A squeezable smartphone

HTC Malaysia recently announced the arrival of its flagship squeezable phone, the HTC U11.
Running the top-of-the-line ­Qualcomm processor, paired with an acclaimed camera and all wrapped in a gorgeous design, the U11 is poised to be a main contender in the premium market – especially with its ­competitive price.
HTC South Asia president Faisal Siddiqui said: “HTC has constantly evolved throughout the years by marking many firsts in the industry, which have now been widely adopted by other smartphone makers.”
The HTC U11 continues that ­tradition with a slew of new features.
Chief among them is the HTC Edge Sense. Just squeezing the sides of the phone will launch the camera, take a picture, take a ­screenshot, or anything you want.
HTC Edge Sense works as a ­programmable input option, like a button, both novel and ­practical, depending on the ­situation.
The 12MP HTC UltraPixel 3 rear camera on the HTC U11 was given a score of 90 by DxOMark, an ­independent matrix for both mobile photo and video.
The score, according to Wayne Tang, associate director at HTC South Asia, is unprecedented, and was awarded for the camera’s quick performance, low-light capabilities, and image quality.
On the front, the HTC U11 sports a 16MP sensor that is capable of recording 1080p video, and is equipped with all the bells and whistles you would expect from a selfie camera.
The design is also one of the U11’s crowning jewels.
Like the HTC U Play and the HTC U Ultra, the U11 has a unique glass back that mimics the glimmer and smoothness of a water droplet that is held by its surface tension. It is a sight to behold.
In Malaysia, the HTC U11 is ­available in ­three colours – amazing silver, ­sapphire blue, and brilliant black, with a fourth colour, solar red, to be ­introduced later.
Sound has always been one of HTC’s ­understated forte and on the U11, you get HTC Sonic, which is an audio ­technology that attunes itself to your unique hearing; USonic, which is an active noise cancellation function; and HTC’s signature BoomSound Hi-Fi edition speakers that promise a superior sound ­experience without headphones.
The U11 also has an ­array of four ­microphones that works together to focus on a sound like a directional microphone or create a ­soundscape.
While the phone does not have an audio jack, it does come with an HTC USB-C to 3.5mm adapter and a pair of USB-C earbuds.
Inside the HTC U11 is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, which is currently a staple on all premium flagship phones.
This is paired with 128GB of ­storage and 6GB of memory for peak performance.
Other notable ­specs include its 3000mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0, ­Android 7.1 with HTC Sense ­operating system, a 5.5in Quad HD display, and its IP67 rating for water and dust resistance.
The phone retails for RM3,099.