The Asus ZenFone 5 looks very familiar - we test out the Android iPhone X lookalike, which boasts an all-screen display and an Apple-esque notch at a fraction of the price.

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ASUS ZENFONE 5 (2018) REVIEW: HANDS-ON

If the Asus ZenFone 5 sounds familiar, it probably should - Asus released a phone called the ZenFone 5 way back in 2014. Unsurprisingly, this latest version has had a few upgrades - not least a very familiar notch.

Asus announced the phone at Mobile World Congress 2018, but we’ve already had the chance to spend some time with the new device. Here’s what we think so far.

PRICE AND AVAILABILITY

So far we don’t have any official price for the ZenFone 5, or a firm release date beyond April. The ZenFone 4 started at £449/$399, so we’d expect to see something similar from the 5 though.

It’s also worth noting that Asus has also announced the ZenFone 5Z and 5 Lite - the 5Z is expected to come to the UK later this year, but the 5 Lite probably won’t. The 5Z is essentially identical to the 5 however, except with a faster processor, so all of our hands-on reactions here will apply to that phone too.

DESIGN AND BUILD

If you thought the ZenFone 5 sounded familiar, that’s nothing compared to how it looks.

No, that isn’t an iPhone X, but you’d be forgiven for making that mistake. Asus is one of the first of the major Android manufacturers to incorporate that iconic notch into its own display design, allowing the corners of the screen to reach the very top of the device.

Unlike the iPhone X, the 6.2in display doesn’t quite reach the very bottom of the device, but the bezel is so minimal you’re not likely to mind too much - it's hard to complain about a 90 percent screen-to-body ratio. Beyond the display you get a very slim metal-framed body, and a glass back, all of which looks and feels great - even if it is all-too familiar.

Unlike the iPhone X you do get a fingerprint sensor - here on the back of the phone - though the vertically aligned dual cameras in the corner are another touch of definite familiarity. Still, the ZenFone 5 has one big advantage over the iPhone: a 3.5mm headphone jack.

There are other concessions to budget of course. Despite the glass back there’s no wireless charging here, and waterproofing is totally absent too.

At launch the ZenFone 5 will be available in two colours: Midnight Blue and Meteor Silver.

Overall, it’s hard to argue - looking an awful lot like Apple’s flagship device is no bad thing in a phone that costs less than half the price.

SPECS AND FEATURES

So, for all that the ZenFone 5 looks like Apple’s latest, it’s understandably not packing quite so much power inside.

First up, the 6.2in display is Full HD+, and IPS-style, in a 19:9 ratio that's even thinner than some of its rivals. In person it looked bright and vivid, with great colour reproduction. Sure, it isn’t OLED, but this is undeniably a great looking display for the price - as long as you’re a fan of the notch.

The ZenFone 5 is also one of the first phones to use the Snapdragon 636, Qualcomm’s new mid-range chip designed to offer support for FHD+ displays. The 636 will be backed up by 4GB of RAM and 64GB built-in storage, with MicroSD support as you’d expect. The battery is 3300mAh, which should be enough for a day or two of typical usage.

It’s worth remembering that later this year the ZenFone 5Z will release, boasting the exact same design but powered by Qualcomm’s latest flagship chip, the Snapdragon 845, with more RAM and storage - so if you love the look of the ZenFone 5 but want it to come with a little more oomph, you might want to hold out for the 5Z.

As for cameras, you get dual lens on the back: the main shooter, powered by Sony's new flagship IMX363 sensor, is 12MP with an f/1.8 aperture, paired with an 8MP, f/2.2 wide-angle lens. Asus has opted for wide-angle this time, after previously using a zoom lens, which it claims allows it to take even better portrait mode shots in low light. On the front, you get an 8MP, f/2.0 selfie camera.

Those cameras also boast new AI-driven software to get even more out of your shots - more on that below.

