At the moment, many manufacturers have already announced dual-camera smartphones, so we can talk about the formation of a new trend. Big brands like Apple and Samsung are in no hurry, but rumored iPhone 7 Plus and Galaxy Note 7 may also follow the path of competitors.
In this regard, many have a logical question: why do smartphones need a dual camera? In order to answer it, we turn to the history of the “split” of cameras among mobile devices.
On the wave of Avatar
The first dual-camera smartphones were the LG Optimus 3D Max P725 and HTC Evo 3D. Their appearance was associated with the active popularization of “home 3D”, when it is possible to watch surround video not only in the cinema.
However, in practice, such models did not get much popularity, as well as generally inexpensive amateur cameras for shooting three-dimensional video. Unlike blockbusters like Avatar, which urged the mass consumer to purchase home theaters and TVs with 3D support, amateur content of this kind did not have even a hundredth of the necessary “wow effect”.
In addition, to view it outside the small screen of a smartphone, special, rather expensive and generally not very convenient equipment was required.
No matter how marketers tried to get LG Optimus 3D and HTC Evo 3D to buy, nothing good came of it in the end. These models have remained experimental, although the same Koreans later released the updated LG Optimus 3D LG P920, but it also did not enjoy any noticeable popularity in contrast to the "classic" smartphones.
In general, phone manufacturers do not lose hope, especially after the relatively cheap 3D glasses like Samsung Gear VR went to the masses. Compared to a 3D TV, they provide a much greater presence effect, while they are much cheaper.
In particular, smartphones with Intel RealSense ZR300 3D cameras (already available to developers) and a joint creation of Google and Lenovo called Project Tango are expected this year.
Cameras as a sensor
Standing apart is another conceptual device called the Amazon Fire Phone, which received as many as 4 (!) Front cameras. He also owed his appearance to popularizing amateur 3D, but he himself could not shoot three-dimensional content.
4 cameras in Amazon Fire Phone were used as motion sensors when viewing a three-dimensional image on the screen. The chip is interesting, but devoid of special practical value. In addition, the smartphone was based on a kind of “fork” of Android called Fire OS 3.5, which did not add to its popularity.
The battle for quality
While some manufacturers experimented with mobile 3D-cameras, the Chinese company Huawei has found its use in dual cameras in smartphones - to improve the quality of images. So in December 2014, the Honor 6 Plus smartphone appeared, the predecessor that we wrote about at the very beginning.
The fact is that for all its incredible popularity, mobile photography is greatly limited by the small body of the smartphone, into which the rest of the hardware still needs to be shoved. And this is if you do not take into account trends like the desire to create the thinnest smartphone.
You can’t put an oversized sensor in your smartphone; for optics you have to invent special compact solutions, the development and production of which is very expensive.
Huawei found a relatively cheap and practical solution: take two ordinary cameras, take a picture with different exposure parameters at the same time, and then form the final photo based on a couple of the resulting pictures.
It is also possible to take pictures with different focal lengths (the so-called "post-focus"). The idea is very interesting, but Huawei Honor 6 Plus algorithms, which were very primitive at that time, failed even in “ideal” laboratory conditions (but these failures may look like interesting effects).
An example of “artistic glitches” from Huawei, taken from here: https://hi-tech.mail.ru/review/huawei_honor_6_plus-rev/
Another “guest” from 2014, which is interesting by the presence of an “auxiliary” camera in addition to the main one. The main task, as in the case of Huawei Honor 6 Plus, is the implementation of “post-focus”.
Despite the fact that the HTC One M8 allowed you to take pictures with the main camera at 4 MPp even better than the Samsung Galaxy S5 with its 16 Mp, this was not due to the additional camera, but to UltraPixel technology, which is similar to DualPixel in the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge .
About this little-known Chinese smartphone, the main feature of which was the “professionalism” of mobile photography, they suddenly remembered in the wake of the dual-camera trend of smartphones. In general, Qiku Q Terra was focused exclusively on the Chinese market, and outside it is extremely rare.
Quite often it turns out that the know-how of modern phones is a well-forgotten past. So it was with fingerprint sensors, and with the release of the iPhone 7 Plus, dual cameras can return.
Apple's smartphone is far from the first to have a similar solution. The first dual-camera phone came out in 2007 - then the iPhone did not even support applications and 3G. The Engadget site in its material all devices from the past that had two cameras.
