Oh look, another enormous, slippery phone lacking basic features like a headphone jack. That rear finish is going to be ugly in no time, from fingerprints and scratches.
They're going to have to learn the same lesson the computer makers and more recently the tablet makers have: people aren't going to buy $800 phones every year.
Same with LOUD front stereo speakers. The blackberry passport speaker is better than most portable bluetooth speakers.
I could live without it, but a $20 microSD card allows me to buy a lower-end model and saves me money. For shooting 4k video, storing full seasons of TV, etc. why the hell not? They're ridiculously tiny.
I don't need removable battery, but I do need it to be easy to replace with a screwdriver. I don't necessarily need wireless charging, but frictionless contactors (like a magsafe) would be good, so my USB-C port doesn't wear out.
If a headphone jack is a deciding factor in buying a phone, maybe you shouldn't be having a SMARTphone to begin with. Zero reason to need headphone jack anymore.
Headphones are still a thing people use. And likely will be until wireless neural interfaces mean our portable computers can beam sound directly into our brains.
GIVEN that headphones are still a thing, why would I want to limit myself to the small subset of headphones with USB-C and Bluetooth connections, particularly when USB-C is NOT represented in the higher quality portion of the spectrum, and Bluetooth CAN'T be due to bandwidth limitations?
Yes, I can carry around an adapter to give me a real headphone jack compatible with any industry-standard audio device and then I can hook my phone up to a nice set of headphones(or my stereo's line-in port), perfectly replicating the experience of a GBA SP circa 2005. But I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO. Also, I might want to charge my phone while I'm listening to music. I do this regularly.
What I'm saying is that newer is not inherently better. USB-C audio offers no technical advantages over a standard headphone jack, while creating the disadvantages of incompatibility with most of the industry and "headphones block the charger port". And really, that should make it a non-starter, but manufacturers want to save five cents on a connector so they're spending millions to convince people that the headphone jack needs to move to the charger port.
Bluetooth certainly offers an advantage by being wireless, but it comes with the disadvantages of reduced audio quality and yet another battery to charge.
There are very good reasons to have a headphone jack. If forced to get a phone with no headphone jack, I will also be forced to get a USB-C splitter as well as a headphone dongle.
Incidentally, I say all this as someone who uses both standard headphones as well as Bluetooth headphones regularly.
Google messed up codec support with Oreo, so what sounded good over Bluetooth before now sounds clipped. The quality difference from using an AUX cable instead of Bluetooth with my U11 is quite pronounced.
Lord of the Bored - I agree with every word. I regularly charge whilst using headphones, I've invested in reasonably high end headphones with a 3.5mm jack and I am NOT spending more money on dongles, etc to fix a problem that has been created artificially. All the excuses they give for ditching the jack are rubbish. If I'm spending a fortune on a phone, the odds are I intend to use it as a mini portable computer. That means I want as many connectivity options as possible to maximise usefulness and versatility. That means SD slot, 3.5mm jack (some people use this for external microphones and hell, you can even get a radiation meter that interfaces via this port) as well as USB. Bluetooth doesn't solve the issue as it's frankly fickle (the number of connection issue I regularly run into reminds me of the old days of networking), is something else to charge and if it goes dead you can't do anything with them, the headphones are something else expensive to lose and the audio quality is variable depending on external factors and sub par except in the best of conditions (and even then it's just not as good as a cabled device).
Add to that this obsession with glass phones which smash and crack to the point where you pretty much HAVE to get a case and you end up with a design that is clearly there to impress reviewers. Everyone else will not benefit from the poncy design as they will put it in a robust case as something you use multiple times a day, every day for two years is gonna get dropped. The only reasonable conclusion therefore is that they want the journalists who review these devices and won't use a case to really love the design and so they rave about it, selling more phones, rather than caring about what the end user is going to find practical.
USB-C or lightning headphones are a very stupid idea, since you can't charge at the same time as you listen.. unless there's a pass-thru, which introduces unnecessary unplugging and replugging.. unless you use wireless charging, in which case you can't even use or move the phone..
