. Currently available at Rs. 57,900, the Samsung Galaxy S8 runs Android 7.0 Nougat out-of-the-box and sports a 5.8-inch bezel-less 'Infinity Display' with 1440x2960 pixel resolution. The Galaxy S8 packs 4GB of RAM and features 64GB internal storage, which is expandable up to 256GB.

In terms of optics, the Galaxy S8 comes with a 12-megapixel Dual Pixel camera and an 8-megapixel camera at front. The connectivity options on the smartphone include 4G connectivity, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth 5.0, and a USB Type-C port. The smartphone houses a 3000mAh battery that supports fast-charging.

While Galaxy S8 comes with powerful hardware, what primarily sets it apart is its design. The near bezel-less curved display at front, which flows from the sides, is not only the distinguishing factor but also the unique selling point of the Samsung flagship.

LG G6
The LG G6 is currently available at Rs. 38,990 for Amazon Prime members in India and runs Android 7.0 Nougat out-of-the-box. The highlight feature on the smartphone is its 5.7-inch QHD+ (1440x2880 pixels) FullVision display with an 18:9 (or 2:1) aspect ratio instead of industry standard (16:9). The LG G6 was launched with the new UX 6.0 that company said has been optimised for the 18:9 aspect ratio. The smartphone is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 SoC coupled with 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM. The LG G6 comes with 64GB that is expandable via microSD card (up to 2TB).

In terms of optics, the LG G6 comes with a dual-camera setup at rear end with two 13-megapixel sensors - one for wide-angle shots with 125-degree lens and f/2.4 aperture, and the other for regular shots with 71-degree lens and OIS 2.0. At front, the smartphone features a 5-megapixel wide-angle lens with f/2.2 aperture and 100-degree lens. The LG G6 houses a non-removable 3300mAh battery. The connectivity options on the LG G6 include Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth v4.2, NFC, and USB Type-C 2.0.

While in terms of performance, Snapdragon 835 processor definitely puts HTC U11 ahead of the G6, the recent price drop and the FullVision display might make it the preferable choice for some customers.

Sony Xperia XZ Premium
Sony launched its Xperia XZ Premium smartphone in India earlier this month. The smartphone is currently available in India at a price of Rs. 59,990. The highlight feature on the smartphone is its 19-megapixel Motion Eye camera with a 1/2.3-inch Exmor RS memory stacked sensor that's capable of shooting videos at 960 frames per second. At front, the Xperia XZ Premium has a 13-megapixel sensor 1/3.06-inch Exmor RS sensor that's coupled with 22mm wide-angle f/2.0 lens.

The phone runs Android 7.1 Nougat and sports a 5.5-inch 4K (2160x3840 pixels) HDR Triluminos display. Notably, Xperia XZ Premium was the first smartphone with Snapdragon 835 that was launched in India. The phone features 4GB of RAM and comes with 64GB of inbuilt storage, which is expandable via microSD card (up to 256GB). The Xperia XZ Premium houses a 3230mAh non-removable battery with support for Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 technology.

The connectivity options on the smartphone include 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, GPS/ A-GPS, USB Type-C (3.1), and a 3.5mm audio jack.

Conclusion
As you can see from the specifications, HTC U11 offers more RAM than other smartphones in comparison and has other basics covered too. However, the unique design offered by Galaxy S8 and the FullVision display offered by LG might be preferred by many users. Xperia XZ Premium is the most expensive smartphone under consideration. Stay tuned to Gadgets 360 for our retailed review of the HTC U11 and the Sony Xperia XZ Premium.