HTC is Back in the Philippines with 4 New Phones + First Look

HTC is back in the Philippines, yay!

The Taiwanese phonemaker unveiled 4 new phones today at Salon de Ning at the Manila Pen, and I was fortunate to be invited to the launch. 🙂

HTC UNVEILS NEW PHONES

HTC Senior Product Marketing Manager Wayne Tang discussed the various features of the phone and even gave a demo of the flagship model.

The 4 phone models that HTC introduced today are: HTC Desire 10 Pro, HTC U Play, HTC U Ultra, and the HTC U11.

The HTC Desire 10 Pro provides good features on a budget, the HTC U Play is for those who like to listen to music and watch videos, the HTC U Ultra is for those who want big screens, and the HTC U11 is the flagship model that has all the bells and whistles.

Some of the features that the phones have are game-changers. HTC has always been known to innovate and try new things, and they’ve come up with features that you’ll surely want!

As for the name, I’m not big on the whole U naming convention. I get it though, U is a play on the C of the htc logo turned up, and the phones are all about U, the user, and what you want from a phone.

WHAT FEATURES STAND OUT?

Of course, the squeeze feature of the flagship HTC U11 is what needs to be highlighted! Why didn’t anyone else think of that? Imagine, no more trying to stretch your fingers to reach camera buttons when trying to take selfies!

Here’s Wayne Tang giving a demo on the Squeeze feature:

Another thing that I liked is the HTC USonic – USonic earbuds map your inner ear with an advanced sonar-like technology and then adapt the sound profile to the unique shape of your ear! I think that’s awesome! Sound output customized just for you! All our ear canals are shaped differently, so shouldn’t our earbuds adapt to make us hear better?

Acoustic Focus – You know how when you zoom in to take a video, but the sound doesn’t zoom in, too? With Acoustic Focus and 4 mics, that’s now a thing of the past. When you zoom in to take a video, the sound focuses on that spot, too! I’m not sure, but I think this is only available on the HTC U11.

Amazon’s Alexa! The HTC U11 is going to have Amazon’s Alexa. Legit! Alexa is Amazon’s Siri, but better. Go watch some Youtube videos on Alexa now if you’re not familiar with her. Anyway, HTC will be rolling out Alexa in countries like Germany first, where there’s a bigger Amazon customer base. But eventually, Alexa will be available in the Philippines on the HTC U11.

Dual SIM – this wasn’t mentioned in any of the press materials, but I checked, and the HTC U11, at least, is dual-sim. I’m pretty sure the other ones are, too.

Also, check out all the cool camera tricks you can do like Hyperlapse, Slow Motion, etc… see pics below.

WHERE TO BUY

These phones are exclusively available at Lazada starting today, August 2, 2017. The new HTC models will initially be available online, but will eventually make its way to local retailers.

THE OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE INFORMATION ON THE LATEST HTC PHONES

Without further ado, here is the information for each phone:

HTC DESIRE 10 PRO – SRP P13,990

amazing high-resolution 20MP main camera and 13MP selfie camera on both front and
back – Pro-like features are included, with DSLR-like control over your photos and handy preset options such as sport mode and night mode that let you quickly re-adjust the camera settings on the go. Advanced functions such as intelligent Electronic Image Stabilization provide smooth videos even with shaky hands, and Auto HDR on both the front and rear camera combines multiple images into a single, clear photo that looks amazing even when taken in low light or shadows. And finally to keep with life’s quickest moments, the laser autofocus makes taking clear, focused pictures a breeze and you never miss your shot.
brand new Selfie Panorama – capture more scenery and more friends and family in single big, beautiful, printable photo. HTC Desire 10 pro’s super-wide, 150° Selfie Panorama mode is enough to fit a whole football team with room to spare. A built-in screen flash is also available, which can automatically help you take brighter selfies in challenging light conditions day or night, indoors or outside.
ultra-fast fingerprint sensor – sensor recognizes your fingerprint from almost every angle and position, and even lets you take selfies with it – simply put your finger on the fingerprint sensor to quickly capture a selfie or start recording a selfie video
HTC BoomSound audio profile – With thundering bass and thrilling treble, the HTC Desire 10 pro will keep your sound rocking with incredible intensity throughout the day.
octa-core processor
3,000mAh battery
5.5” Full HD (1080p) display
4GB of RAM and 64GB storage space
SD card support for up to 2TB of expandable memory
HTC Freestyle Layout frees you from an onscreen grid and lets you get creative. Drag icons, stickers and widgets anywhere. Layer them, overlap them, group them and more. You can even link stickers to apps, and get rid of onscreen icons entirely. The home screen is yours – use it your way.