Samsung SCH-B710
The first phone had two cameras in order to shoot 3D content. Samsung SCH-B710 came out in April 2007 and had a pair of sensors of 1.3 megapixels. His 2.2-inch screen with a resolution of 320x240 pixels used parallax to display three-dimensional content. Plus, the gadget could watch local broadcast television.
LG Optimus 3D
The next phone with two cameras came out many years later - in 2011. It was the LG Optimus 3D, which was the first Android smartphone with a 3D camera. The latter had five megapixels per lens and recorded 720p video. The Optimus 3D screen also showed stereo content on a diagonal of 4.3 inches with a resolution of 480x800 pixels.
HTC EVO 3D
Since 2011, the EVO 3D gadget has actually been an improved version of the LG Optimus 3D. It had a screen of 4.3 inches with 960x540 pixels, a powerful Snapdragon chipset. But the cameras were the same, along with the recording of three-dimensional video in 720p.
Sharp Aquos Phone SH-12C / SH-80F
The same year, Sharp Aquos Phone SH-12C (international marking SH-80F) was released. It was an Android smartphone with 8 megapixel cameras. The device display had 4.2 inches with a resolution of 540x960 pixels.
HTC One M8
The next device came out in 2014 - it was the HTC One M8, which received a new type of dual camera with the marketing name Duo Camera. The main sensor had a 4-megapixel sensor HTC UltraPixel, and it was helped by a 2-megapixel sensor, thanks to which the device’s autofocus was faster. In addition, the M8 offered a set of effects after shooting based on two cameras.
Huawei Honor 6 Plus
At the end of 2014, a dual-camera phone was released by Huawei. The Honor 6 Plus gadget had two 8-megapixel sensors, which, according to Huawei, together gave 13-megapixel images. In Honor 6 Plus, in addition to improving the quality of images, two cameras also allowed to accelerate autofocus and get additional image processing effects.
HTC One M9 +
In 2015, HTC released the M9 +. In it, the dual camera Duo Camera no longer had an UltraPixel sensor, but used a 20-megapixel matrix from Toshiba. A little later, in the M9 + version of Supreme Camera Edition, the sensor was replaced with a Sony 21-megapixel sensor.
LG V10
At the end of 2015, LG released the flagship V10. He used a new approach: cameras had different lenses. One was a standard 80-degree lens, and the other was a 120-degree wide-angle lens.
CAT S60
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Released in February 2016, the CAT S60 gadget has two cameras and takes great pictures both in the afternoon and in total darkness. That's because one of his cameras is a thermal imager. He does not need ordinary light — he “sees” the warmth of objects. True, you had to pay for it - the phone costs $ 599.
Lenovo Phab 2 Pro
Lenovo Phab 2 Pro is not yet on sale. But it should be the first smartphone to have Google Tango 3D vision technology. It allows you to scan objects and get their virtual models, and also extends the capabilities of augmented reality.
Perhaps we forgot to mention some smartphones that have two cameras. Write about them in the comments.
The best smartphones have earned their position honestly, because they won in duels with dozens of other mobile phones. However, not all of them have impeccable cameras. The rating on this page remains always up to date and is updated automatically.
Rating Leader:
- The number of points in the overall ranking (out of 100): 100
- Main camera, measured resolution: 1.547 line pairs
- Video Resolution 3.840 x 2.160 pixels
Overall rating: 95.1
Value for money: 55
The Galaxy S9 Plus model was presented at the Mobile World Congress 2018 and it was its manufacturer that endowed the most innovative camera solutions. The developers were able to realize the principle of the structure of the human eye in the lens of her camera, using a variable aperture in the design. The device, in accordance with the lighting conditions, can automatically switch between aperture f / 1.5 and f / 2.4, which allows the camera to capture 28% more light and obtain detailed images with a minimum amount of noise even in dark rooms.
In the smartphone Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus, unlike the younger model Galaxy S9, a second camera is added as an auxiliary, which is equipped with a telephoto lens. There is no variable aperture, but the function of double optical zoom is implemented. The matrix of the additional camera has a resolution of 12 megapixels and an aperture of f / 2.4. Among the features of this camera is the addition of a background blur effect - “bokeh” to the picture.
Some features of the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus cameras can be found in the official video for the smartphone.