Audio has been amped up too. The built-in speakers are seriously powerful - among the loudest we've ever heard in a smartphone - while maintaining good tone. Elsewhere there's DTS Headphone:X support for virtual 7.1 surround sound, along with Bluetooth 5.0 and aptX HD.

SOFTWARE

Beyond that notched screen, the most exciting things about the ZenFone 5 are all about the software.

Android 8.0 Oreo, the most recent version of the OS, is driving everything, with Asus ZenUI 5 on top - and that’s where the real improvements lie.

You also get the option to unlock the phone with your face, though as with other Android phones this isn’t based on the infrared TrueDepth camera tech in the iPhone X, so don’t expect quite the same level of sophistication or security. One neat touch is that the phone will keep the display on as long as it can detect that you're looking at it.

Asus has also borrowed Animoji, with its own take dubbed ZeniMoji. We weren’t able to test this ourselves, but without the TrueDepth camera you should probably expect something a bit less polished than Apple’s version - though they do have the advantage of being usable in video chats and live streams.

The rest of the big software features are, on trend for 2018, all about AI. From the camera to the charger, notifications, and even your ringtone, Asus thinks it’s cracked how to use artificial intelligence to improve your experience.

The camera follows in the footsteps of the Honor View 10, using AI to recognise 16 scenes and objects - from sunsets to dogs - and automatically adjust to the optimum settings on the fly. The gallery app will then also sort those photos by their recognised scenes to make it as easy as possible to find all your pet pics.

More than that, it will also learn from your behaviour. If you routinely go into your photos after taking them to tweak light levels or add a filter, the phone will remember your choices and do its best to automatically edit future photos to suit your tastes - preserving the original, unaltered photo too, just to be safe.

Elsewhere, the phone will do its best to alter your ringtone volume to suit ambient noise - cranking it up if you’re in a busy bar, turning it down for a quiet office - tweak the colour temperature of the display based on light levels, and even tweak the text colour on notifications based on your wallpaper image.

Then there’s AI Boost - essentially overclocking by another name, letting you crank the processor up for intensive tasks. This will increase battery drain, but Asus claims it will give you power equivalent to a Snapdragon 660 - still mid-range, but definitely more powerful than the 636 normally is.

Finally, there's AI Charging, which will learn from how you charge your phone to help preserve the battery in the long term. For example, if you often keep your phone plugged in overnight, AI Charging will top it up to 80 percent and keep it there until early in the morning, before bringing it all the way to full just before you wake up, which Asus claims could as much as double the battery's lifespan.

Asus ZenFone 5: Specs

• Android 8.0 Oreo
• 6.2in Full HD+ 18:9 IPS-Style display
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 636
• 4GB RAM
• 64 internal storage
• Micro-SD card slot
• 12MP rear-facing camera with f/1.8 + 8MP wide-angle with f/2.2
• 8MP front camera with f/2.0
• Fingerprint scanner (rear mounted)
• Headphone jack
• USB-C with Smart Charge

SHOULD I BUY ASUS ZENFONE 5?

We’ve only had brief time with the ZenFone 5, and many of its most exciting software features either weren’t quite ready to test, or - like the AI stuff - are simply impossible to review without extended time with the device.

Still, the phone looks beautiful - even if we mostly have Apple to thank for that - and if it can deliver on performance it could be a very serious contender in the mid-range market.

LG has somewhat reinvented its V-series phone and it's effectively an upgraded G6. With no G7 coming anytime soon, the LG V30 remains a solid choice for a new smartphone.

PRICE WHEN REVIEWED       $799

LG V30 REVIEW

It was no surprise whatsoever that LG launched the new V30 at IFA 2017 in Berlin. We’ve been able to spend a couple of days with a sample so here’s our in-depth LG V30 review. 

LG isn’t one to keep its phone a secret right up until the launch event and so not only confirmed the name ahead of time, but various specs and features and well.

PRICE

When the LG V30 first launched it was priced at a whopping £799 making it one of the more expensive smartphones around. It's taken us a while to get hold of a sample which was provided by Carphone Warehouse.