HTC U PLAY – SRP P18,990

Reflects U

Shine on with the 5.2” smartphone designed to reflect the best you
A new, beautifully 3D contoured, liquid surface
Lustrous, symmetrical, curved glass construction reflects light beautifully
Color from vapored minerals layered to add depth and brilliance from every angle
As the polished surface bends and blends seamlessly into the side of the phone
We’ve paid special attention to each detail.

Learns from U

HTC U Play comes with HTC Sense Companion
The personal companion who is always learning from you
It even comes with voice recognition built-in so it’s able to respond to your voice – Just say the word to navigate your phone, take or reject incoming calls, snooze or dismiss an alarm, send messages and even begin hands-free navigation.
It knows you – and it’s made to evolve and get to know you better over time.

Listens to U

Every person’s inner ear is as unique as their fingerprint
HTC USonic analyzes your inner ears with a sonar-like pulse, and then adapts to you
Like having a sound engineer in your phone
Tiny microphones listen for the sonic reflection in your ears
One in the left ear, one in the right
Analyzing the reflected tone to optimize the headset just for you
Now you can hear the details you were missing.
Whether you’re in a library or at a party, you can adapt your headset to suit noise levels around you.

Captures U

Take brilliant selfies anyway you like
Easily switch between 16MP and UltraPixel in the front camera
So you can choose between unparalleled light sensitivity* of UltraPixel or the high resolution of 16MP for whatever meets your need
The 16MP main camera delivers less blur, faster focus, better photos at night
Because you never want to miss that perfect moment.

HTC U Play

Perfectly symmetric
Exquisitely thin
Featuring HTC Sense Companion, HTC USonic adaptive audio, and 3D curved glass
Built to reflect the best U – the #BrilliantU

HTC U ULTRA – SRP P26,990

Reflects U

Your ambitions – reflected in the 5.9″ screen
A new, beautifully 3D contoured, liquid surface that’s designed to reflect the best you
Lustrous, symmetrical, curved glass construction reflects light beautifully
Color from vapored minerals layered to add depth and brilliance from every angle
As the polished surface bends and blends seamlessly into the side of the phone
Allowing it to nestle perfectly in your hand.

Learns from U

Introducing HTC Sense Companion
The personal companion who is always learning from you
Suggesting you dress warm and leave for work earlier on a snowy day
Or reminding you to charge if it figures you need more power to last until you get home
And even recommending the perfect restaurant when you’re away for the weekend
It knows you – and it’s made to evolve and get to know you better over time.

Responds to U

Voice recognition – the most natural way to interact
HTC U Ultra can recognize your voice and respond, even if it’s asleep
Navigate your phone, take or reject calls, snooze or dismiss alarms, and more
Just say the word.

Puts U on top

Get updated, not interrupted
The new Dual Display gives you the information you need, at your fingertips
Perfect for fast, convenient access to the things you use the most
Like your favorite contacts, apps, reminders, event notifications and more
Because what’s important to you should always be right on top.

Listens to U

Every person’s inner ear is as unique as their fingerprint
HTC USonic analyzes your inner ears with a sonar-like pulse, and then adapts to you
Like having a sound engineer in your phone
Tiny microphones listen for the sonic reflection in your ears
One in the left ear, one in the right
Analyzing the reflected tone to optimize the headset just for you
Now you can hear the details you were missing.
Whether you’re in a library or at a party, you can adapt your headset to suit noise levels around you.

HTC BoomSound Hi-Fi edition speakers deliver pulse-pounding audio
Featuring separated sound design like leading acoustic systems
Tweeter above, woofer below
While four omnidirectional mics capture positional sound
Recording 360-degree immersive audio that’s just like being there
At the rock show. In the concert hall. Anywhere you want.