Technology fusion and phenomenal result: HTC U12 +
- The number of points in the overall ranking (out of 100): 99
- Main camera, resolution: 12.2 MP
- Front camera, resolution: 8.0 MP
- Main camera, measured resolution: 1.589 line pairs
- Main camera, expert assessment of image quality: very good
Overall rating: 92.3
Value for money: 51
HTC U12 Plus looks very attractive. It comes with a glass case and an aluminum frame in three color options. The screen has a resolution of 2880 x 1440 pixels and, thus, gives a very clear picture with a pixel density of 537 dpi. However, the maximum screen brightness in this model is quite low, which spoils the overall very good impression. In our test, he scored a total of 290 candelas.
Now about the camera. The rear panel uses a 12-megapixel camera with a good aperture (f / 1.7) paired with a 16-megapixel telephoto camera with double focal length (f / 2.6 aperture). Thanks to the telephoto lens, a double optical zoom is possible, which does not miss any details. The optical image stabilizer has only a 12 megapixel camera. In addition, there is a portrait mode with bokeh or blur effect, which is also on the 8-megapixel front camera, since HTC also relies on a system of two lenses.
For sharper photos with less noise, especially at dusk, there is the so-called HDR Boost, which the manufacturer has significantly improved (HDR Boost 2). The U12 Plus takes multiple shots with different exposures and puts them together to form a photo.
Record videos at up to 60 frames per second in UHD resolution with four microphones for 360 ° 3D audio. Slow motion is possible in Full HD mode at a speed of 240 frames per second.
Maximum Resolution: OnePlus 6 128GB
- The number of points in the overall rating (out of 100): 95.3
- Main camera, resolution: 15.9 MP
- Front camera: Resolution: 15.9 MP
- Main camera, measured resolution: 1.764 line pairs
- Main camera, expert assessment of image quality: very good
- Video Resolution: 3.840 x 2.160 pixels
Overall rating: 94.4
Value for money: 65
OnePlus 6 has an excellent OLED display, good battery life and high performance. Unlike its predecessor, the case of this smartphone is not made of aluminum. Instead, the vendor donned his flagship in the glass of Gorilla Glas 5.
The display displays content with a resolution of 2280 × 1080 pixels, that is, the picture is very clear. In addition, we liked the saturated colors (here we measured the coverage of the Standart-RGB color space as much as 148%) and excellent contrast. The maximum brightness, according to the results of measurements in the framework of testing, amounted to 497 cd / m2 - it is so bright that even in sunlight the display remains well readable.
During performance testing, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor clearly demonstrated that it provides the device with serious power. When loading large websites and applications, the system responds instantly and smoothly.
Regarding the camera, we note that in this model, the manufacturer used the updated Sony IMX 519 sensor, which has a 19% larger area than the IMX 398 of the previous model. The main camera works in the company from the second to 20 megapixels. The aperture of OnePlus 6 is f / 1.7, that is, large enough, which increases the luminous flux during shutter release. In addition, an optical image stabilizer appears on board as a novelty.
The results of our laboratory measurements show high quality photographs. Even when shooting at dusk, negative effects such as noise and the effects of the blur algorithm remain within reason. The level of detail here is also good, although it does not reach the heights of such cameras as y. The front camera uses a 16 megapixel sensor and an f / 2.0 aperture.
Portrait mode is available on both the front and rear cameras of the OnePlus 6. Using AI, the front camera can create a stylish blur of the background image (in professional language, this is called bokeh).
Video clips can be shot in UHD resolution at up to 60 frames per second, and slow-motion video in Full-HD with 240 fps - the latter corresponds to a fourfold slowdown.
This smartphone is equipped with a camera with a number of innovative solutions that guarantee beautiful pictures in twilight conditions. Of course, this device uses a dual camera with a 12 megapixel sensor. We tested optics in scenes in very bright light - 1000 lux and in gloomy - 50 lux, and in both cases the device produced a top-level level of photo quality. Such details as individual hair and threads in dim lighting are perfectly distinguishable - not many smartphones that are not included in the group of top-end devices manage to do this.
However, the pictures taken by Zenfone 3 Zoom in daylight, in comparison with competitors, were slightly disappointing. In some places, surfaces are overexposed, which reduces the level of detail. Other smartphones from the top segment offer a little more quality.
The developers used in the camera of this smartphone a symbiosis of electronic and optical image stabilizers. This allowed the built-in camera to receive in zoom mode scenes (2.3x magnification) in good quality.
