HTC U11 Phone Faces The Music

HTC U11 Phone Faces The Music

- Sascha Segan

HTC’s passion for sound has come through in its phones for years, and I hear it again in the U11 for Sprint, a shimmery slab of audio excellence. There’s a lot more going on with the U11, however. It’s also the first U.S. phone with always-on Alexa support, and it’s potentially Sprint’s fastest LTE phone yet. But if you’re going to pick one reason to buy it right now, it’s the sound. Otherwise, the Galaxy S8 remains a slightly more well-rounded device and our Editors’ Choice.

MODELS AND DESIGN

HTC offers two U11 models: one for Sprint and an unlocked model (available for $649 from HTC.com) that will work on the three other major U.S. carriers. We reviewed the Sprint unit. Many of the other reviews you see out there will be for the unlocked unit, which has slightly different firmware.

The first thing you notice about the phone is the design. The U11 is gorgeous. It comes in black or silver, but the color you really want is the deep, automotive-paint blue. There’s a big price to pay for the baked-in, unscratchable color, though: The phone is a fingerprint magnet, and it’ll be perpetually greasy unless you go for a (clear, please) case.

I’ve been very spoiled by narrow phones such as the Samsung Galaxy S8, the LG G6, and the BlackBerry KeyOne recently. At 6.07 by 2.99 by 0.31 inches and 5.96 ounces, the U11 is a standard size for a 16:9, 5.5inch phone, but it still feels too wide in my hand. The sleek back turns slippery quickly, and especially when you’re trying to squeeze the edges of the phone, it feels like you can drop it.