Pick the best U

Take brilliant selfies anyway you like
Easily switch between 16MP and UltraPixel in the front camera5
So you can choose between unparalleled light sensitivity* of UltraPixel –
Perfect for candlelit dinners –
Or the high resolution of 16MP –
When you want the biggest shot with the most detail.

Captures U

Every phone camera claims to take great photos
Ours is rated the industry’s best
The 12MP UltraPixel main camera delivers less blur, faster focus, better photos at night
Because every photo is important to you, anytime, anywhere.

HTC U Ultra

Perfectly symmetric
Beautifully colored 3D curved glass
Exquisitely thin
Featuring HTC Sense Companion, HTC USonic with 3D Audio, and magnificent cameras
Built to reflect the best U – the #BrilliantU

HTC U11 – SRP P36,990

the world’s first smartphone with revolutionary new squeeze interaction

U Touch

Few things are as natural and intuitive as the sense of touch. HTC Edge Sense transforms this fundamental sense into a completely new and revolutionary interaction with your phone.
With a simple squeeze, HTC Edge Sense lets you easily engage with your phone in an unprecedented yet intuitive way, helping you more naturally enjoy the things you love like taking photos, opening Facebook, or launching any of your favorite apps.
For example, with HTC Edge Sense, launching your camera has never been easier. No more fumbling for buttons or awkward hand positions. No more worrying about dropping your phone while you pose. Just lift, squeeze, smile, and snap.
You can also send texts faster and easier than before. Texting can be impossible when you are on the move, but using HTC Edge Sense for Voice to Text, you can speak your text messages without having to slow down. Lightly squeeze, speak your message and send
your texts on the go.
You can even customize the squeeze gesture: open email with just a squeeze. Or launch your favorite game (or any other app). Or pick any one of a host of options. Want even more touch control? HTC Edge Sense gives you the ability to activate advanced touch and use a “short squeeze” as well as a “squeeze and hold” for even more functionality at your fingertips.
And because Edge Sense is based on actual pressure applied to the side of the device, it can be used in nearly any condition – including while wearing gloves or in weather such as snow or rain that would normally be a challenge with capacitive buttons.

Reflects U

HTC U11’s liquid glass surface is crafted to impress using Optical Spectrum Hybrid Deposition. By layering highly-refractive precious minerals across the phone’s back cover, we’ve created vivid new colors that transforms light with every movement you make.
The new seamless, curved look of HTC U11 is achieved with 3D glass on both front and back. Heating and then bending the glass using extreme pressure results in unique, 3-axis symmetry for a phone that is slim no matter which way you hold it.
HTC U11 has a 5.5” Quad HD 3D glass screen designed for vivid, crisp images and text in any light – even direct sunlight. With our best display and true-to-life color reproduction, we provide you a purer full-framed viewing experience. Our display avoids the cropped pictures or distorted colors at the edge that are the results you can expect from a curved screen.
Plus, HTC U11 is water-resistant, so no need to worry about splashes, spills, or dunks.

Tuned to U

HTC U11 introduces the latest version of HTC USonic, which now combines Active Noise Cancellation with the ability to tune audio to your unique hearing. By leveraging built-in microphones on the headset and USB-C data connectivity, USonic earbuds map your inner ear with an advanced sonar-like technology and then adapt the sound profile to your unique biology. This creates an incredibly personal and optimized listening experience with vibrant audio shaped specifically for you.
USonic now incorporates Active Noise Cancellation, which reduces disruptions and distractions around you, so you can stay focused on your music. Active Noise Cancellation continuously monitors environmental sound levels, and quickly adjusts to any new noises or disturbances. You’re free to stay focused on your music, videos, or games.
HTC BoomSound Hi-Fi Edition speakers got an upgrade, too. We’ve improved the speaker design to deliver more loudness and better Dynamic Range Audio. On top, the tweeter now offers an acoustic chamber that allows the highs and mids to sound richer. While below, the woofer sports a new speaker and improved magnetic circuit design for louder, clearer and deeper bass tones. You really have to hear it to believe the power of BoomSound.
We didn’t forget to upgrade the microphones, either, using four optimally positioned omnidirectional microphones together with our new Acoustic Focus technology, HTC brings you our best 3D audio recording quality yet. HTC U11’s microphones work together to record audio from all directions, and when shooting video with Acoustic Focus, you can visually zoom in to target your subject and amplify their specific sounds.
Out of the box, we will also ship an HTC USB-C to 3.5mm adapter with a built-in DAC that offers great audio performance and wide compatibility with all other devices and earphones.