Smartphones with the best camera of 2017
HTC U11: a smartphone with a better camera
The real star of the smartphone is its gorgeous 12 megapixel camera. We have never seen such good quality photos in any smartphone. Even, which until recently had the best rating in the corresponding test category, in this parameter it can not be compared with U11. To optimize the quality of images, HTC uses the so-called HDR-Boost mode, which allows the smartphone to distinguish valid image information from digital artifacts and promises good quality photos even in twilight lighting.
HTC U11 camera takes very good photos And the test results confirm the fulfillment of these promises: the details (for example, thin locks of hair) that are usually lost during our testing of cameras in low light due to strong blurring - this is not about HTC U11. Compared with the results of the S8 camera, the pictures here are darker, but they look more natural and, above all, more detailed.
Samsung’s smartphone uses blur much more, which is why images lose some of their visual information. Of course, in the photographs taken by the HTC device, restrained noise is visible, but it does not interfere at all. The camera sharpens extremely fast thanks to autofocus with Dual Pixel technology. Of course, HTC U11 creates all the prerequisites for some digital cameras to be "fired."
HTC U11 has very good workmanship and is waterproof By the way, the HTC U11 has as many as four multidirectional microphones, which should provide not only accuracy in recognizing voice control commands, but also when recording video, they can be used as a directional microphone to amplify sound from a specific object - a great idea.
LG G4: great digital camera at a good price
If you want to get an excellent camera as part of a good smartphone, but do not want to empty your pocket, we recommend choosing LG G4. You can get a recommended smartphone with a 5.5-inch screen by paying about 16,000 rubles.
To make the pictures extremely clear, the manufacturer supplied the camera with a 1 / 2.6-inch sensor and an aperture of F1.8. Even in low light conditions, the lens picks up a lot of detail.
Good color reproduction and very high clarity of images (1223 linear pairs according to Deadleaves LOW10) are the key to high marks in the tests.
Added to this is a 16-megapixel camera resolution and a short (0.69 seconds) shutter release time. In addition, the camera is capable of recording video in 4K format (3840 x 2160 pixels).
The current constantly updated list of smartphones with the best cameras you will find.
1.
Camera (10%)
: 100
: 8.0 MP
Camera: Resolution
: 12.2 MP
: 1.566 pairs of lines
: very well
Video resolution
: 3.840 x 2.160 pixels
Overall rating: 93.1
Value for money: 66
2.
Camera (10%)
: 92.5
Front camera: Resolution
: 4.9 MP
Camera: Resolution
: 16.3 MP
Camera: measured resolution
: 1.790 pairs of lines
Camera: expert assessment of image quality
: well
Video resolution
: 3.840 x 2.160 pixels
Overall rating: 94.2
Value for Money: 78
3.
Camera (10%)
: 91.1
Front camera: Resolution
: 13.1 MP
Camera: Resolution
: 12.2 MP
Camera: measured resolution
: 1.511 pairs of lines
Camera: expert assessment of image quality
: well
Video resolution
: 3.840 x 2.160 pixels
Overall rating: 85.8
Value for money: 70
4.
Camera (10%)
: 90.8
Front camera: Resolution
: 11.8 MP
Camera: Resolution
: 19.7 megapixels
Camera: measured resolution
: 1.412 line pairs
Camera: expert assessment of image quality
: very well
Video resolution
: 3.840 x 2.160 pixels
Overall rating: 92.9
Value for Money: 68
5.
Camera (10%)
: 90
Front camera: Resolution
: 8.0 MP
Camera: Resolution
: 22.5 megapixels
Camera: measured resolution
: 2.088 pairs of lines
Camera: expert assessment of image quality
: well
Video resolution
: 3.840 x 2.160 pixels
Overall rating: 87.8
Value for money: 58
6.
Camera (10%)
: 89.3
Front camera: Resolution
: 8.0 MP
Camera: Resolution
: 12.2 MP
Camera: measured resolution
: 1.564 pairs of lines
Camera: expert assessment of image quality
: well
Video resolution
: 3.840 x 2.160 pixels
Overall rating: 86.7
Value for money: 62
7.