Now it's been out for a little while, the V30 is a much more affordable £599 making it quite an attractive buy, especially with no LG G7 arriving at MWC 2018.

That price makes it a lot cheaper than rivals such as the Galaxy Note 8 and the similar HTC U11+ which is £100 more. There is some tough competition, though, with phones like the OnePlus 5T selling for just £449, albeit with fewer features.

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DESIGN AND BUILD

With a larger screen, the V30 is a bigger phone than the G6 but it doesn’t really feel like it. This is somewhat down to the fact LG has managed to make it thinner and lighter.

It’s just 7.4mm and 158g which is impressive for a 6in phone. It’s also 8mm shorter and 3mm narrower than its predecessor despite a bigger screen. It feels great in the hand with a very nice balance. 

Overall, the V30 looks very much like the G6 in design with very little to differentiate the two. It uses a metal frame and a glass rear cover which is adorned with the dual camera module, power button and logos.

Although the V30 looks and feels great, the design does mean that it’s a slippery customer. This isn’t unusual for phones at the moment but can be an issue, especially if you don’t want to use a case.

LG keeps the IP68 rating so the V30 is fully waterproof and can be submersed in 1.5 meters of water for as long as 30 minutes without worry.

It also feels very strong and durable. This, according to LG, is down to the ‘H-Beam’ metal frame and Gorilla Glass 5 front. There’s also a heat pipe and cooling pad to help get rid of heat.

The screen might not have curved edges like its Samsung rivals but the glass does so it has a similar silky feel. 

The V30 is available in four colours: Aurora Black, Cloud Silver, Moroccan Blue and Lavender Violet. You can see the latter in our photos.

SPECS AND FEATURES

Apart from making the phone thinner and lighter, it’s mainly the specs that make the V30 better than the G6.

Screen 

It’s the screen that is largely why the V30 looks so great. There’s even less bezel here than the G6 and means a screen-to-body ratio similar to the Galaxy S8. Like the G6 it has rounded corners and a tall 18:9 aspect ratio.

The V-series was known for it’s secondary display but this has been dropped in favour of a floating bar – see the software section for details on that.

At 6in, the screen is a little larger than the G6’s 5.7in display but keeps the Quad HD+ resolution (1440x2880). It’s super crisp and you will not notice the slight drop in pixel density compared to the G6.

The headline feature here is that it’s P-OLED rather than IPS LCD. The ‘P’ stands for plastic and is nothing to worry about. The tech means that you get excellent contrast, with blacks being especially impressive.

Brightness is good, although not as bright as the G6 and has nice colour reproduction set in the default ‘normal’ mode. You can also switch to others if you prefer, some of which are for movies or photos.

The screen, like many, has an always-on feature so displays information like the time, date and battery level even when the screen is technically off.

Processor, memory and storage

Although the G6 is fast, it was a slight disappointment that it came with a Snapdragon 821 instead of the 835 which about to be the latest model.

Well the V30 gets Qualcomm’s newer chip and the performance is generally impressive even if it doesn't win any awards here. The benchmarks are about what we'd expect to see from the 835 combined with a screen this high res and don't worry, the phone runs smoothly despite the figures on offer from a device like the iPhone X.

There’s 4GB of RAM and there’s 64GB of storage, which is about average for a flagship and should be plenty for most users.

Like many of its rivals LG offers expandable storage with a microSD card slot so even if you do fill up 64GB with photos of your cat, you’ll be able to add more very easily. 

Connectivity and audio 

As you’d expect, this flagship phone is packed with the latest tech including 11ac dual-band Wi-Fi, GPS, NFC and Bluetooth 5.0. It also has Gigabit Cat 16 LTE which is an upgrade compared to the G6 - on paper at least.

LG continues to put its fingerprint scanner on the back and it’s built into the circular power button below the camera. It works quickly and accurately, but is obviously unusable when the phone is sat on a flat surface. 

