HTC has pulled the 18:9-aspect covers off the U11+ (or U11 Plus), seeing HTC join the ranks of phone companies offering this new format of display.
The HTC U11+ is a plus phone in every sense of the word, taking the very capable HTC U11 and giving it a boost. It runs on internals that are very much the same - meaning that it is flagship spec - but there are some great boosts in great places.
The most obvious is the display which expands to an 18:9 aspect and measuring 6-inches on the diagonal. It has a sharp 2880 x 1440 pixel resolution (536ppi), but this isn't an OLED display, with HTC sticking to its preferred Super LCD 6.
That might avoid some of the concerns that have been plaguing OLED displays recently, with HTC saying that it’s a DCI-P3 calibrated display, so it should be nice, natural and colourful. It will also support HDR10 following an update in the near future.
Sticking to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 platform, in the UK this phone will be available with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage as standard, while also supporting microSD expansion, making it hugely potent considering the £699 asking price.
The phone keeps that wonderful design of the HTC U11 with an aluminium core wrapped in the glass Liquid Surface rear. HTC is playing with this finish and will be offering the U11+ in Ceramic Black and Translucent Black.
The bad news is that Translucent Black is going to be limited in its availability, so we don't currently know if this will be coming to the UK. It's not totally see-through, but it does reveal some of the internals to give you a totally unique appearance.
One of the other plus-size elements on this handset is the 3930mAh battery. Yes, that's massive, so it should see you through more than a day with ease.
There's Android Oreo with HTC Sense, and a load of customisations to make one-handed use easier, including a new Edge Launcher, which is like an on-screen dial that you can add apps to for quick access.
The U11+ also retains the great camera of the HTC U11, with a 12-megapixel rear camera and shifting to an 8-megapixel front camera, designed to give you better selfies.
BoomSound HiFi is on board and promising to be 30 per cent louder than the U11, while Bluetooth 5, aptX HD and LDAC are all supported. There's no 3.5mm headphone socket, but the bundled USonic headphones will adapt to your ears, offer active noise cancellation and are generally very good.
What's also encouraging about the HTC U11+ at launch is the price: £699 is cheaper than the Pixel 2 XL, cheaper than the LG V30 and a full £300 cheaper than the iPhone X. It's a lot of phone for your money.
The HTC U11+ will go on pre-order on 20 November.