Camera (10%)
: 88.8
Front camera: Resolution
: 15.9 megapixels
Camera: Resolution
: 16.3 MP
Camera: measured resolution
The competition among smartphone manufacturers is becoming more serious every year, so buyers are often lost, who should be trusted more. Many people prefer not to experiment and purchase gadgets from trusted companies. One of these is the Taiwanese company HTC. Its lineup is quite diverse, so it is quite difficult for customers to decide which device to choose from the manufacturer presented for everyday use. However, to facilitate the difficult choice will help our ranking of HTC smartphones, which are worthy of the most attention.
Best cheap HTC smartphones
HTC company produces devices of all price ranges, so even lovers of budget electronics should pay attention to the lineup of an Asian company. Smartphones in this segment attract attention with good build quality and reliability, while the cost of smartphones within 10,000 rubles is sometimes a pleasant surprise for buyers, since at first glance gadgets seem much more expensive. In addition to the basic functionality, the phones are equipped with some additional features that are often found only in higher-end models.
Read also:
1. HTC Desire 530
An inexpensive but good Desire 530 smartphone stands out among the "budget employees" of a Taiwanese company. A stylish and neat model in a polycarbonate case attracts, first of all, with its nice design and bright 5-inch screen with Super LCD technology and HD-resolution. Despite the fact that budget smartphones usually work on small ranges of network coverage, the phone in question interacts well with 3G and 4G, as well as LTE-A up to Cat-4. The rear camera also behaves quite well, which with an 8 megapixel matrix is \u200b\u200bequipped with an F / 2.4 aperture, which allows you to take good-quality photos in daylight. The Desire 530 has quite a bit of internal memory - 16 GB, but an additional microSD slot allows you to use memory cards up to 2 TB.
Advantages:
- excellent 2200 mAh lithium-polymer battery;
- clear, high-quality sound from the speaker and headphones;
- original design;
- bright and color-rich display;
- nFC support (the ability to make contactless payments via Android Pay);
- low price.
Disadvantages:
- rather weak hardware: Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 chip and 1.5 GB of RAM;
- support for only one SIM card.
2. HTC Desire 650
The most popular budget mobile phone Desire 650 has received improved features compared to the previous model: Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor with 4 cores and 2 GB of RAM. It works really fast, so when choosing an inexpensive model, it is better to buy this particular smartphone, having spent a couple of thousand more, but having received a qualitatively new level of performance. Externally, the device is also very attractive due to the stylish case with rounded corners and a nice 5-inch HD screen covered with Gorilla Glass. The rear camera of the device shows itself much better: judging by the reviews of the owners of the smartphone, 13-megapixel optics with an aperture of F / 2.2 is capable of excellent shooting not only during the day but also at night. It is worth responding well to the quality of the device’s connection: support for 4G LTE-A Cat.4 networks allows you to always stay in touch and use mobile Internet at a chic speed.
Advantages:
- excellent smooth operation of the system;
- microSD support up to 2 TB;
- original approach to design;
- 2200 mAh lithium-polymer battery;
- excellent build quality.
Disadvantages:
- support for only one SIM card;
- under load, it heats up significantly.
Best HTC smartphones with a good camera
Decent optics on mobile devices in modern society is valued no less than long battery life. Not all manufacturers manage to equip smartphones with really powerful cameras, since the number of megapixels in the matrix is \u200b\u200bnot the main indicator of the quality of shooting. Naturally, the price of phones with good optics is much higher, but buying a separate camera will cost more, and carrying an additional device is far from always practical. Fortunately, in the ranking of HTC smartphones, there were a couple of places for gadgets that give owners the best photo shooting experience.
1. HTC Desire 10 Pro
The first TOP-smartphone in the review is destined to be Desire 10 Pro. A year ago, with the announcement of new items, developers paid special attention to the elaborate optics of the phone, which is capable of taking excellent photos in almost any environment. Indeed, the main camera received a 20 megapixel sensor, laser autofocus and an aperture of F / 2.2, due to which neither night time nor bad weather can prevent the user from making a couple of excellent high-quality images. HTC engineers also pleasantly surprised in terms of acoustics: both speakers of the smartphone stand out with good sound, and there is no need to complain about the sound of audio and video files in the headphones. On many IT forums, the phone’s performance was highly rated: MediaTek’s 8-core Helio P10 chip and 4GB RAM made the gadget incredibly fast. Especially pleasing to users is the fact that you can buy a smartphone with the characteristics of a flagship for less than 19,000 rubles.
