HTC U11 Eyes’ Dual Front Cameras, Large Battery Take Center Stage

HTC has struggled to rise to prominence in the global smartphone market. But it keeps trying, this time with a new smartphone it’s calling the HTC U11 Eyes. The name refers to the handset’s dual front-facing cameras that HTC says, will deliver “amazing selfies” to go along with its support for facial scanning.  The HTC U11 Eyes Android handset comes with a 6-inch display and runs on a Snapdragon 625 processor. Like other recent HTC models, the company has emphasized the U11 Eyes’ advanced speaker support. But with the Samsung Galaxy S9 around the corner and reports of other handset makers planning big updates during February’s Mobile World Congress, the U11 Eyes might end up another face in the smartphone crowd. Read on to learn more about HTC U11 Eyes.

The HTC U11 Eyes earns its name from its dual front-facing cameras. The cameras both have 5-megapixel sensor and come with an “HDR Boost” feature for improving color accuracy. HTC said that the cameras are ideal for selfies and can adjust depth-of-field. The dual front-facing cameras are complemented by a 12-megapixel rear-facing lens that offers “UltraSpeed” autofocus for improved performance on moving subjects.

In a move likely designed to help HTC keep its costs down, the company didn’t spend big on an advanced design for the U11 Eyes. Instead, the handset comes with bulky bezels above and below the screen that house the earpiece, cameras, and other components. However, there’s no physical home button on the front of the HTC U11 Eyes. So users will need to rely on a virtual home button to maneuver around the Android operating system’s features.

The HTC U11 Eyes comes with a facial scanning feature the company calls Face Unlock. To activate the feature, users need to squeeze the sides of the handset. However, HTC’s Face Unlock is a 2D scanner, which means it’s not nearly as accurate or hacker-resistant as the 3D scanner in Apple’s Face ID feature.

HTC’s U11 Eyes ships with support for the company’s Edge Sense features. This allows users to launch apps by squeezing the smartphone’s sides. Edge Sense can also be used to activate a voice assistant, take photos and more.

The HTC U11 Eyes ships with a 6-inch screen featuring a full-HD+ resolution of 2,160 by 1,080 pixels. It’s also protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass 3, a somewhat older version of the display covering that reduces the incidence of screen cracking and shattering.

Those hoping for late-model processing power in the HTC U11 Eyes will be disappointed. HTC opted for the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625, which is a power-efficient 64-bit, eight-core CPU, rather than a late model Snapdragon 835.  Thus it might not work as well the most resource-intensive apps and games. The smartphone comes with 64GB of onboard storage and 4GB of memory.

The HTC U11 Eyes has one of the biggest battery packs on the market at 3,930mAh. That’s enough to deliver more than 28 hours of talk time on a single charge, according to HTC. The battery also comes with Quick Charge 3.0.

According to HTC, the U11 Eyes supports the IP67 standard for resistance liquid and dust intrusion. However, with some of the latest handsets supporting the IP68 standard, the IP67 support might prove to be less appealing to more discriminating buyers.

Like previous HTC smartphones, the U11 Eyes has several audio features that the company believes delivers extra value to users. The handset ships with the HTC USonic, a sonar-like feature that optimizes sound quality during calls. The smartphone also comes with active noise cancelation and speakers that have been optimized with “hi-res audio.”

HTC hasn’t shed much light on its marketing plans for the U11 Eyes. The company has only confirmed for now that it will be available in China for $500. Reports suggest the handset will soon make its way to other countries around the world for about the same price, though an exact shipment date hasn’t yet been announced.