Skilled’s Ranking
Execs
- Wi-fi charging
- IP67 rated
- Clear Android
Cons
- Gaudy, unbalanced OLED show
- Unnecessarily chunky design
- Mediocre battery life
Our Verdict
The HTC U23 Professional is a reliable mid-ranger with clear software program, wi-fi charging, and IP67 certification. In relation to the broad strokes stuff, nevertheless, it has little or no to advocate it above its key rivals, that are variously cheaper, sooner, higher at taking footage, and have higher shows.
Value When Reviewed
Unavailable within the US
These of a sure classic will hear the identify ‘HTC’ and suppose again wistfully to the early days of the smartphone revolution, when the Taiwanese producer appeared like the one one able to taking the combat to Apple.
The corporate is a a lot diminished drive lately, having flogged a lot of its smartphone enterprise to Google and shifted its focus to VR with the Vive headsets. HTC nonetheless maintains a minor curiosity within the smartphone enterprise, nevertheless, and the HTC U23 Professional makes for a shocking and attention-grabbing new mid-range contender.
Design & Construct
- Flat, angled plastic rim and plush plastic rear
- Considerably hefty at 205g and eight.9mm thick
- IP67 rated
HTC was famend for its envelope-pushing smartphone design work, however the HTC U23 Professional is gunning for cost-effective dependability. Its flat plastic rim, plastic again, and flat show don’t precisely resurrect recollections of the HTC One M7.
There are thrives to be discovered right here, however they’re extraordinarily understated. That flat rim, for instance, is ever so barely angled, thus giving the impression that the rear of the cellphone is barely smaller than the entrance.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
That plastic rear additionally has a soft-touch end that feels fairly plush, and appears quietly luxurious, particularly within the uncommon Espresso Black tone that my assessment mannequin is available in, which tints in the direction of darkish brown within the gentle. You can too seize the cellphone in a extra orthodox Snow White if you want.
The U23 Professional’s show is coated in Gorilla Glass Victus, which is sweet and difficult for a mid-range cellphone. You additionally get nearly flagship-level mud and water certification, courtesy of an IP67 score.
As understated as this design is, it will possibly’t disguise the truth that the HTC U23 Professional is a quite massive, heavy cellphone. It’s 8.9mm thick, and it weighs 205g, which doesn’t make it uncomfortable to cart round by any means, nor does it disappear into your pocket.
You do get a pair of loud (if considerably tinny) stereo audio system, and that further thickness permits the inclusion of a 3.5mm headphone jack on the highest edge. Authentication is dealt with by a fingerprint sensor housed throughout the energy button on the correct edge, which is dependable, if not particularly speedy.
Display screen
- 6.7in FHD+ 120Hz OLED
- Color accuracy approach off the mark
- Auto-brightness flaky
HTC has given the U23 Professional a 6.7in OLED show with an Full HD+ decision and a 120Hz refresh fee. That appears like a aggressive spec listing, and it’s significantly good to see 120Hz enabled by default quite than having to scramble round within the settings menu.
Nonetheless, this is among the most disagreeable shows I’ve used shortly. It primarily comes all the way down to the display screen’s overly vibrant colors.
Every of the three color mode choices (Pure, Boosted, and Adaptive) is extraordinarily punchy and oversaturated, making every little thing from internet content material to video footage look gaudy. Perhaps the nostalgia of the HTC model fed into this, however I used to be put in thoughts of the early days of Android smartphones, again when Samsung’s preliminary OLED panels went a bit loopy with the colors.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
Positive sufficient, operating the HTC U23 Professional by means of a normal take a look at utilizing a colorimeter confirmed that none of those modes could possibly be deemed color correct, not less than should you’re speaking in regards to the common sRGB color area that almost all content material is calibrated for.
It will get to an affordable brightness of 488 nits with auto brightness switched off. Switching auto brightness on led to some freaky behaviour, with the display screen going from too vivid to too darkish in combined circumstances.
Along with an obvious lack of HDR10 and Dolby Imaginative and prescient help, the HTC U23 Professional show seems like a lower-grade OLED part than we’re accustomed to coping with within the £500 class.