Advantages:
- 5.5-inch full HD screen;
- support for 2 SIM cards, communication standard 4G LTE-A Cat-6;
- tempered glass Gorilla Glass;
- price - functionality ratio;
- the ability to expand the memory of SD-cards;
- gorgeous front camera on 13 megapixels.
2. HTC One M9 Plus
A couple of years ago, this gadget was considered one of the best phones from HTC, because the 5.2-inch Quad HD-display, a metal case and a fingerprint scanner on the front panel in one bottle were a very non-trivial set. Now the cost of a smartphone has decreased by almost 2 times, so the price-performance ratio of the smartphone has become incredibly attractive. Indeed, it is almost impossible to purchase a top-end phone for 18,000 rubles. In addition to the interesting design, the device is distinguished by a fantastic dual optics with 20 megapixels (main sensor) and 2.1 megapixels (scene depth sensor). Such a phone can easily replace a real professional camera. It is worth noting a good 4 megapixel front camera with Ultrapixel technology, which captures every detail of the face.
Advantages:
- high performance: 8-core Helio X10 Turbo chip and 3 GB of RAM;
- microSD slot up to 2 TB;
- protective glass Gorilla Glass;
- reliability in work;
- assembly at the highest level;
- excellent 4G LTE communication module.
Disadvantages:
- relatively large case thickness;
- 2840 mAh batteries, not enough for this screen resolution.
The best HTC smartphones with two SIM cards
If you analyze the market according to customer reviews of smartphones, you can create a kind of model of the ideal device. In addition to the top technical specifications, excellent optics and attractive design, the smartphone should have slots for two SIM cards, since in modern society every second has at least two mobile numbers. HTC for a long time was a bit dismissive of the tendency to switch to two SIM slots, but as a result they succumbed to the "fashion", which resulted in magnificent flagships, which are not only pleasant, but practical to use.
1. HTC U11
Currently, the best phone model from HTC is the U11. This is a real grand market of current smartphones. The manufacturer proposed a 5.5-inch display with Super LCD 5 technology and Quad HD resolution, thanks to which each pixel seems incredibly saturated and bright. The tempered glass Gorilla Glass of the latest model, protection according to the IP67 standard and a robust, rugged case make the smartphone practically immune to all kinds of damage and malfunction. The performance of this powerful smartphone seems unlimited: the 8-core Snapdragon 835 processor and incredible 6 GB of RAM leave no chance even for the most resource-demanding applications. And, of course, one cannot ignore the main innovation from HTC, which made the U11 unique: Edge Sense technology allows you to control your phone through case compression, setting different functions for each degree of pressure. No other gadget in the world can boast of such an option.
Advantages:
- 12 megapixel camera with optical stabilization and an aperture of F / 1.7;
- 16MP front optics;
- 128 GB internal memory;
- two SIM cards with VoLTE support;
- quick charge function;
- sensor Hub module-tracker for tracking physical activity.
Disadvantages:
- are absent.
2. HTC U Ultra
The U Ultra smartphone with a large 5.7-inch screen is known not only for performance and functionality, but also for the presence of an additional 2.05-inch display. Everything is clear with the main screen: Quad HD resolution, Super LCD 5 technology, amazing image. But why do you need a small screen at the top of the smartphone? In fact, its purpose can be completely different: a notification bar, a quick access panel, a player, a weather widget, and much more. Without taking away the useful space of the main screen, the additional one makes the smartphone more practical. But not only in two displays are the advantages of the device. The phone received excellent 12MP rear optics with laser autofocus and F / 1.8 aperture and no less worthy front-facing 16MP. Both SIM cards can work on VoLTE bands.
Advantages:
- good performance: Snapdragon 821 chip on 4 cores and 4 GB of RAM;
- mechanical button, fingerprint scanner;
- module tracker Sensor Hub;
- great sound;
- stylish modern design;
- system speed;
- uSB Type-C port, support fast charging.
Disadvantages:
- mediocre 3000 mAh battery;
- there is no classic headphone jack (wireless only).
3. HTC U Play
The next high-quality smartphone, in terms of characteristics, is slightly inferior to previous models, however this does not make it less attractive. On the contrary, lowering the price to 18000-19000 rubles attracts much more buyers, because flagships in the middle price range are rare guests. The design of the device did not become innovative, but the image quality was not affected: the Full HD format and 5.2 inches with Super LCD demonstrate an excellent combination of brightness and saturation of the photo. The classic smartphone case received a mechanical button with a fingerprint scanner and tempered glass, so there are no questions about the appearance of U Play. Performance is almost imperceptibly lower: the 8-core Helio P10 chip can hardly be called weak or medium, and 4 GB of RAM with a margin is enough for serious workload and multitasking. Both slots for SIM cards do not work with VoLTE, however, support for LTE-A Cat-6 is more than enough for a comfortable network experience.