Although LG put different specs into the G6 for different markets, that’s not the case here. The V30 has a Hi-Fi Quad DAC with tuning from B&O. The DAC provides excellent sound through headphones, driving even power hungry cans while providing control over what you're hearing with different EQ settings and more.There’s also decent B&O Play headphones included in the box and LG says the V30 is the first phone with MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) technology that allows high-resolution audio streaming. 

It’s a shame that with a focus on audio, there are no stereo speakers and the built-in speaker sounds pretty average but the bezel-free design makes this very difficult to achieve. There's a headphone jack though and the LG V30 is still easily one of the best phones for audio on the market.

Cameras

By the look of it, the V30 has the same camera setup as the G6 but it has been upgraded.

The standard view camera is still 16Mp but now has an f/1.6 aperture which is the largest on any phone and will help let in more light. This camera has optical image stabilisation (OIS) to stop your hand shaking to cause blurry results. 

A second camera gives you a much wider view – 120 degrees instead of 71 – and comes in really handy to get a lot more in your photo rather than the telephoto zoom offered by most rivals. It's bumped from 8- to 13Mp and has an f/1.9 aperture. LG says it’s upgraded from the LG V20 with two-thirds less edge distortion.

We really like LG’s setup here and tend to find the wide-angle camera more useful than a telephoto alternative. The V30 might not have the best cameras on the phone market but they're certainly capable of some great shots; they're colourful, balanced and detailed.

There are plenty of modes to play around with, regardless of having two cameras and an interesting new feature is Point Zoom which allows you to zoom in on a selection section of the frame while filming. A slider on the screen means you can choose how fast to zoom in and out on that area. 

There's also 'Graphy' which is a feature of the manual mode that allows you to effectively import the settings from professional photos so you can get similar results.

Battery life 

The DAC on the G6 is market dependant and so is the wireless charging but this a standard feature of the V30. That’s a good move, of course. 

It’s battery capacity is 3300mAh like the G6 and if you don’t have a wireless charger then the USB-C port will be needed. The V30 supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0, so you can get up to 50 percent charge in 30 minutes.

In our battery tests the V30 is about average for a flagship phone, so it'll last the majority of users an entire day. In the new Geekbench 4 battery test, V30 lasted seven hours and 43 minutes with a score of 4630 - the score signifying how much work the processor can do while the battery discharges. 

We've only just started using this test but it outperforms the HTC U11+ which has a significantly bigger battery. It lasted seven hours and five minutes with a score of 4250.

SOFTWARE AND APPS

One of the only surprises with the V30 is that it doesn’t come pre-loaded with Android 8.0 Oreo like the new Xperia XZ1. Instead it has 7.1 Nougat but an update is expected soon.

The V30 comes with LG’s UX 6.0 but the biggest thing here is that the second screen is gone. Now there’s a ‘Floating Bar’ which you can optionally use and an always-on display feature.

Like some rivals, the screen can provide information without being fully switch on such as the time, date and battery level. You can also scroll through options for things like music control quick settings.

The Floating Bar is used when you’re using the phone and can be moved around like a Facebook Messenger Chat Head. Tap on it and you can access the apps you want as well as other functions. In the end we didn't use it very much at all but maybe you will.

LG has provided various security options so you don’t have to use the fingerprint scanner if you don’t want. You can also unlock the phone with your face, the old school Knock Code or even your voice.

The Google Assistant is built-in, it supports Google Daydream and there are loads of features hidden in the settings menu that you might not know exist unless you go digging. For example you can switch on a Mini view that allows you to run apps in a smaller size if the 6in display is too big.

LG V30: Specs

• 6in 18:9 Quad-HD+ (2880x1440, 538ppi) OLED FullVision display, Gorilla Glass 5
• Android Nougat 7.1.2 with UX 6.0+ and Google Assistant
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
• 4GB LPDDR4
• 64GB UFS 2.0, microSD up to 2TB
• 16Mp f/1.6 + 13Mp f/1.9 dual-camera, 5Mp selfie camera
• 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, USB-C
• IP68, MIL-STD 810G compliant, 32-bit Hi-Fi Quad DAC, face/voice/fingerprint recognition
• 3,300mAh, wired and wireless charging, Quick Charge 3.0
• 151.7x75.4x7.3mm

SHOULD I BUY LG V30?

