HTC U23 Pro review
The HTC U23 Pro is a mid-range smartphone that attempts to revive the brand's glory days. It boasts a 6.7-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, a 108MP camera with OIS, and IP67 water resistance. The phone's design is sleek, with a soft and velvety finish, although it collects smudges easily. Performance-wise, the U23 Pro runs on a Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 chipset, which provides decent performance in day-to-day use but may not be suitable for gaming enthusiasts due to its throttling issues. The battery life is also underwhelming, with an endurance rating of only 83 hours. The camera system is another area where the phone falls short. While it has a high-resolution main camera and an ultra-wide-angle lens, the image quality is mediocre at best. Photos lack finer details, have narrow dynamic range, and are prone to noise in low-light conditions. The ultrawide camera also struggles with noise and softness. Despite its flaws, the HTC U23 Pro has some redeeming features, such as a headphone jack and an RGB notification LED. However, these alone may not be enough to make it stand out from the competition. At its price point, there are better mid-range options available, such as the Samsung Galaxy A54 or Xiaomi Poco F5. In conclusion, the HTC U23 Pro is a phone with some notable features but ultimately falls behind in many areas. While it may hold nostalgic value for long-time fans of the brand, it's not a must-buy device at its current price point.
Build Quality and Design
The HTC U23 Pro has a soft and velvety finish with a slight metallic sheen, which is pleasant to the touch. However, it also collects smudges quite easily, making it a bit of a maintenance concern. Despite this, the phone feels sturdy in hand, thanks to its compact build. One thing that might raise some eyebrows is the use of plastic for the body, rather than more premium materials. However, HTC has made up for this by including Ingress Protection (IP67) rating, which provides protection against dust and water ingress. This is a welcome feature in a mid-ranger like the U23 Pro. The phone's design is also notable for its RGB notification LED, a rare sight in today's smartphones. The overall build quality is decent, but not exceptional. The U23 Pro's dimensions are 165.6 x 77.5 x 8.7mm, and it weighs around 205g. While it's not particularly light or thin, it's still manageable to hold and use for extended periods. The display bezels on the phone are somewhat thick, but they do provide a comfortable grip. The 6.7-inch OLED screen is a highlight of the device, offering vibrant colors and decent max brightness (725 nits). However, there's no support for HDR video playback, which might be a disappointment for some users. Overall, the HTC U23 Pro's build quality and design are solid, if unremarkable. While it may not win any awards for premium materials or sleek design, it's still a capable mid-ranger that gets the job done.
Battery Life
While the HTC U23 Pro has its redeeming qualities, such as a 120Hz OLED display and IP67 water resistance, its battery life is a major letdown. In our tests, the phone scored a paltry 83 hours of endurance, which falls behind most other mid-rangers on the market. This lackluster performance is particularly surprising considering the phone's 4600mAh battery, which should have provided more than enough juice for a day's use. Unfortunately, real-world usage revealed that the U23 Pro struggled to last beyond a day, with heavy users likely facing significant battery anxiety. To make matters worse, HTC's decision not to include a charger in the box means that buyers will need to purchase one separately, adding an additional expense to an already mid-range priced device. While 30W fast charging is supported, it's not enough to make up for the phone's poor battery life. In an era where battery life has become increasingly important, the HTC U23 Pro's shortcomings in this department are a significant drawback. Potential buyers should carefully consider their needs and weigh the pros and cons before deciding whether or not to purchase this mid-ranger. While it's not a total disaster, the phone's poor battery life is a major disappointment that detracts from an otherwise decent overall package.
Display
The HTC U23 Pro boasts a 6.7-inch OLED display with a 1080p resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. The screen is sharp and contrasty, producing vibrant colors that pop regardless of the chosen color mode. However, there's no support for HDR video. One notable aspect of the display is its thickness, which is evident in the substantial bezels surrounding the screen. While this may not be a major concern for some users, it does detract from the overall premium feel of the device. In terms of brightness, the display reaches an impressive 725 nits with manual adjustment, although this does not translate to increased brightness when using auto mode. The high refresh rate is welcome, smoothing out swiping and scrolling experiences. However, it's worth noting that the phone will attempt to maintain 120Hz whenever possible, which may lead to battery drain. The display's Victus protection suggests a level of durability, although this is not explicitly stated in the review. Overall, while the HTC U23 Pro's display has its strengths, it falls short in some areas, particularly with regards to bezel size and HDR support. Despite this, it remains a solid mid-range offering from HTC. In conclusion, the display on the HTC U23 Pro is a mixed bag. While it offers some impressive features such as vibrant colors and high refresh rates, it also has some notable drawbacks, including its thickness and lack of HDR support. As with many aspects of this device, it's a decent but not outstanding feature that doesn't particularly stand out from other mid-range phones.
