Yeah, a soft touch polycarb such as that on the Nexus 5 can't be beat. But, the design of the M8/9/10 was still excellent and leagues above this glass piece of shit.
So what did HTC do here? Changed ratio, so 6-inch is a lie. Lousy, fragile material. Idiotic lack of head phone jack. Nothing about this phone is a "plus".
Larger screen, smaller bezels, best in class battery capacity, SD support, and in case you missed it, headphone jacks are kind of going away. Get right with it.
"People like you need to fuck off." Yes some phones still have it, and you can buy them, but how long do you think Samsung is still going to support it? The S9, the S10? It's old tech and going extinct whether you like it or not. And even still, they come with an adaptor so if you are still using wired headphones you are fine. FFS, get a grip
In what universe the jack is old tech. It's simply one of those technology that are basically ageless because nothing is better per se. Like digital terrestrial HD tv signals using the same airwaves as the old analog low res broadcasts providing the best quality for HD signals.
Different to diskettes or optical media which has been superseeded by more practical technology.
Fair enough... But the fact remains that there are alot of people that dont listen to music at all on thier phones and alot more than do listen to music, but wirelessly. And again, there is an adaptor for those that still use a headphone jack. I am just saying its going away, like a physical KB on a phone. In a few years no-one will be using it.
I'd go the other way. There are a lot of people who never use anything beyond the mono earpiece speaker. A much higher percentage are using headphone jacks.
Not every manufacturer follows those trends. My LG V30 is a fantastic phone and it has a headphone jack along with an enhanced DAC that provides an amazing listening experience.
okedokee... But the fact is most people dont use headphone jack that much. We have wireless headphones now and bluetooth... also worth noting, alot of people dont listen to music at all on their phones. I dont use headphones. When I listen to music on my phone, its in my car via BT. IF I did decide to listen with headphones, there is a dongle. Why the outrage? its like 30 year old tech
Sure, some people will always want it. I am not even advocating it get dumped I am just saying it's going away. I would highly doubt the Galaxy S10, Note 10, LG G8 and V50 will still have it. iPhone, Pixel and HTC are already dumping it on flagships. Again, not my choice, I am just pointing out that its happening and you should get used to it.
The U11+ supports AptX, which is a pretty decent CODEC.
Also, the pack-in USB DAC is really good (included with my U11). It drives my Grado SR60s better than the native headphone jack in my wife's Nexus 5X or my iPad Mini 4. (The HTC DAC even works on the Nexus 5X, so it's really easy to do a direct comparison... the HTC adapter is better.)
Exactly. Wired analog audio output enables vastly greater quality in headphones, headsets, and iems without needing an external DAC and amplifier. Also, a 3.5mm stereo jack/plug is a much stronger connection than any USB except old USB A and B. I like USB C but given that a phone MUST have a DAC+amp to drive it's speaker(s), an analog jack requires no major additional parts.
Are you guys planning to start reviewing phones again? I miss your reviews and have really been wondering what ever happened to them. Any info you can give would be greatly appreciated.
Ian, where is my post about sound quality, posted yesterday?? To repeat, you said nothing about the mic and speaker quality. Those are the most important parts of any phone. HTC has often the best phone sound, and for hundreds of dollars that sound should be very damn good. Not saying it's easy to implement on such a thin device, but most smartphones really suck as *phones* that you actually speak and listen to. Best regards!
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negusp - Thursday, November 2, 2017 - link
Look at that gaudy glass back. Looks like that cheap glossy plastic you see on toys/ornaments.lilmoe - Thursday, November 2, 2017 - link
Hey, it's PREMIUM.negusp - Thursday, November 2, 2017 - link
ikr.Hey HTC, you know what designs are premium? *cough* *cough* One M8/9/10
IGTrading - Thursday, November 2, 2017 - link
Not everybody likes metallic back covers.negusp - Thursday, November 2, 2017 - link
Yeah, a soft touch polycarb such as that on the Nexus 5 can't be beat. But, the design of the M8/9/10 was still excellent and leagues above this glass piece of shit.Despoiler - Thursday, November 2, 2017 - link
Cheap plastic? You should get your eyes checked. Almost every review out there has commented on how seriously impressive looking it is.evilspoons - Thursday, November 2, 2017 - link
I have a blue U11, it looks *amazing*. It's a fingerprint magnet so I have it in a clear case (Spigen something), but there's nothing else like it.IGTrading - Thursday, November 2, 2017 - link
It looks very good and high quality and it is also a welcomed change on a market where most phones look alike.twtech - Tuesday, November 7, 2017 - link
You're going to cover it with a case anyway, so what difference does it make?XabanakFanatik - Thursday, November 2, 2017 - link
When are you going to start including a screen-to-body ratio measurement in the specs chart for phones?GreenMeters - Thursday, November 2, 2017 - link
So what did HTC do here? Changed ratio, so 6-inch is a lie. Lousy, fragile material. Idiotic lack of head phone jack. Nothing about this phone is a "plus".goatfajitas - Thursday, November 2, 2017 - link
Larger screen, smaller bezels, best in class battery capacity, SD support, and in case you missed it, headphone jacks are kind of going away. Get right with it.negusp - Thursday, November 2, 2017 - link
People like you need to fuck off. The use of the headphone jack costs almost nothing in R&D and production costs.The V30/S8(s) all have headphone jacks, water resistance, and significantly more features. Not to mention a far superior design.
goatfajitas - Thursday, November 2, 2017 - link
Neckbeards... LOL."People like you need to fuck off."