Advantages:
- 16MP front optics;
- very fast fingerprint scanner;
- reliable strong case;
- uSB Type-C port, support fast charging;
- built-in memory 64 GB, slot for microSD up to 2 TB;
Disadvantages:
- weak 2500 mAh battery (autonomy a little less than a day);
- no standard audio jack.
Which HTC smartphone to buy
Popular and highly promoted brands are by no means a guarantee that their lineup is replete with high-quality new products. Of course, the number of gadgets of a Taiwanese company cannot compete with those of Apple and Samsung. Nevertheless, choosing the best smartphone from the HTC brand can be very difficult, as the company has more than enough decent electronics. The buyer can be sure of the quality and reliability of the proposed phones. The only thing that you need to choose is a suitable design and characteristics for your own needs.
HTC officially unveiled the flagship smartphone U12 +. The day before the announcement, he was on the official website, so the intrigue did not work out. The device inherited a design with the effect of liquid glass, but the company completely updated the camera.
Taiwanese have not succumbed to the fringe fashion - HTC U12 + received a 6-inch 18: 9 display without cutouts. The Super LCD 6 panel has a resolution of 2880x1440, supports the HDR 10 standard and the DCI-P3 color space. The side frames are very thin, but the “chin” could make a little less. By the way, the Plus version will be the only smartphone in the series, a standard U12 is not planned. Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 eight-core processor, 6 gigabytes of RAM, 64-gigabyte or 128 gigabytes of internal memory plus a microSD card slot are responsible for speed.
Bokeh on both sides
HTC G12 + was the first flagship since the time to get a dual camera. And even two. At the back is the main module with a 12-megapixel UltraPixel 4 sensor (1.4 μm pixel size), f / 1.75 aperture and optical stabilization. His company is the second 16-megapixel module with a telephoto lens for twice the zoom (f / 2.6). Both use phase and laser autofocus. Declared support for recording 4K-video at a frequency of 60 frames per second and slow-motion shooting in Full HD quality at 240 frames per second. The front camera includes two 8-megapixel sensors with f / 2.0 optics and autofocus. Blurred portrait mode is available in both.
In DxOMark, the smartphone scored 103 points - this is the second rating result immediately after.
Edge sense 2
The manufacturer did not abandon the sensor ends and introduced an updated system. Now, in addition to compression, a double touch is supported, by default it activates one-handed mode, but in the settings you can set another action. HTC U12 Plus knows when it is held in hand, and disables automatic screen rotation if the user flips through social media tapes while lying on the couch. Very comfortably! Huawei has a similar feature, but there, using the camera, the position of the face is tracked.
The power and volume buttons are actually not buttons. They do not move, Edge Sense 2 pressure sensors register a touch, and light vibration provides a tactile response. Why bother so? This at least helped to achieve protection against dust and water according to the IP68 standard.
What else?
The 3500 mAh battery supports Quick Charge 4 fast charging, although a charger with the previous version of the QC3.0 standard was put in the box (up to 50% in 35 minutes). Wireless charging is not delivered. HTC U12 + is equipped with WiFi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0 and NFC modules. The 3.5 mm jack has not been returned, but the HTC USonic headset with active noise reduction and a USB Type-C port is included. There is also an adapter for compatibility with other headphones. The HTC BoomSound Hi-Fi Edition system includes a speaker at the bottom that is responsible for bass, and a spoken speaker reproduces high frequencies.
Operating system - Android 8.0 Oreo, also promise to upgrade to Android P shortly after the release of the new version. The standard voice assistant can be either Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa. The first will work with us soon.
HTC U12 + is available in three colors: black, red and blue with a translucent back panel.
How much is?
The price of the HTC U12 + starts at $ 800 for a 64 GB model. The older version with 128 GB of memory will cost $ 850. There is no lack of competitors - Samsung Galaxy S9 + costs $ 840-890 depending on the amount of memory (in the US market). You can grab it for $ 730, but if the cut-out of the screen does not offend your sense of beauty, there is a price tag of $ 530.
