HTC U11 'Squeezable Smartphone' Launched in India at Rs. 51,990: Release Date, Specifications, and More

Following its international unveiling exactly one month ago, HTC has now launched the HTC U11 in India at a price of Rs. 51,990 (MOP). The variant launched in India comes 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage and it will be available via Amazon India and through offline retailers from last week of June. Pre-orders for the HTC U11 will start from June 17, and customers availing the pre-orders via HTC's online store will receive an HTC flip cover worth Rs. 1,999 for free. HTC U11 highlights a new design language, and more notably the Edge Sense feature which brings a unique way to interact with the phone by 'squeezing' the sides. It will be available in Amazing Silver and Brilliant Black colours in India. For a limited time (starting June 26), customers purchasing a HTC U11 using a Standard Chartered Debit/ Credit card will have an option to avail 10 percent cashback on the MOP value.

HTC U11 specifications

HTC latest flagship smartphone gets most of the high-end specs you would expect in 2017. 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 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. Some of the camera features 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.

The HTC U11 packs a 3000mAh battery that promises to deliver up to 24.5 hours of talk time, and 14 days of standby time. It also comes with an extreme power saving mode, and Quick Charge 3.0 support. Connectivity options for the HTC U11 include GPS/ A-GPS, GLONASS, USB 3.1 Type-C port, Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz & 5GHz), NFC and support for 4G VoLTE. The handset measures 153.9x75.9x7.9mm and weighs 169 grams.

HTC U11 design and features

The HTC U11 sees a shift in design and features compared to the company's previous flagships. Most notably, the smartphone made up of a metal and glass body with a glossy back. But it's in the edges of this smartphone where the fun really begins. HTC has introduced a new Edge Sense feature that lets you launch apps like camera and send texts by simply squeezing the smartphones on the sides. You can customise the squeeze gesture to launch the apps or games important to you. You can also use a "short squeeze" as well as a "squeeze and hold" for more functionality by activating the advanced touch mode. The company said at the launch that it will introduce new Edge Sense features in the coming days.

Other notable features of the HTC U11 include an IP67 rating that will protect the smartphone from water and dust, HTC Sense Companion and Google Assistant, 3D audio recording with four microphones, HTC BoomSound Hi-Fi edition, and a fingerprint sensor housed inside the home button, to name a few. The smartphone does not come with 3.5mm audio jack, but the company will bundle a 3.5mm audio jack to USB Type-C adapter.