You have it backwards- Zero reason to use USB headsets instead of standard headsets. The only reason they are "needed" is the jack being eliminated for pure marketing reasons
As Piroroadkill said, the metal back was 100% more stylish, more professional, better looking. I also hoped for a 4000mAh battery as the previous model also had an average (only) battery life. Shame, damn shame.
Agree. The HTC M7 had one of the finest smartphone designs ever, the front facing speakers were laser drilled from unstable body AL chassis. The glossy feminine fragile back is just for marketing nowadays it doesn't have any use at all, maybe except for wireless charging (Qualcomm WiPower can charge through metal but no one is onboard maybe license and R&D costs) which HTC won't include.
HTC dropped the audio jack was the most shameful thing ever done. Their HTC 10 had great audio capabilities even the dongle in U11/+ can't match despite the HiFi moniker. This time they won't ship the Hi Fi DAC but call it Hi Red BS and all, even phones from 2015-16 have the same LDAC (Oreo), APTX official firmwares or through Magisk mods. It's a horrible downgrade. LG is pushing smartphone audio to next levels with their ESS 9128. While the rest of the industry is bent on mimicking Apple.
USonic may be great with ANC but the jack is the fundamental part of a phone to make it Utilitarian like Samsung S8/9, Note, LG V20/30, Plus the price is way too high better option is an S9+.
No one emphasize the Audio or the built. Like South Korean companies do nowadays but shame that G7 is also going for Notch.
I'm getting a V30 now that Bootloader unlock has been found, Much better investment IMO. HTC phones have good development but often they gimp the perf like all other OEMs but still not worth my cash, 3500 still when Huawei is shipping with 4000 and their 11+ had more and above mentioned reasons. Clear downgrade. The good thing is the panel free of rounded corners, notches.
SmCaudata: Didn't they say they were using the whole chassis as a resonance chamber? (I think I read that somewhere). If that's the case they may need what essentially amounts to dead space in there in order to make it work. That would explain the thicker chassis and smaller battery. I suspect the majority of people would prefer slightly worse sound quality that lasts longer.
@IanCutress When AnandTech posts full reviews of this device and others, it would be great if you could research the release dates of security updates and Android version upgrades for the manufacturer's closest predecessor device. e.g. When reviewing the U12, give update statistics for the U11. Getting a new Android device shouldn't be just about what you get out of the box, but also how well the manufacturer maintains the device in the years following release.
+1 - also mention project treble support, and i don't know if this is possible but it would be awesome if reviewers tried to flash the phone with Android P dev version to see how the upgrade goes.
It looks great! Surprised they were able to pull this off after so many engineers were sold and transferred to Google. I hope that it is as optimized as the U11 is. I love that phone.
The Notch is a scary trend I am worried about. Headset jack, not something I have needed for a long time. MicroSD ehhh. At 32GB it kind sucked and below that it was important. Since not so much. Even OLED it would be nice, but not the end of the world. Wireless charging I want back but it's so rare now.
Notch.... Well that needs to burn in a fire. I pretty much will be making my next phone choice on whether it has a notch or not.
TBH, the implementation of the notch on some newer phones are OK. G7, and that Huawei phone I can't remember, views them as extra screen spaces for icons and pop-ups. I think this implementation is actually pleasant.
I am surprised that HTC has been the only Android phone maker consistently puts two speakers in their phones since HTC One. Watching video on my recently upgraded 5.6" phone with a single speaker is like watching TV made before 1980 without stereo. Going from 5" to 5.6" the lack of centered sound stage is very noticeable.
I like the stereo speakers on my U11, but compared to the Nexus 6P I had before, I find them unbalanced, with the speaker on the bottom edge being much louder. I suppose it's just a case of getting used to it.
Boomsound is kinda their thing. Still, their USB-C headphones are phone exclusive, meaning your U11 included USB-C headphones cannot be used on my OP3.