Pictures that move U

HTC U11 has achieved the highest ever rating for a smartphone camera for both photo and video by independent metric DxOMark. Our multi-axis optical stabilization system and super-fast autofocus in all lighting conditions make the camera quick, your pictures sharp, and videos smooth. We improved our camera and video for a more dynamic exposure range with HDR Boost without the lag, new white balance enhancement, a major reduction in noise, and excellent detail preservation.
HTC U11 introduces Auto HDR Boost to give you all the benefits of HDR without the lag. HDR Boost offers clearer, more balanced pictures by taking multiple shots that measure the darkest shadows and brightest highlights without any slowdown. HTC U11 enhances textures and colors, increases visible detail and brings out the best in every shot. When shooting video, Temporal Noise Reduction automatically uses information from the previous and next frames to remove unwanted noise and deliver the clearest video.
Great news for serious photographers: HTC U11 incorporates the new UltraSpeed AutoFocus with same full sensor auto-focus technology that’s found in top DSLR cameras, so you can enjoy significantly faster focus speeds, with snappy and delightful performance. In addition, HTC U11’s exceptional optical and electronic stabilization system will keep your photos and video steady and crisp even when your hand is shaking.
The new front camera now combines high-resolution 16MP detail and our UltraPixel 3 light sensitivity for brilliant selfies day or night. It also utilizes the same powerful HDR Boost and noise reduction as the main camera.

The smarter digital companion for U

We’ve made HTC Sense Companion smarter than ever: it will get to know you and your daily patterns over time in order to offer you more convenience every day. For example, HTC Sense Companion is smart enough to notice if you have any late appointments that day and will remind you to recharge while you have time or bring a power bank. It will make sure your phone is running at its optimum speed by suggesting to clear junk files and unused apps for more free space. It will let you know if you need to dress for inclement weather conditions, track your fitness progress relative to your goals, recommend great nearby restaurants at mealtime, and much more.
HTC U11 runs the latest version of Android, so it also includes Google Assistant, the helpful personal assistant powered by Google se arch and services for finding directions, getting answers, managing your tasks, planning your day, and entertainment.

Powerful U

HTC U11 is the first smartphone to be commercially released worldwide that is exclusively powered by the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 835 Mobile Platform. So no matter what region of the world you live in, you get an octa-core processor with breakthrough speeds, jaw-dropping graphics, impressively smooth performance and outstanding battery life. Every HTC U11 also includes UFS 2.1 for the fastest processor paired with the fastest memory performance. Experience Gigabit Class LTE (up to 1Gbps) with the integrated Snapdragon X16 LTE modem, which is designed to deliver fiber optic speeds on the go for lightning-fast music and video downloads and to get almost instant access to the web, social media sites or your content in the cloud. You get 25% faster graphics than the HTC 10, with 35% or 3 hours more video playback, 30% or 8 hours more music playback and 43% or 3.5 hours longer web browsing time via a LTE network.
A blazing fast processor with amazing camera and incredible HTC USonic sound means you’ll want a lot of storage for apps, games, photos, music, and entertainment: HTC U11 offers 6 GB RAM / 128 GB storage, so fun on your phone is always available.
HTC U11 also offers a fingerprint reader for enhanced privacy and security. Requiring just a few minutes to set up, the fingerprint reader will unlock your phone with the press of your finger – making it faster and easier to jot the note, capture the photo, or do anything you want with your phone on a moment’s notice.

Here are some of my pictures I was able to take of the HTC U11:

Dual SIM:

Shooting Modes: It can shoot RAW! It also does Slow Motion, Hyperlapse, Selfie Panorama, and even has a Pro Mode where you can fiddle with settings like you can with a DSLR.