HTC's U12+ Flagship Phone Officially Announced With Dual Cameras And Translucent Chassis

At this point it feels like we already know most of what there is to know about HTC's new flagship smartphone. However, specs and pricing are now official, as HTC has gone formally introduced the U12+, and is currently accepting pre-orders for both carrier-specific and unlocked models starting at $799, or $34 per month for 24 months at 0 percent ARP with HTC's own financing program.

HTC is calling the U12+ its "biggest and boldest flagship phone ever." It arrives with a 6-inch Quad HD+ (2880x1440) Super LCD display with an 18:9 aspect ratio and HDR support, protected with Corning Gorilla Glass. Android fans who despite the recent trend towards a notched design will appreciate that HTC opted not to go that route, instead using a more traditional bezel that extends across the entire top of the phone.

Underneath the hood is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor and 6GB of RAM. This is paired with either 64GB or 128GB of onboard storage. If that's enough to hold all your photos, videos, and apps, you can shove up to a 2TB memory card into the phone's microSD card slot.


For taking photos, the U12+ wields dual cameras on both the front and back of the phone. On the rear, the primary shooter consists of a 12-megapixel "UltraPixel 4" sensor with 1.4μm pixels, f/1.75 aperture, and optical image stabilization. This is supplemented with a 16-megapixel telephoto camera that has 1.0μm pixels and an f/2.6 aperture. Users can record video at up to 4K at 60 frames per second, and slow motion at 1080p at up to 240 fps.

On the front, the U12+ sports a pair of 8-megapixel cameras, both with an f/2.0 aperture. HTC says this allows for an 84-degree wide-angle view, and of course real-time bokeh.


For the first time on an HTC handset, the U12+ uses pressure sensitive buttons with a squeezable frame. HTC calls this Edge Sense. The buttons provide haptic feedback, though what's really interesting is that the handset uses its pressure sensing capabilities to determine if a user is holding the phone in portrait or landscape mode, and will prevent it from rotating when that is not the intended function. This is something I wish my iPhone 6S Plus would do, as I frequently battle with the screen rotating when I'm laying down and holding it at an angle.

As mentioned, the U12+ is available to pre-order now. The 64GB model sells for $799 and the 128GB variant for $849, or $36 per month through HTC's 0 percent APR financing. You can purchase either one in Translucent Blue or Ceramic Black.