Specs & Efficiency
- Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 processor
- 12GB of RAM
- 256GB storage, microSD slot
The HTC U23 Professional runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7 Gen 1, which is a mid-range chip that we haven’t seen in too many handsets earlier than. Maybe probably the most high-profile latest instance has been the Xiaomi 13 Lite, with which the HTC U23 Professional is a direct competitor. It’s additionally within the Motorola Razr 40.
As with that fellow Xiaomi mid-ranger – and aided by a formidable 12GB of RAM – the HTC U23 Professional runs decently, enabling you to flit between apps and skim by means of menus at a silky 120Hz. As talked about within the earlier part, unlocking the cellphone utilizing the fingerprint sensor isn’t the speediest course of.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
Gaming efficiency is strong, with physics-heavy console racer Wreckfest operating comfortably (if not completely) on medium-to-high settings.
In CPU benchmarking phrases, the HTC U23 Professional tops the Xiaomi 13 Lite, ties with the Nothing Cellphone (1), and falls effectively in need of the Motorola Edge 30 Fusion and the Poco F5. In relation to our normal GPU benchmarks, the HTC ties with the Xiaomi 13 Lite and the Nothing Cellphone (1), however is obliterated by the Motorola Edge 30 Fusion, the Poco F5, and even the Pixel 6a.
HTC U23 Professional benchmarks
Briefly, then, the HTC U23 Professional performs adequately inside its class, however players can get a lot sooner for related and even fairly a bit much less cash.
One ultimate standout spec is the supply of 256GB of inner storage as customary, plus the potential for extra by means of a microSD slot. Bravo for going the additional mile right here, HTC.
Cameras
- 108Mp important digital camera with OIS
- 8Mp ultra-wide, 5Mp macro, 2Mp depth
- Struggles with lighting extremes
The HTC U23 Professional’s digital camera system is each inch the mid-range performer. That may sound superb, provided that this can be a mid-priced cellphone, however with the Pixel 7a (and now discounted Pixel 6a) accessible for approach much less, it’s not prone to impress anybody.
It’s a superbly strong set-up, led by a 108Mp important sensor with OIS (optical picture stabilisation) and EIS (digital) stabilisation, in addition to a large f/1.7 aperture. This leads to reasonably sharp, pleasingly natural-looking photographs in respectable lighting. HTC doesn’t punch colors up an excessive amount of, which many mid-range producers are likely to do.
Its limitations began to be uncovered when capturing on a sunny day, the place every little thing seemed washed out and murky because the U23 Professional didn’t compensate. In different photographs the place the brightness didn’t encroach on the scene an excessive amount of, I noticed hints of overexposure within the background.
At different instances, when attempting to take a close-up of a beer glass in entrance of a much less sunny harbour scene, the U23 Professional obtained the tone proper, however took three makes an attempt to lock on to the foreground topic.
There are points on the reverse finish of the brightness scale, too. Low gentle photographs with the devoted Night time mode energetic yielded plenty of grainy artefacts, principally evident in darkish skies. OIS would possibly effectively be in play right here, however the sensor clearly isn’t enormous, and HTC’s picture processing doesn’t appear to be up there with the higher mid-range producers.
The secondary cameras aren’t something to put in writing residence about both, with an 8Mp ultra-wide the one different sensor of be aware. The 5Mp macro and 2Mp depth sensor aren’t actually price greater than a cursory point out, with the macro specifically too hit or miss – with far more misses than hits. As is typical, they’re actually there to bump up the variety of cameras in an try to impress.
There’s a 32Mp selfie digital camera round entrance, however regardless of its comparatively pixel-packed nature, it’s not a robust performer. All of my selfie photographs have been extraordinarily smooth with overexposed backgrounds, whereas portrait mode yielded plenty of bizarre artefacts across the fringe of the topic.
Battery Life & Charging
- 4600mAh battery yields mediocre battery life
- Gradual 30W wired charging
- 15W wi-fi charging help
Given the HTC U23 Professional’s thick, heavy physique and heavy use of plastic, it’s a little bit of a shock to be taught that it solely has a 4600mAh battery. I’d have anticipated a normal 5000mAh cell.