I cancelled my pre-order. The screen is the exact same SuperLCD 6 Inch 1440 x 2880 as the HTC 11 Plus. Which is a disaster. Because it is less than 300 nits. That kills it DOA. Not having Qi and PMA is a minor detail in comparison. I feel like a freak. I want a top of the range polycarbonate or metal alloy phone with waterproofing and stock android. And a large bright OLED. My only option will be the Motorola Z3 Force. And that line of phones is going to be killed after this year.
On paper, it's the same screen, but the detailed spec could be different. It's affected by many factors such as the panel manufacturer, what is the set max and min brightness, the color percentage it can cover, local dimming capability, etc. There are any unanswered questions and we need a full, detailed review to know the outcome
Despite my repeated objection, my father bought a U11+ for himself last month. He put it in the plastic protective case day one. The phone's glass back shattered inside the case without anything happening to it. Lets see if U12 is durable, knowing HTC's tradition I have am somewhat optimistic.
HTC 10 was the last good phone they released. Sadly I think HTC has gone the way of Sony...once a trailblazer now reduced to making ever uglier phones with stagnant or less features than before.
With LG, HTC, Sony and Motorola all loosing money, you would think that one of them would figure out that the way to sell phones is to make one that is *different*. If one of these manufacturers would make a phone with a removable battery, it would be a guaranteed success, since nobody else offers it.
If some manufacturer would make this phone it would sell very well: 1. Removable battery 2. Dual front facing speakers 3. Snapdragon 835 or 845 4. 3.5 mm audio jack 5. USB C with USB 3.0 6. MicroSD with UHS 2.1 7. OLED or IPS LCD with 600 nits of brightness. 8. Plastic or metal case (not glass) with decent bezel on all edges to protect the screen which is designed to survive a drop 9. No screen notch silliness, no bezelless design silliness. 10. Decent camera with OIS
Since nobody makes phones that I want anymore, I'm going to hang onto my existing phone from 2015 as long as possible. Eventually, I will be forced to buy a new phone with a sealed battery based on planned obsolescence, but I will hold out as long as possible.
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piroroadkill - Wednesday, May 23, 2018 - link
Oh look, another enormous, slippery phone lacking basic features like a headphone jack. That rear finish is going to be ugly in no time, from fingerprints and scratches.BedfordTim - Wednesday, May 23, 2018 - link
They want you to chuck it in a bin after a few months and buy another one. If it lasted what would they sell you next year?1_rick - Wednesday, May 23, 2018 - link
They're going to have to learn the same lesson the computer makers and more recently the tablet makers have: people aren't going to buy $800 phones every year.babadivad - Wednesday, May 23, 2018 - link
No headphone Jack, No Buy.flyingpants1 - Sunday, May 27, 2018 - link
Same with LOUD front stereo speakers. The blackberry passport speaker is better than most portable bluetooth speakers.I could live without it, but a $20 microSD card allows me to buy a lower-end model and saves me money. For shooting 4k video, storing full seasons of TV, etc. why the hell not? They're ridiculously tiny.
I don't need removable battery, but I do need it to be easy to replace with a screwdriver. I don't necessarily need wireless charging, but frictionless contactors (like a magsafe) would be good, so my USB-C port doesn't wear out.
Tams80 - Thursday, May 24, 2018 - link
And some of these companies wonder why their phones don't sell well.imaheadcase - Thursday, May 24, 2018 - link
If a headphone jack is a deciding factor in buying a phone, maybe you shouldn't be having a SMARTphone to begin with. Zero reason to need headphone jack anymore.Lord of the Bored - Thursday, May 24, 2018 - link
Headphones are still a thing people use. And likely will be until wireless neural interfaces mean our portable computers can beam sound directly into our brains.GIVEN that headphones are still a thing, why would I want to limit myself to the small subset of headphones with USB-C and Bluetooth connections, particularly when USB-C is NOT represented in the higher quality portion of the spectrum, and Bluetooth CAN'T be due to bandwidth limitations?