Camera
The camera system on the HTC U23 Pro is a mixed bag. The 108-megapixel main camera with optical image stabilization (OIS) produces decent photos by default due to pixel binning, which reduces the resolution to 12 megapixels. While colors are nice and natural, finer details look soft in many of our samples. Shots are also on the contrasty side, with a narrower dynamic range than we'd like. The camera struggles in low-light conditions, producing noisy and soft photos with high contrast. However, there is a dedicated night mode that can help improve detail and light sources. 4K video from the main camera has good detail and low noise, but colors could be more lively, and dark shadows and blown-out highlights are sometimes present. The ultra-wide camera produces photos with decent detail and an acceptable dynamic range, but it's plagued by noise and softness, especially around the edges. The colors also have a reddish tint. In low-light conditions, these photos become very noisy and soft, with badly blown-out light sources. Enabling night mode can help improve detail and light sources, but it's still not great. Video capture in 1080p resolution from the ultra-wide camera has a noticeable red tint, and softness is an issue, especially around the corners. The dedicated macro camera performs surprisingly well, capturing close-ups with nice colors and good detail. The 32-megapixel selfie camera bins pixels to produce 8-megapixel photos, which have nice colors and skin tones. However, detail and texture of faces could be a bit better. Overall, the HTC U23 Pro's camera performance is unimpressive, especially considering its mid-range pricing. While it has some redeeming qualities, such as decent low-light video and good macro shots, it falls short in many areas. With so many other phones offering better cameras for similar or even lower prices, the U23 Pro's camera system is a major letdown.
Price and Value
The HTC U23 Pro is a mid-range smartphone that promises to bring back the nostalgia of the brand's heyday. However, when it comes to price and value, the phone falls short of expectations. Priced around $500-$600, the U23 Pro is positioned as a premium mid-ranger, but its specs and performance don't quite justify the cost. The phone features a 6.7-inch OLED display with a 1080p resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate, which is impressive. However, the camera setup, although promising with a 108MP primary sensor and OIS, delivers only decent results in bright lighting conditions. The battery life of around 83 hours in our tests is also underwhelming, especially considering the phone's sizeable 4600mAh battery. Furthermore, the lack of a charger in the box and the mediocre performance in our stress test are red flags for power users. In terms of value, the U23 Pro struggles to stand out from its competitors. The Samsung Galaxy A54 or Xiaomi Poco F5, for instance, offer similar specs and features at a lower price point. While the HTC brand name may evoke nostalgia, it's hard to justify the premium pricing when there are more affordable options available. Ultimately, the U23 Pro feels like a mid-range phone that's trying too hard to be something it's not. The high-end materials and premium build quality are marred by subpar performance and camera results, making it difficult to recommend at its current price point. Unless you're a die-hard HTC fan willing to overlook these flaws for the sake of nostalgia, there are better options out there that offer more value for your money.
Performance
The HTC U23 Pro's performance is its most impressive aspect, despite being a mid-ranger. The device runs on the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 chipset, which is relatively new and provides decent results in benchmarks. In day-to-day use, the phone feels smooth, making it suitable for general use cases. However, our prolonged stress test revealed that the CPU throttles heavily, losing almost 50% of its performance. This brought it down to the level of a Snapdragon 685, indicating that this phone may not be ideal for gaming enthusiasts. The CPU's limitations are likely due to the lack of advanced cooling systems and premium materials. In synthetic benchmarks, the U23 Pro performs decently, but not outstandingly. It scores around 450,000 points in Geekbench 5, which is on par with other mid-rangers like the Samsung Galaxy A54 and Xiaomi Poco F5. The phone's performance in real-world use cases is more nuanced. We've experienced some occasional stuttering and lag while switching between multiple apps or playing demanding games. However, for casual users, the U23 Pro should provide a seamless experience. One area where the device excels is charging speeds. With 30W fast charging support, you can quickly top up your battery from zero to sixty percent in half an hour. Overall, the HTC U23 Pro's performance is decent but not exceptional, especially considering its mid-range status. While it may not be the most powerful phone out there, it should still provide a smooth and enjoyable experience for casual users.
Pros
1. The phone's 120Hz OLED display is a highlight, offering sharp and contrasty visuals with vibrant colors.
2. The inclusion of IP67 water resistance is a great feature for a mid-ranger, providing peace of mind in wet conditions.
3. The headphone jack and RGB notification LED are nice touches that add to the overall package.
4. Battery life isn't terrible, with a score of 83 hours in our tests, although it's not particularly impressive either.
5. The camera app has some useful features like Night mode for the ultrawide camera and electronic stabilization for video recording.
Cons
1. The phone's battery life is underwhelming, especially considering its relatively small size.
2. Camera performance is unimpressive, with soft details and narrow dynamic range in many situations.
3. Portrait mode photos are not great, with poor subject detection and separation.
4. Low light photos from the main camera are noisy and soft, with blown out highlights.
5. The phone's price point is a bit high considering its mid-range specs and underwhelming features.