There's a lot to like about the V30 becuase it's like LG has taken the G6 and upgraded it in key areas and even refined the already sleek design. Now the price is a more reasonable £599 we can highly recommend this phone which offers excellent design, screen, cameras and audio

The Moto G5S Plus improves on all previous generations to make it the best Moto G smartphone ever, despite its price increase

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MOTO G5S PLUS REVIEW

Long has the Moto G line of budget smartphones been considered excellent. Not just at Tech Advisor but worldwide, we’ve come to expect a lot of phone for not a lot of money when the latest one comes out.

There are only two real differences between the older G5 Plus and this newer G5S Plus – the larger screen and dual cameras.               

Thankfully, the Moto G5S continues the trend and is the best Moto has ever made. It costs a little more than you might expect, but the extra money is worth it for a phone that packs dual cameras, decent battery life with fast charging, a sleek design and superb performance.

DESIGN AND BUILD

We prefer the design of the G5S Plus to the rest of the G5 family of phones, including the G5S. The antenna lines are more prominent, but look better than the older design where you could see the gaps between the parts used.

Now, you have a unibody metal finish that feels far more premium than the price tag might suggest and is a far cry from the plasticky builds of older Moto G phones.

The G5S Plus has smart chamfered edges to the design that make it feel premium as well as easier to hold. While not the slimmest phone, it is easy to hold though approaching uncomfortable in one hand given the larger 5.5in screen.

It has relatively large top and bottom bezels, but that is to be expected for the price. They don’t go to waste though, with a decent sized fingerprint sensor at the bottom and a front facing camera and flash at the top.

The rear is plain save for a circular camera bump that houses dual cameras and a flash, with the Motorola logo sitting in a small indent where you might roughly lay a finger while holding the device.

The plastic Moto G phones were great, but this aluminium feel is much better.

FEATURES AND SPECS

More important though than the look and feel is the performance of a cheaper phone. Is it so cheap that it is actually unusable?

Thankfully not so here.

Display

The G5S Plus has a larger screen than the G5 and G5 Plus at 5.5in. It is a 1920x1080 Full HD IPS LCD with 401ppi and a regular 16:9 aspect ratio. It’s protected by Gorilla Glass 3 for drops and scuffs, but it’ll still smash like most other phones if you aren’t careful.

The screen is pleasingly vivid and bright for an LCD (as opposed to a more expensive OLED panel) and content looks great. There is not a lot of compromise here, even on a phone that costs double.

Text, videos and games looks great, with punchy colour reproduction though if you scroll quickly, text does blur somewhat until you stop. This is particularly noticeable with black text on a white background, but is a trait present in all displays of this type and price.

Processor, storage and RAM

The Moto G5S Plus has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor, a mid-range chip that is known for its excellent power efficiency. It delivers excellent battery management alongside above-average processing speeds for most people.

This is preferable to the weaker Snapdragon 430 in the G5 and G5S, and the boost in power in the G5S Plus is incredibly welcome.

In our tests gaming, multitasking, video streaming and photography were excellent, with only a hint of lag here and there – to be expected on a Snapdragon 625, but nothing that limits usability.

The phone comes with a just-passable 32GB internal storage, but with the option to expand up to 256GB with a microSD card. This version has 3GB RAM, more than enough for most tasks bar high intensity games.

There is another version available in some regions with 64GB storage and 4GB RAM, though that will affect the price asked.

Cameras

The most noticeable upgrade on the G5S Plus is the dual cameras. For the first time on a Moto G series phone, you can take portrait style bokeh effect photos – a feature on Moto’s £700 Z2 Force on a phone that costs £259.