Yes some phones still have it, and you can buy them, but how long do you think Samsung is still going to support it? The S9, the S10? It's old tech and going extinct whether you like it or not. And even still, they come with an adaptor so if you are still using wired headphones you are fine. FFS, get a grip
Lolimaster - Thursday, November 2, 2017 - link
In what universe the jack is old tech. It's simply one of those technology that are basically ageless because nothing is better per se. Like digital terrestrial HD tv signals using the same airwaves as the old analog low res broadcasts providing the best quality for HD signals.Different to diskettes or optical media which has been superseeded by more practical technology.
goatfajitas - Thursday, November 2, 2017 - link
Fair enough... But the fact remains that there are alot of people that dont listen to music at all on thier phones and alot more than do listen to music, but wirelessly. And again, there is an adaptor for those that still use a headphone jack. I am just saying its going away, like a physical KB on a phone. In a few years no-one will be using it.lmcd - Thursday, November 2, 2017 - link
I'd go the other way. There are a lot of people who never use anything beyond the mono earpiece speaker. A much higher percentage are using headphone jacks.eek2121 - Thursday, November 2, 2017 - link
Not every manufacturer follows those trends. My LG V30 is a fantastic phone and it has a headphone jack along with an enhanced DAC that provides an amazing listening experience.GreenMeters - Thursday, November 2, 2017 - link
Narrower screen. And Galaxy S's and Notes have jacks, LGs too, so no, they're only going away on devices from idiotic, consumer-hostile manufacturers.goatfajitas - Thursday, November 2, 2017 - link
okedokee... But the fact is most people dont use headphone jack that much. We have wireless headphones now and bluetooth... also worth noting, alot of people dont listen to music at all on their phones. I dont use headphones. When I listen to music on my phone, its in my car via BT. IF I did decide to listen with headphones, there is a dongle. Why the outrage? its like 30 year old techeek2121 - Thursday, November 2, 2017 - link
There are no top end wireless headphones, but there is a market for top end wired headphones. I wonder why that is?Until Bluetooth supports high quality audio, there will always be a demand for the headphone jack.
goatfajitas - Thursday, November 2, 2017 - link
Sure, some people will always want it. I am not even advocating it get dumped I am just saying it's going away. I would highly doubt the Galaxy S10, Note 10, LG G8 and V50 will still have it. iPhone, Pixel and HTC are already dumping it on flagships. Again, not my choice, I am just pointing out that its happening and you should get used to it.lmcd - Thursday, November 2, 2017 - link
If you don't think V40/V50 will have it you've missed every marketing slide about the V20 and V30.evilspoons - Thursday, November 2, 2017 - link
The U11+ supports AptX, which is a pretty decent CODEC.Also, the pack-in USB DAC is really good (included with my U11). It drives my Grado SR60s better than the native headphone jack in my wife's Nexus 5X or my iPad Mini 4. (The HTC DAC even works on the Nexus 5X, so it's really easy to do a direct comparison... the HTC adapter is better.)
Samuel Lord - Saturday, November 4, 2017 - link
Exactly. Wired analog audio output enables vastly greater quality in headphones, headsets, and iems without needing an external DAC and amplifier. Also, a 3.5mm stereo jack/plug is a much stronger connection than any USB except old USB A and B. I like USB C but given that a phone MUST have a DAC+amp to drive it's speaker(s), an analog jack requires no major additional parts.GreenMeters - Thursday, November 2, 2017 - link
The next BlueBorne's going to be even more awesome.Lolimaster - Thursday, November 2, 2017 - link
2017 and use LCD?Shadowfax_25 - Thursday, November 2, 2017 - link
Ian, other sites have reported that the U11+ comes with Bluetooth 5.0, not 4.2.Maxpower2727 - Friday, November 3, 2017 - link
Are you guys planning to start reviewing phones again? I miss your reviews and have really been wondering what ever happened to them. Any info you can give would be greatly appreciated.Samuel Lord - Saturday, November 4, 2017 - link
Ian, where is my post about sound quality, posted yesterday?? To repeat, you said nothing about the mic and speaker quality. Those are the most important parts of any phone. HTC has often the best phone sound, and for hundreds of dollars that sound should be very damn good. Not saying it's easy to implement on such a thin device, but most smartphones really suck as *phones* that you actually speak and listen to. Best regards!FreidoNumeroUno - Tuesday, November 14, 2017 - link
Is there anyone else out there who checks anandtech smartphone site 3 times a day to see any new article is published?