Yes, I can carry around an adapter to give me a real headphone jack compatible with any industry-standard audio device and then I can hook my phone up to a nice set of headphones(or my stereo's line-in port), perfectly replicating the experience of a GBA SP circa 2005. But I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO. Also, I might want to charge my phone while I'm listening to music. I do this regularly.
What I'm saying is that newer is not inherently better.
USB-C audio offers no technical advantages over a standard headphone jack, while creating the disadvantages of incompatibility with most of the industry and "headphones block the charger port". And really, that should make it a non-starter, but manufacturers want to save five cents on a connector so they're spending millions to convince people that the headphone jack needs to move to the charger port.
Bluetooth certainly offers an advantage by being wireless, but it comes with the disadvantages of reduced audio quality and yet another battery to charge.
There are very good reasons to have a headphone jack. If forced to get a phone with no headphone jack, I will also be forced to get a USB-C splitter as well as a headphone dongle.
Incidentally, I say all this as someone who uses both standard headphones as well as Bluetooth headphones regularly.
silverblue - Thursday, May 24, 2018 - link
Google messed up codec support with Oreo, so what sounded good over Bluetooth before now sounds clipped. The quality difference from using an AUX cable instead of Bluetooth with my U11 is quite pronounced.philehidiot - Friday, May 25, 2018 - link
Lord of the Bored - I agree with every word. I regularly charge whilst using headphones, I've invested in reasonably high end headphones with a 3.5mm jack and I am NOT spending more money on dongles, etc to fix a problem that has been created artificially. All the excuses they give for ditching the jack are rubbish. If I'm spending a fortune on a phone, the odds are I intend to use it as a mini portable computer. That means I want as many connectivity options as possible to maximise usefulness and versatility. That means SD slot, 3.5mm jack (some people use this for external microphones and hell, you can even get a radiation meter that interfaces via this port) as well as USB. Bluetooth doesn't solve the issue as it's frankly fickle (the number of connection issue I regularly run into reminds me of the old days of networking), is something else to charge and if it goes dead you can't do anything with them, the headphones are something else expensive to lose and the audio quality is variable depending on external factors and sub par except in the best of conditions (and even then it's just not as good as a cabled device).Add to that this obsession with glass phones which smash and crack to the point where you pretty much HAVE to get a case and you end up with a design that is clearly there to impress reviewers. Everyone else will not benefit from the poncy design as they will put it in a robust case as something you use multiple times a day, every day for two years is gonna get dropped. The only reasonable conclusion therefore is that they want the journalists who review these devices and won't use a case to really love the design and so they rave about it, selling more phones, rather than caring about what the end user is going to find practical.
flyingpants1 - Sunday, May 27, 2018 - link
Who are you? How did you find this website? 99.99% of ALL HEADPHONES are wired.flyingpants1 - Sunday, May 27, 2018 - link
With a standard 3.5mm jack, I mean.USB-C or lightning headphones are a very stupid idea, since you can't charge at the same time as you listen.. unless there's a pass-thru, which introduces unnecessary unplugging and replugging.. unless you use wireless charging, in which case you can't even use or move the phone..
grant3 - Monday, May 28, 2018 - link
You have it backwards- Zero reason to use USB headsets instead of standard headsets.The only reason they are "needed" is the jack being eliminated for pure marketing reasons
HappyTechKnow - Tuesday, July 31, 2018 - link
Gret to seeHappyTechKnow - Tuesday, July 31, 2018 - link
Great articleitsjustaprankbro - Wednesday, May 23, 2018 - link
As Piroroadkill said, the metal back was 100% more stylish, more professional, better looking. I also hoped for a 4000mAh battery as the previous model also had an average (only) battery life. Shame, damn shame.Quantumz0d - Wednesday, May 23, 2018 - link
Agree. The HTC M7 had one of the finest smartphone designs ever, the front facing speakers were laser drilled from unstable body AL chassis. The glossy feminine fragile back is just for marketing nowadays it doesn't have any use at all, maybe except for wireless charging (Qualcomm WiPower can charge through metal but no one is onboard maybe license and R&D costs) which HTC won't include.HTC dropped the audio jack was the most shameful thing ever done. Their HTC 10 had great audio capabilities even the dongle in U11/+ can't match despite the HiFi moniker. This time they won't ship the Hi Fi DAC but call it Hi Red BS and all, even phones from 2015-16 have the same LDAC (Oreo), APTX official firmwares or through Magisk mods. It's a horrible downgrade. LG is pushing smartphone audio to next levels with their ESS 9128. While the rest of the industry is bent on mimicking Apple.