The sensors are both 13Mp with an aperture of f/2.0. They product excellent shot in full daylight, but struggle in low light with detailing and colour reproduction. As long as your stick outdoors and are a casual phone photographer you won’t mind, but you should buy the G5S Plus if you are looking for the best possible camera experience on a phone.

The front facing 8Mp camera is also patchy at best, but adequate for Snapchat selfies and Skype video calls. Check out some pictures taken with the rear dual camera below.

Benchmarks

Our benchmarks returned the results we expected. The internals on the G5S Plus are identical to the older G5 Plus, but thankfully the larger display of the G5S Plus doesn’t affect performance – the results are identical.

We’ve compared the G5S Plus to the current Moto G family of phones (confusing names and all), alongside the Moto Z2 Play with the Snapdragon 626 and HTC U11 Life with the 630. The differences are negligible, and you’re not losing out by choosing the G5S Plus.

Everything else

You get NFC for mobile payments via Android Pay which is great, plus Bluetooth 4.2 and ac Wi-Fi connectivity. Battery life is also good with the 3,000mAh non-removable battery which is fast charge compatible with the included TurboCharger.

The fingerprint sensor is also excellent, fast and responsive. We like that you can lock your phone with a touch of it too, a feature not seen on many other handsets.

There’s even a built-in FM radio, something budget phones have more often than flagships these days.

It’s a slight shame to see the older micro-USB connector on the phone rather than the new USB-C standard, but it’s not a reason not to buy the G5S Plus.

SOFTWARE

The phone ships with Android Nougat 7.1, but given the relatively unchanged nature of Moto’s Android skin, it shouldn’t be long before the phone receives an update to Android Oreo – though this isn’t confirmed at the time of writing.

The skin over stock Android is thoughtful and unobtrusive. No changes are made unnecessarily unlike with other budget manufacturers like Honor.

You can use the fingerprint sensor to unlock and lock the phone, or in settings make it a navigation button to swipe and push to do all sorts of different actions. It takes some getting used to but is good if you want to get rid of the on-screen navigation buttons.

Apps sit in the drawer that is a swipe up from the home screen like on Google Pixel phones, while notifications and settings are all familiar and nicely unchanged. Using the Moto G5S Plus is a fresh, uninterrupted Android experience.

Moto G5S Plus: Specs

• Android Nougat 7.1.1
• 5.5in 1920x1080 Full HD IPS touchscreen, 401ppi
• 2.0GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 625
• Adreno 506 graphics
• 3/4GB RAM
• 32/64GB storage
• microSD slot up to 256GB
• Dual 13Mp cameras, f/2.0, dual LED flash
• Video 2160p @ 30fps
• 8Mp front camera, f/2.0, LED flash
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n
• Bluetooth 4.2
• Nano-SIM
• GPS NFC for payments 3,000mAh non-removable battery 153.5 x 76.2 x 8 mm 168g

SHOULD I BUY MOTO G5S PLUS?

The Moto G5S Plus is not only the best Moto G phone ever, it’s the best phone under £300 you can buy today. Yes, it is slightly more expensive than the G5 or the Nokia 5, but what you gain in build quality, photography and performance are well worth the extra spend.

It costs roughly half what the OnePlus 5T does and you don’t lose an awful lot by spending this much less. It's also a better buy than the smaller, cheaper but underpowered Moto G5S.

HTC is taking on the likes of Samsung and Apple again with a big screen phone. Here's our HTC U11+ review.

HTC U11+ REVIEW

As expected, HTC is back with some new smartphones including a bigger and better version of the U11 flagship. It's onwards and upwards for the company following its deal with Google. Here's our HTC U11+ review.

There was some debate over whether HTC's November launch event was for the U11+ or the mid-range U11 Life. It turns out it was for both so now the U11 range is available in more premium and cheaper options. Read about both new HTC phones here.

PRICE AND AVAILABILITY

Considering the HTC U11 launched at £649, a price tag of £699 for the new U11+ is pretty reasonable.

