In a pleasant surprise, the Taiwanese company HTC announced its all-new smartphone, which is still running Android. In fact, this is not necessarily new, as the Chinese manufacturer took advantage of the launch of the VIVE Flow virtual reality glasses, to quietly launch its phone, which is a mid-range smartphone to accompany the virtual reality glasses exactly.
HTC’s return to the phone market, but with virtual reality glasses
And here is the new HTC U23 Pro smartphone, which will be available starting next June. Needless to say, this smartphone will have the first role in highlighting the brand’s VR headsets to provide more performance and flexibility. Factory pairs the U23 Pro with the VIVE XR Elite, HTC’s latest VR headset.
Mid-range smartphone
The new HTC U23 Pro smartphone is a mid-range smartphone that offers a 6.7-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and Gorilla Glass Victus coating by Corning. It has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 SoC with 256 GB of internal memory and 12 GB of RAM, all with a MicroSD slot. Available in two colors (Coffee Black and Snow White), HTC U23 Pro has IP67 certification and a 3.5mm audio jack.
In terms of battery life, a 4600mAh battery can be relied upon, which should guarantee the user at least a full day, if not two. The very rare thing to be confirmed, if there is 30W fast charging, there is also 15W wireless charging.
Four full cameras
As a mid-range smartphone, HTC U23 Pro will have a lot to do to compete with Google Pixel 7a and Samsung Galaxy A54. Also, we find a complete imaging block consisting of four cameras.
The camera offers a 108-megapixel sensor with a wide-angle lens, an impressive f/1.7 aperture, and optical stabilization. Next to it, we find an ultra-wide-angle lens with an 8MP sensor, a 5MP macro, and a final 2MP camera for depth detection. At the front, the front camera has a 32MP sensor. We find, of course, video recording up to 4K and a night mode that we will call Super Night in HTC.
Everything for virtual reality
As mentioned above, if HTC is returning to the smartphone market, it is not necessarily to compete with the leaders in the market but mainly to accompany its virtual reality headsets such as the VIVE Flow or the more recent VIVE XR Elite.
HTC VIVE is the Taiwanese manufacturer’s virtual reality platform and system. The VIVE system is organized around the hardware, software, and RV content. Activities include VIVE Equipment XR, VIVEPORT App Store and Platform, VIVE Solutions for Business Customers, VIVE X, the VR business accelerator, and VIVE ARTS for cultural initiatives.
the prices
HTC U23 Pro is available for pre-order starting today on the manufacturer’s website and in many stores, with a starting price of $ 550.
HTC is also offering a launch deal: for every HTC U23 Pro pre-order on the HTC website from May 18, 2023 to June 4, 2023, a pair of HTC True Wireless Earbuds Plus ($80 value) in black or white, will be offered for free.
