Mobile Technology

HTC U11 vs. iPhone 7

HTC U11 vs. iPhone 7
The HTC U11 and iPhone 7 have the same starting price, but beyond that, they have very relatively little in common
The HTC U11 and iPhone 7 have the same starting price, but beyond that, they have very relatively little in common
View 32 Images
The HTC U11 and iPhone 7 have the same starting price, but beyond that, they have very relatively little in common
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The HTC U11 and iPhone 7 have the same starting price, but beyond that, they have very relatively little in common
Operating system
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Operating system
Starting price (full retail)
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Starting price (full retail)
Release date
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Release date
Voice assistant
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Voice assistant
Mobile payments
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Mobile payments
Camera aperture
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Camera aperture
Camera megapixels
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Camera megapixels
Battery size
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Battery size
Optical image stabilization (OIS)
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Optical image stabilization (OIS)
Bundled headphones
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Bundled headphones
Headphone jack
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Headphone jack
Wireless charging
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Wireless charging
VR-ready
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VR-ready
Dual-lens camera
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Dual-lens camera
Built-in storage
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Built-in storage
RAM
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RAM
Processor
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Processor
Fingerprint sensor
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Fingerprint sensor
Pressure-sensitive edges
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Pressure-sensitive edges
Quick charging
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Quick charging
Hi-Fi audio
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Hi-Fi audio
MicroSD
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MicroSD
Pressure-sensitive display
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Pressure-sensitive display
Display type
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Display type
Display resolution
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Display resolution
Display size
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Display size
Water resistance
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Water resistance
Color variants
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Color variants
Build materials
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Build materials
Weight
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Weight
Dimensions
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Dimensions
View gallery - 32 images

The HTC U11 and iPhone 7 have the same starting price point, but otherwise, they are about as different as premium smartphone flagships can be. Here's how their specs and features compare.

Size

Dimensions
Dimensions

The HTC U11 falls squarely in phablet territory, while the iPhone 7 is one of the smallest premium flagships you'll find. The U11 is about 10-percent taller, 12-percent wider and 10-percent thicker.

Weight

Weight
Weight

Fittingly, the HTC U11 also weighs 18-percent more.

Build materials

Build materials
Build materials

The iPhone 7 has the same aluminum unibody we've seen from Apple over the last few generations. The HTC U11, no doubt inspired by phones like the Samsung Galaxy S8, has an all-glass body with an aluminum frame.

Colors

Color variants
Color variants

Both makers offer a variety of color options, but availability varies. The HTC options marked with an asterisk are not currently available in the US. The red iPhone variant is a special Product (RED) edition.

Water resistance

Water resistance
Water resistance

Both phones have an IP67 water resistance rating, so you don't need to worry about splashing or a shallow quick dip.

Display size

Display size
Display size

Even without touting super-narrow bezels, the 5.5-inch HTC U11 handily trounces the iPhone's 4.7-inch display area.

Display resolution

Display resolution
Display resolution

The U11 also has considerably higher display resolution, though pixel density is far from the only indicator of display quality.

Display type

Display type
Display type

Both makers opt for IPS displays instead of the AMOLED alternative.

Pressure-sensitive display

Pressure-sensitive display
Pressure-sensitive display

The iPhone 7 has a pressure-sensitive display, a bit of technology that Apple calls 3D Touch. 3D Touch adds a new way to navigate through your phone. It launches different actions depending on how long and hard you press the screen.

Pressure-sensitive edges

Pressure-sensitive edges
Pressure-sensitive edges

While the U11 does not have a pressure-sensitive display, it does add additional interactions with its pressure-sensitive edges. You can perform simple actions like snapping the camera shutter or launching voice-to-text with just a squeeze to your phone.

Fingerprint sensor

Fingerprint sensor
Fingerprint sensor

Both phones have an off-screen home button with an embedded fingerprint sensor.

Processor

Processor
Processor

HTC uses the latest Snapdragon 835 chipset, while Apple uses its own A10 chip.

RAM

RAM
RAM

The HTC U11 has double the RAM of the iPhone 7, but to be fair, the two operating systems use memory differently.

Storage

Built-in storage
Built-in storage

Apple offers three built-in storage tiers starting with an entry-level 32 GB. HTC keeps things simple with one 64 GB amount.

MicroSD

Quick charging
Quick charging

HTC further safeguards against storage issues with a microSD slot, for expandable storage.

Hi-Fi audio

MicroSD
MicroSD

HTC is one of the few smartphone makers that caters to audiophiles with Hi-Fi audio support.

Headphone jack

Wireless charging
Wireless charging

However, HTC has opted to follow in Apple's footsteps and nix the standard 3.5 mm headphone jack. You'll need either an adapter (included), USB-C/Lightning port headphones or a pair that connects via Bluetooth.

Bundled headphones

Optical image stabilization (OIS)
Optical image stabilization (OIS)

Both makers bundle a pair of headphones in the box. HTC adds a pair of U Sonic active noise cancelling headphones that plug into the USB-C port. Apple includes a (wired) Lightning port version of its earpods.

Battery size

Battery size
Battery size

The U11 has considerably more battery capacity than the iPhone 7. Battery size isn't the only indicator of overall battery life, so we'll have to see how well the U11 fares in a benchmark test to get a better idea.

Fast charging

Pressure-sensitive edges
Pressure-sensitive edges

The U11 supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0.

Wireless charging

Wireless charging
Wireless charging

Neither phone supports wireless charging.

Camera megapixels

Camera megapixels
Camera megapixels

Both phones have 12 MP in the rear (main) camera, but HTC makes an unusual move and adds even higher 16 MP resolution in the front camera. The U11 should be able to take seriously sharp selfies.

Camera aperture (rear)

Camera aperture
Camera aperture

The U11 has a slightly higher camera aperture, which should mean competitive low light shooting and depth of field effects.

Dual-lens camera

Wireless charging
Wireless charging

Neither of these phones include a trendy dual-lens camera – you'll have to look to phones like the iPhone 7 Plus or LG G6.

Optical image stabilization (OIS)

Optical image stabilization (OIS)
Optical image stabilization (OIS)

Both shooters include OIS, which minimizes image blur by counteracting hand shake.

Mobile payments

Mobile payments
Mobile payments

Both phones contain NFC, the requisite technology for making payments at brick-and-mortar retailers with a swipe of your phone (at participating merchants). The U11 supports Android Pay; the iPhone 7 supports Apple Pay.

Voice assistant

Voice assistant
Voice assistant

The iPhone keeps things simple with Siri. On the other hand, the U11 has Google Assistant (like all recent Androids) along with wake word access to Amazon Alexa, as well as its own HTC Sense Companion voice-controlled assistant.

VR-ready

Dual-lens camera
Dual-lens camera

Neither of these phones support mobile virtual reality beyond basic Google Cardboard functionality.

Operating system

Operating system
Operating system

The U11 runs Android Nougat with HTC's UI skinned on top. The iPhone runs iOS 10, Apple's latest mobile OS.

Release date

Release date
Release date

The iPhone 7 has been around since late last year, but the newly announced HTC U11 hits stores next month.

Starting price (full retail)

Starting price (full retail)
Starting price (full retail)

Despite all of their differences, these phones share the same US$649 starting retail price. Of course, prices vary according to carrier, payment plan and configuration.

If you're an Apple fan, the choice will be obvious, but otherwise, features like a large display and Hi-Fi audio might win you over.

For more info, revisit our full-length review of the iPhone 7. We'll have more on the HTC U11 when it becomes available.

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