The 'Plus' versions of rival phones are considerably more expensive so respect to HTC for keeping it down here. For example, the Samsung Galaxy S8+ and iPhone 8 Plus are £779 and £799 respectively so you're saving a decent chunk here.

Unusually, the phone is only available directly from HTC's official store rather than any other retailers or networks.

DESIGN AND BUILD

As you'd expect from a 'Plus' version of any phone, the U11+ is a bigger version of the U11. It's got a bigger screen, of course, but there are a few other design bits and pieces that are new.

The device still has the same design language with HTC's 'Liquid Surface' curved glass at the back. This time round there are two colours to choose from starting with Ceramic Black which to our eyes in real life looks more like chrome/silver.

A Translucent Black option, as teased ahead of the launch, is a little more interesting. It's a smokey grey sort of colour and means you can see some components underneath the glass – namely a coil of metal which is used for NFC (not wireless charging sadly). 

It's a bit like having a window on the side of your gaming PC rig, but without all the neon lights.

We prefer the translucent option but the sad news is that it's not coming to Europe, at least to begin with, so fingers crossed for it to come later. This is despite teasing it off on the official site.

The U11+ looks stylish but not everyone will enjoy the larger and heavier size (188g is pretty hefty), or the way the back of the phone gets covered in smudges and fingerprints very easily once again - It's also a bit slippery.

You might have noticed that the fingerprint sensor has been moved to the back of the phone. This is to make way for a different size screen.

HTC has upgraded the waterproof rating so the U11+ gets IP68 which is the highest you'll find on a phone meaning you can dunk it in up to 1.5 metres of fresh water for up to 30 minutes.

Edge Sense is still a feature, so squeezing is another way of interacting with the device. There are pressure sensors in the sides of the device in the lower half that trigger certain commands. We'll talk more about this, including a new feature exclusive to the U11+, in the software section.

SPECS AND FEATURES

Sometimes, take the Galaxy S8 for example, a Plus version is really just a bigger version of the same device. However, with the U11+, HTC has done more than just install a larger screen into its existing phone.

Screen

As mentioned, the fingerprint scanner has been moved to the back of the phone to allow for a screen similar to some rivals. The U11+ has a 6in screen, with an 18:9 aspect ratio and a Quad HD+ resolution (2880x1440).

One of our complaints with the U11 was the more standard display which wasn't as exciting as rivals, so an 82 percent screen-to-body ratio is much more competitive. The U11+ will support HDR10 but via a firmware update.

Overall the screen looks pretty good, although LCD isn't everyone's choice over AMOLED. It's crisp and bright so you really need to decide if 6in is the right size for you.

Processor, memory and storage

The U11+ still has a Snapdragon 835 processor and although there's a version with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, we'll get the 6/128GB model as standard in the UK which is great news.

It makes the price tag and value for money even better and there's still a microSD card slot should you really need to add more. Most users won't with online backup services like Google Photos, though.

Like any top-tier smartphone, we've found performance to be silky smooth. We've had no issues waiting for apps to load, multi-tasking and the like. As you can see below, it benchmarks with the best of them.

Audio

HTC is once again pitching its phone at audiophiles with a range of different features including USonic noise cancelling headphones in the box. The U11+ also supports 24-bit playback, has an LDAC and offers Qualcomm's aptX HD codec for Bluetooth.

There's no headphone jack which is a shame - especially considering there's space for one - but the USonic have USB-C and there's also an adapter included for traditionalists.

The phone also has BoomSound Hi-Fi Edition which the firm claims is 30 percent louder than its smaller brother thanks to the additional space. It's a decent option for those into audio but it can't quite beat the LG G6 and V30 phones with their dedicated DACs.

Cameras

HTC has opted for the same 12Mp UltraPixel 3 camera as the U11 which we were very impressed with. However, there's a change at the front from 16- down to 8Mp – the U11+ front camera has an 85 degree field of view and the HDR Boost feature found on the back.