Positive sufficient, I discovered the cellphone’s stamina considerably underwhelming. In a day of pretty reasonable utilization (14 hours off cost, simply over 3 hours of display screen on time), I noticed the cellphone dropping to 38%. It’s commonplace to have a superb half-a-tank left to play with in such a state of affairs.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
This disappointing outcome was borne out in the usual PCMark Work 3.0 battery take a look at, the place the HTC U23 Professional scored an underwhelming 9 hours and three minites. That’s 5 hours lower than the Poco F5, whereas even the Pixel 7a – a cellphone that’s not precisely famend for its stellar battery life – managed nearly two hours extra.
It scores a bit higher than the Motorola Edge 30 Fusion and solely rather less than the Xiaomi 13 Lite, however each of these telephones have even smaller batteries.
HTC doesn’t embrace a charger within the field, however the U23 Professional helps as much as 30W wired charging. I used a 66W charger from one other model, which yielded the telltale “Charging quickly” message, however may solely get the cellphone to 24% in half-hour. A full cost took over two hours.
All of which sounds fairly destructive, however there’s one appreciable saving grace to the HTC U23 Professional’s charging set-up. It helps 15W wi-fi charging. That’s now not as particular a mid-range characteristic because it was, with the likes of the Pixel 7a and the Nothing Cellphone (1) packing it in, however it’s nonetheless not the norm.
Software program
- Inventory-like Android 13 expertise
- Handful of stand-alone Vive apps
- No large replace ensures
The HTC U23 Professional comes with a pleasingly stockish tackle Android 13. That is Android largely as Google meant, with menus, layouts, and app icons that may be acquainted to any Pixel or Motorola customers on the market.
HTC provides just a few gildings, with the clock widget specifically nodding to its extra illustrious previous, however it’s nothing too elaborate.
Certainly, you possibly can argue that HTC may do some extra embellishing. There’s none of Motorola’s tasteful gentle enhancements or gesture-based shortcuts, for instance. You additionally don’t get any of Android 13’s wonderful Materials You color customisation choices, for no matter motive.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
When it comes to bloatware, you get a handful of HTC’s personal Vive-themed apps, nodding to the model’s new standing as, in the beginning, a VR firm. With no Vive headset handy, I used to be unable to check these out. Both approach, these are stand-alone apps, and will be utterly ignored and even uninstalled.
HTC doesn’t look like making any daring claims about ongoing software program or safety updates right here. Given the corporate’s step again from smartphone market prominence in recent times, that is most likely comprehensible, however it’s price preserving in thoughts should you’re intending on preserving your subsequent cellphone round for a number of years.
Value & Availability
At £499, the HTC U23 Professional prices £50 greater than the Pixel 7a, the Poco F5, and the Xiaomi 13 Lite. It’s technically the identical value as the fashionable Motorola Edge 30 Fusion, however given the age of that cellphone now you can get it for effectively beneath RRP.
You should purchase the HTC U23 Professional direct from HTC’s on-line store in addition to Amazon.
It’s not accessible within the US however you’ll be able to try our chart of the most effective mid-range telephones.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
Verdict
Whereas the HTC U23 Professional isn’t a nasty cellphone, it’s robust to make a case for it on the asking value. Not with so many superb rivals providing a lot extra for related or much less cash.
It isn’t significantly quick, it doesn’t have an excellent display screen, it doesn’t have a robust digital camera setup, it doesn’t cost in a short time, and its stamina is underwhelming. Every of its important mid-range rivals does not less than one among these items effectively, and sometimes extra.
You do get a pleasingly clear OS and wi-fi charging right here, in addition to IP67 certification, none of that are a given at this value. However when you will get the Pixel 7a, which ticks nearly all the aforementioned bins for £50 much less, it’s tough to see what the HTC U23 Professional brings to the desk past nostalgia.
Specs
- Android 13
- 6.7in, FHD+, OLED, 120Hz, flat show
- Facet-mounted fingerprint sensor
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1
- 12GB RAM
- 256GB storage
- 108Mp, f/1.7 important digital camera
- 8Mp ultra-wide digital camera
- 5Mp macro digital camera
- 2Mp depth
- As much as 4K @ 30fps rear video
- 32Mp front-facing digital camera
- Stereo audio system
- Twin-SIM
- Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6
- Bluetooth 5.2
- 4600mAh battery
- 30W wired charging
- 15W wi-fi charging
- 166.6 x 77.1 X 8.9mm
- 205g
- Launch colors: Espresso Black, Snow White