USonic may be great with ANC but the jack is the fundamental part of a phone to make it Utilitarian like Samsung S8/9, Note, LG V20/30, Plus the price is way too high better option is an S9+.
No one emphasize the Audio or the built. Like South Korean companies do nowadays but shame that G7 is also going for Notch.
I'm getting a V30 now that Bootloader unlock has been found, Much better investment IMO. HTC phones have good development but often they gimp the perf like all other OEMs but still not worth my cash, 3500 still when Huawei is shipping with 4000 and their 11+ had more and above mentioned reasons. Clear downgrade. The good thing is the panel free of rounded corners, notches.
hanselltc - Friday, May 25, 2018 - link
Glass backs generally is not that pleasant in my eyes, but BOI does OP6's matt glass back look super good.WorldWithoutMadness - Wednesday, May 23, 2018 - link
Lower battery and higher price? Who are you kidding HTC?Manch - Wednesday, May 23, 2018 - link
Higher price? U11+ was same price when it launched.SmCaudata - Wednesday, May 23, 2018 - link
That happens. But smaller battery in a thicker chasis is odd...philehidiot - Monday, May 28, 2018 - link
SmCaudata: Didn't they say they were using the whole chassis as a resonance chamber? (I think I read that somewhere). If that's the case they may need what essentially amounts to dead space in there in order to make it work. That would explain the thicker chassis and smaller battery. I suspect the majority of people would prefer slightly worse sound quality that lasts longer.alfredska - Wednesday, May 23, 2018 - link
@IanCutress When AnandTech posts full reviews of this device and others, it would be great if you could research the release dates of security updates and Android version upgrades for the manufacturer's closest predecessor device. e.g. When reviewing the U12, give update statistics for the U11. Getting a new Android device shouldn't be just about what you get out of the box, but also how well the manufacturer maintains the device in the years following release.doggface - Friday, May 25, 2018 - link
+1 - also mention project treble support, and i don't know if this is possible but it would be awesome if reviewers tried to flash the phone with Android P dev version to see how the upgrade goes.yelped - Wednesday, May 23, 2018 - link
It looks great! Surprised they were able to pull this off after so many engineers were sold and transferred to Google. I hope that it is as optimized as the U11 is. I love that phone.RMSe17 - Wednesday, May 23, 2018 - link
Interesting that LTE band 71 is not supported...Despoiler - Wednesday, May 23, 2018 - link
I noticed that too. It's the deal breaker for me.leexgx - Friday, May 25, 2018 - link
T-mobile USA LTE band 71 need a USA version to get that maybe they make onethis is a EU/UK phone and a Asia specific version as well
Sttm - Wednesday, May 23, 2018 - link
No wireless charging, no OLED so no Always on Display... but no notch so I will give them some credit.Can someone please just knock off Samsung but use stock Android?
Topweasel - Wednesday, May 23, 2018 - link
The Notch is a scary trend I am worried about. Headset jack, not something I have needed for a long time. MicroSD ehhh. At 32GB it kind sucked and below that it was important. Since not so much. Even OLED it would be nice, but not the end of the world. Wireless charging I want back but it's so rare now.Notch.... Well that needs to burn in a fire. I pretty much will be making my next phone choice on whether it has a notch or not.