Both cameras are of a high standard and you'll get decent selfies from the front camera for starters. Although the main camera might not have a second lens for fancy tricks, it does take no nonsense quality shots in a range of conditions.

We've found it easy to use, with quick auto focus and crisp results. You can jump into the Pro mode if you want to fiddle with settings but the U11+ does a great job of providing pleasing shots by simply pointing and shooting.

As you can see from the test images below, detail is excellent, even in shadows, colours are natural and exposure is good. The U11+ is great in low light, too, making it seem like the conditions weren't bad. This is partly due to the optical image stabilisation which keeps everything steady.

Battery life

Another advantage of a larger handset is space for a bigger battery. The U11+ has a pretty huge 3930mAh battery inside, around a third larger than most regular flagships. HTC is claiming up to 25 hours of talktime and more than a day of usage.

As alluded to, the coil you can see on the translucent model isn’t wireless charging. It's NFC so you'll charge via USB-C and there's Quick Charge 3.0 support so you can top the battery up, er, quickly.

We've found battery life to be very strong with the U11+ comfortably lasting a day of even fairly heavy usage.

SOFTWARE AND APPS

As you'd expect, the U11+ comes with Android 8.0 Oreo which is the latest version of Google's mobile operating system.

HTC Sense is the firm's custom user interface over the top, but like many these days it's not as far removed from stock compared to how things used to be. The interface has things like HTC's news feed instead of Google and supports both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.

There's also HTC's Sense Companion, which on the whole we find more annoying than it is useful - especially on top of services like Google that are already pretty polished.

The U11+ comes pre-loaded with a few apps, some of HTC's own like Viveport as well as the likes of Facebook and Instagram. You can uninstall the ones you don't want, though.

With such a large screen, HTC has considered the user and has made it so you don't have to reach the top to pull the notification bar down. You can swipe anywhere which is a relief and really should be on all large phones.

Another feature on the U11+ is a shortcut wheel called Edge Laucher which you can summon with Edge Sense. Apps and quick settings can be added to this and it can be moved around for convenience.

It also shows the calendar at the top and it's one of the most useful thing we've experienced with Edge Sense. You'll just need to set it as the action in the Edge Sense setting as the default is camera.

You can do plenty of other things with Edge Sense such as power on/off, take a screenshot, open and close the notification draw and even toggle your Wi-Fi hotspot. You can also switch to an advanced mode that allows for two functions, the second accessed via a squeeze and hold.

There are also in-app uses for Edge Sense such as snoozing alarms, writing a new email or zooming in on a map. Generally, though, the regular method for these things is better with Edge Sense trying to solve a problem that doesn't really exist.

Edge Sense is good if you can find something you like to use it for. However, for many it will be something you try for a while then forget about.

For reference, here are the specs of the U11 family of phones in comparison with one another:

HTC U11+: Specs

• Android 8.0 Oreo
• 6in Quad HD+ LCD 6 display, 18:9
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
• 4/6GB RAM
• 64/128GB storage with micro SD up to 256GB
• 12Mp UltraPixel 3 main camera, f/1.7 with OIS
• 8Mp front facing camera, f/2.0
• Edge Sense
• 802.11ac dual-band Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth 5.0
• 4G LTE Cat15
• Nano-SIM
• GPS
• NFC
• USB-C 3.1
• 3930mAh non-removable battery
• Quick Charge 3.0
• 159x75x8.5mm
• 188g
• IP68

SHOULD I BUY HTC U11+?

The U11+ will be too big and heavy for some but it's a decent effort from HTC. It's cheaper than rivals and has some top-notch specs including 128GB storage as standard. It also has decent cameras, IP68 waterproofing and an 18:9 screen. It's just a shame there's no headphone jack, Edge Sense remains something of a gimmick, and we don't get the alluring translucent model in the UK.

It's a worthy upgrade to the U11, however there are some cracking phones to choose from at lower price points including the OnePlus 5T and Google Pixel 2, which has a feature similar to Edge Sense.