hanselltc - Friday, May 25, 2018 - link
TBH, the implementation of the notch on some newer phones are OK. G7, and that Huawei phone I can't remember, views them as extra screen spaces for icons and pop-ups. I think this implementation is actually pleasant.wr3zzz - Wednesday, May 23, 2018 - link
I like the strategy from the reborn Nokia backed by HMD so far. Stock Android from entry to flagship.hanselltc - Friday, May 25, 2018 - link
You mean OnePlus minus the Camera?wr3zzz - Wednesday, May 23, 2018 - link
I am surprised that HTC has been the only Android phone maker consistently puts two speakers in their phones since HTC One. Watching video on my recently upgraded 5.6" phone with a single speaker is like watching TV made before 1980 without stereo. Going from 5" to 5.6" the lack of centered sound stage is very noticeable.silverblue - Thursday, May 24, 2018 - link
I like the stereo speakers on my U11, but compared to the Nexus 6P I had before, I find them unbalanced, with the speaker on the bottom edge being much louder. I suppose it's just a case of getting used to it.hanselltc - Friday, May 25, 2018 - link
Boomsound is kinda their thing. Still, their USB-C headphones are phone exclusive, meaning your U11 included USB-C headphones cannot be used on my OP3.Bonanza82 - Thursday, May 24, 2018 - link
Finally someone who mentions the screen brightness.JamesFosterGB - Thursday, May 24, 2018 - link
I cancelled my pre-order. The screen is the exact same SuperLCD 6 Inch 1440 x 2880 as the HTC 11 Plus. Which is a disaster. Because it is less than 300 nits. That kills it DOA. Not having Qi and PMA is a minor detail in comparison.I feel like a freak. I want a top of the range polycarbonate or metal alloy phone with waterproofing and stock android. And a large bright OLED. My only option will be the Motorola Z3 Force. And that line of phones is going to be killed after this year.
aleny2k - Thursday, May 24, 2018 - link
On paper, it's the same screen, but the detailed spec could be different. It's affected by many factors such as the panel manufacturer, what is the set max and min brightness, the color percentage it can cover, local dimming capability, etc. There are any unanswered questions and we need a full, detailed review to know the outcomehanselltc - Friday, May 25, 2018 - link
Consider Nokia?aleny2k - Thursday, May 24, 2018 - link
Full in depth review please. Thanks, Ian!hanselltc - Friday, May 25, 2018 - link
Despite my repeated objection, my father bought a U11+ for himself last month. He put it in the plastic protective case day one. The phone's glass back shattered inside the case without anything happening to it. Lets see if U12 is durable, knowing HTC's tradition I have am somewhat optimistic.andrewapold - Friday, May 25, 2018 - link
I'm holding out for the inevitable U12++mrochester - Monday, May 28, 2018 - link
It’s amazing how old fashioned phones with full top bezels look now. This very much looks like a last generation device like the S9 does.Lau_Tech - Wednesday, May 30, 2018 - link
HTC 10 was the last good phone they released. Sadly I think HTC has gone the way of Sony...once a trailblazer now reduced to making ever uglier phones with stagnant or less features than before.krazyfrog - Friday, June 1, 2018 - link
Make the watermark bigger and uglier, please.amosbatto - Wednesday, June 6, 2018 - link
With LG, HTC, Sony and Motorola all loosing money, you would think that one of them would figure out that the way to sell phones is to make one that is *different*. If one of these manufacturers would make a phone with a removable battery, it would be a guaranteed success, since nobody else offers it.If some manufacturer would make this phone it would sell very well:
1. Removable battery
2. Dual front facing speakers
3. Snapdragon 835 or 845
4. 3.5 mm audio jack
5. USB C with USB 3.0
6. MicroSD with UHS 2.1
7. OLED or IPS LCD with 600 nits of brightness.
8. Plastic or metal case (not glass) with decent bezel on all edges to protect the screen which is designed to survive a drop
9. No screen notch silliness, no bezelless design silliness.
10. Decent camera with OIS
Since nobody makes phones that I want anymore, I'm going to hang onto my existing phone from 2015 as long as possible. Eventually, I will be forced to buy a new phone with a sealed battery based on planned obsolescence, but I will hold out as long as possible.